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Chapter 1) Birth of a Crusader

They say that there was once a large, divine tree that bridged the various worlds together. The world of mortals, the worlds of the gods, the worlds of the dead, the worlds of the mythic creatures... all lived in harmony, supported and blessed by the great tree whose branches and roots stretched to the ends of existence. Yet, one day, the peaceful days ended. The gods and mythic beasts warred among each other. The damned dead rose up from their hells to slaughter every mortal in their path; the blessed dead armed themselves for battle and charged into the war alongside their chosen gods. Nevermelting ice encased the warrior's hearts to allow such cruelty, and so, too, did it encase the branches of the great tree. Ever-burning flames devoured the senses and morals of the warriors and so, too, did the devour the roots. Thus, when the war was finally sated, all of the realms were shattered and alone. The great tree had died, and no longer could one easily travel from one realm to the next. Yet despite the devastation, the old wounds scarred and from the ashes came new life. In the mortal realm, a single piece of the great tree's trunk remained and provided shelter and food for those few mortals who survived. Eventually, that piece turned to soil and rock and became the foundation of a new continent: Jugdral.

Perhaps because of its chaotic origins, Jugdral is no stranger to war and disaster. Millions upon millions have fallen to blades and magic, choking on their own blood or their tears of fear as death takes them. The most recent of these 'epic conflicts' is the Holy War, where the divinely blessed Crusaders toppled the tyrannical Loptousian Empire. Then, afterwards, they divided up Jugdral as a child does a cake, and set about reconstructing the once-again broken continent.

Grannvale lies in the heart of the present-day Jugdral, and is the home of most Crusader descendants. On the surface, it is a peaceful and benevolent country, fitting for the kingdom founded and ruled by Saint Heim. Such 'peace', however, is nothing more than an illusion, the 'healed skin' that hides the infection swelling underneath. Its politics are cutthroat at the best of times, where even the most benevolent of nobility manipulate and trick their opponents to push their reforms through. Then, of course, there are the Hunts. Almost every territory in Grannvale sends out their prized knights to hunt down the descendents of the Loptousians, all to eradicate them to the last babe. Though, that assumes the accused's neighbors didn't rip them apart first. Some of the deaths inflicted... one could say being burnt at the stake, in front of a cheering crowd, was a mercy compared to them.

Perhaps, however, the Hunts will end soon. Though the reigning king, King Azmur, has said nothing for or against the Hunts, his only son and heir, Crown Prince Kurth, has made his distaste for them quite clear. If there are any who doubt, then they need only to look at his two closest advisors: Duke Byron of Chalphy and Duke Ring of Yngvi. Despite the urgings, and threats, from the other provinces, neither have allowed a Hunt in their territories.

Whenever one deviates from the norm, however, one makes enemies. Chief among Prince Kurth's enemies is Chancellor Reptor of Friege, a man known both for his stubbornness and for his devotion to his family and his country. He views it as a noble's duty to eliminate all potential threats, and Loptousians are always 'threats' in his eyes. Seeing now a threat to his country and, more importantly, his influence within said country, he allies himself with Duke Lombard of Dozel, an avaricious and bitter man who has long disliked how often the crown has ignored his people's troubles. Together, the two lead a faction opposing Prince Kurth and his radical reforms, crafting a political landscape that grows thornier by the day.

Making things more complicated is that not all nobles are aligned with one side or the other. Some remain neutral, watching the debates and pointed threats with impassive gazes, always looking to see just who might succeed. Arvis of Velthomer is one such noble, though he hides his interest through his work as the leader of the Royal Guard, to make himself seem less of a threat than he is. Another notable neutral figure is Father Claud of Edda, the leader of the Church of the Twelve Gods, who is not as passive as Arvis. Instead, he frequently preaches and advises for peace and cooperation, far too aware of the storm Grannvale's political climate would bring.

Sometimes, however, life decides to play a little game with mortals and drops a storm where no one would expect. The proud nation of Isaach, founded by the Sword-Saint Od, launched a brutal assault on Darna, a city in the Aed Desert with deep ties to the Crusaders. Reports of the brutal massacre reach every ear, even those in far off Yngvi, and it was not long before the people were united behind a single cause: retribution. As typical, King Azmur quickly yielded to the will of the furious people, and declared war on Isaach for the atrocity. Prince Kurth leads the army on his father's behalf, and the bulk of Grannvale's military marched east to the desert and war. To most, that would be the end of the matter and eagerly did the people await the news of victory.

However, as the wise frequently remind, trouble rarely travels alone and war is never predictable. Verdanite soldiers, led by Verdane's Crown Prince Munnir, crashed through the border and laid siege to Yngvi Castle. With only Lady Edain and a token force of green knights to guard it, it quickly crumpled to the assault and the only hope the people have lies in neighboring Chalphy, where Lord Sigurd governed the lands in his father's absence. A friend to Lady Edain since both were babes, he was a knight many adored, respected by even more, and known for his fierce, perhaps even reckless, loyalty.

The year is 757, Grann Calendar. It has been just over one hundred years since the Loptousian Empire fell, and now, the doors of destiny are cast open once more to lead all to their fated doom.

"Easy there..." I urged as the child in my lap flailed about wildly in pain. One couldn't blame them, of course, as few would react well when a burning door fell and the red-hot hinge had seared itself onto their shoulder. "It shall be okay." I kept my voice even and calm, soft and soothing. I doubted they could hear me, but the tone was enough to comfort them. They stopped flailing as much, though they did still accidentally hit me in the face. I ignored the stinging, focused on treating the burn. It was a particularly bad one, and not just because of how they obtained it. The child's sister had ripped their shirt off to keep it from catching fire and burning them worse, and accidentally ripped the cloth from where it had stuck to the burn. Still, it was treatable, unlike some of the other victims. The dead strewn about the streets made that far too clear. "There, there..."

When the Verdanite soldiers struck, they seemed determined to act exactly as the stereotypes. They attacked anything and everything remotely in their path, setting fire to houses as they passed and abducting whoever they could grab. I wasn't certain why they had taken children, but I knew far too well why they had taken some of the young adults, particularly the 'prettier' ones. One such victim sat next to me, staring into nothing and reacting to even less, and she had been one of the 'luckier' ones. Only one had their way with her before some of the braver villagers managed to save her. Another victim laid under a blanket a short distance away; he'd confused his rescuers for more attackers and ran straight into a burning house to escape more trauma. The house collapsed before he could be coaxed out.

It hurt that I could do nothing more for either, but I couldn't focus on it yet. There were others who needed to be healed. There were others I could potentially save. That was why I was sitting in the middle of a city on fire, treating who I could. I couldn't stop. I wouldn't.

"Alicia!" I had just finished tending to the child's burn and had given them some pain medication when someone appeared and shoved a half-burnt body into my arms. "Heal them!" they demanded, fat tears carving clear tracks in the soot and dust clinging to their face. "Gods damn those bastards!"

"Easy," I urged gently, moving so that I could check my newest patient over. One of their eyes was seared shut, and some of the burns were as black as charcoal. Others appeared white and leathery. Burns on the other parts of their body were technically 'lesser', but that meant little. For one thing, they had been blistered, but they'd all popped, with pus oozing over peeling skin showing. Surprisingly, they were still breathing through all of this, but when I brought my staff up to begin treatment, the healing magic wouldn't take. That alone told me... "I am sorry." I shook my head and gently handed the body back to the person. "I can't heal them." I wasn't strong enough.

"Then what good are you?!" They clung to the body with all they had, and started sobbing. Someone else hugged them, gently rocking them while kissing their hair to soothe them. That person glared at me over the first person's head, silently asking the same thing, but I ignored them. There were others I could still save.

"There you are." At least, that had been my intention, but a hand roughly snatched my arm and dragged me away from where I had set up a make-shift 'clinic' for the wounded townspeople. I barely had time to grab my staff and medicine-bag. "Honestly, you'd think you'd try to make yourself useful," the person muttered. It took me a couple of blinks to recognize him as Father Eirik, as I had never seen him in bloodstained clothing before. He always left the healing to others. "In here." He yanked me into the church, where the normal pews had been tilted up against the walls to make room for the wounded. "Lord Sigurd just liberated the castle, and rescued some of the wounded within." He shoved me into the barely-dusted back corner, where a particularly badly wounded man was laid out on some blankets. "Tend to this one. Your blood should help, for once." He left before I could point out that the man here would probably die with or without my help. The wound gaped open in a facsimile of a twisted smile on his torso, and he had lost so much blood already that the despite the large size of the wound, barely any blood seeped out.

However, I knew well why Father Eirik had dragged me here. All of the wounded here had to be servants, soldiers, and knights and he could easily charge the castle for the treatment once things had settled. He could charge a pretty little copper for this man in particular, as I discovered when I sank down on my knees to do a preliminary examination. After all, this was Sir Midir, the bodyguard of Lady Edain, and he alone was 'worth' more than what random civilians could pay, particularly when the healer who healed them didn't bother keeping track of their names. That was why I was assigned to this one. It was considered ill-mannered to ask for payment when the patient died, but out of all the healers currently in Yngvi, I was the most powerful. At least, I was perceived as the most powerful. After all, as Father Eirik knew, I had...

"They certainly made a mess of you," I whispered, so that I focused on trying to save the man in front of me instead of woolgathering. Normally, I would curse at the slip, but Sir Midir was firmly unconscious. Even if he heard me, he would likely dismiss it as a dream. "Let us see what I can do."

I did not know how long I worked on him. It was long enough that blood seeped into the deepest crevices of the wooden floor, and had irreparably stained everyone's blankets and clothes. It was long enough for the blood to dry in crusty patches in my hair and tint my sweat pink and copper where it tried to dry on my skin. It was long enough that forty-seven people died in this cramped space, easy to tell by the cursing of their healers and the distinctive 'thud' of a body being dropped off to the side to make more room for the ones who could still survive.

By all rights, Sir Midir should have been one of those dead. As I gathered from the ramblings of the nearby patients, he had nearly been cleaved in two by Prince Munnir himself, who took advantage of how archers were at a disadvantage in closer quarters. Yet, somehow, Sir Midir lived. He stubbornly clung to life even as death tried to drag him through its doors, and thus, my healing magic was able to piece the broken bones together, knit the muscles whole, and urge the blood to scab and hold the skin together. He would have a lengthy recovery, and a terrible scar that might never fade, but he would live.

"Lady Edain," he mumbled towards the end of the treatment. His sleeping face contorted in pain, as if he were trapped in a nightmare. Perhaps he was, repeatedly seeing his lady taken away by Prince Munnir. The other patients had babbled her fate and I always did my best to listen to everything I could. Anything that would suggest something was not quite right or… "Lady Edain... I'm... sorry..." Shaking my head, I measured out a little bit of sleeping medicine I had prepared and carefully gave him it to push him into a deeper slumber. He needed all the rest he could get.

I lingered by his side for a moment, to ensure there were no immediate side-effects, then I carefully stood. My muscles keened at the movement, but I ignored it. After all, one of the first things a healer learned was that it was our job to maintain calm serenity. A frowning healer, a tired one, a pained one... anything else would simply make the patient and their loved ones worry. A panicking healer was even worse; they wouldn't be able to do their job. So, a healer had to remain calm, and it was a lesson Father Eirik had ensured I'd perfected. 'Blood will always tell,' he would mutter whenever I slipped, as if I needed a reminder of just whose blood ran through my veins.

Shaking my head slightly to get rid of the useless thoughts, I picked up my staff and medicine-bag and waded through the blood to check on the other patients and assist where I could. Sometimes, it was with my staff. Sometimes, it was with my medicines. Still other times, it was urging the healer to stop as the dead could not come back to life. Only those descended from Bragi and inherited the bulk of his power could do so, with the sacred Valkyrie Staff. Everyone else had to move on to try and save someone else, and let the body rest with the others. I helped move some of the lighter bodies, like the children who had likely served as messengers, and I counted the number of corpses we had. I always counted. It reminded me of why I always had to strive to better myself, so that 'next time', the number would be a little less. I owed it to those I couldn't save.

Still, not everyone needed help and I soon ran out of those I could assist. By then, I was near the entrance, so I decided to step outside and ask if anyone could spare some straw to help soak up the blood. The last thing any of us needed was a healer slipping and becoming one of the injured or, worse, the blood seeping into a patient's open wound and making things worse. However, I wasn't able to do so. Elder Reisin, who frequently acted as the town's representative whenever nobility came calling, blocked the front while conversing with someone.

"We are incredibly grateful to you!" he gushed, smiling warmly at whomever he was speaking to. The shock of blue hair and the quiet elegance of the clothes hinted it was Lord Sigurd himself. "We greatly feared what those Verdanite barbarians would do, my lord." That confirmed it, then. What brought him here? "Oh, I remember the old raids... they haunt my nightmares still, and this was even worse..."

"I wish I had made it sooner," Lord Sigurd murmured, inclining his head. His posture was sure, almost proud even, but there was genuine sorrow in his eyes. "I can see the damages, and I am certain there is more that I will never see." He looked back at the town proper, where smoke slowly spiralled up from charred buildings. I wondered when the fires went out. "Do you know how many have perished yet?"

"I... well..."

"Forty-seven of the castle servants, knights, and soldiers here have passed," I answered, stepping up. Though I was a terrible mess, and a healer shouldn't look messy, it was better to answer his question as best as I was able. "I imagine it will be a little higher by sunrise tomorrow. The majority of the dead are the knights and soldiers." From what I had understood, seventy knights and soldiers had remained behind when Duke Ring and Lord Andorey had marched off to join the rest of Grannvale's army. Prince Munnir's assault had annihilated them. "I have not yet heard the number of casualties for the townspeople yet." It would be higher than it should be, though. I had been the only healer tending to them before Father Eirik dragged me off.

"Alicia!" Elder Reisin yelped, aghast I would answer Lord Sigurd's question so bluntly. He scowled harshly at me, frowning deeply. "You ought to know better than to be so disrespectful! Certainly-"

"Sir? She simply answered my question," Lord Sigurd 'reminded', frowning slightly. It was a bit of a shame, as I wondered which lecture on respect I would receive this time. Orphans around here eventually heard all of them at some point, and I was no different. "In truth, I am gladdened some live at all. Their wounds were..." Lord Sigurd looked away briefly; it did nothing to hide his wince of pain. "I am... assuming Midir was among them?"

"No, Sir Midir still lives," I reassured, ignoring Elder Reisin's slight sputtering. It always took him a second to recover if someone interrupted him in the middle of a lecture. "I just finished bandaging him, actually."

"Truly?" Lord Sigurd's face lit up with a bright smile. I had heard from Arvis's letters that Lord Sigurd never hid his emotions, and was as bright and free as sunlight. I had always assumed he'd been exaggerating, but now, I thought he had talked it down. "You must be very skilled to have saved him! I know the wound was terrible..."

"I am only moderately skilled." What had given me an advantage was the magic that ran through my blood. "He dreams of Lady Edain's capture. I have not heard whether or not you managed to rescue her?" The soldiers only knew about the events that had happened before their rescue, after all.

"No, sadly, Prince Munnir was long gone by the time we arrived." Lord Sigurd focused completely on me; Elder Reisin took that as a dismissal and, after giving him an odd look, disappeared down the way. "Hopefully, we can catch them at Evans Castle, along with the children who were abducted." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Even more hopefully, though, the famous Ulir Luck will keep her safe from the... usual fate that awaits the captured." That was certainly a tactful way to put it.

"If so, she shall be luckier than some in town." I spoke the words without thinking, and mentally cursed at letting my healer-mask slip so much. Even if I was exhausted, I shouldn't... "I apologize. I shouldn't have said that."

"I already knew. My knights saved a few." He looked down, regret painfully obvious in his expression. I wondered if that played a part in why he wished he had gotten here earlier. "Ah, I am severely off-topic. I came here to check on the wounded and to see if there is a healer available. Do you know where…?"

"My lord, you are looking at one." I held up my staff for emphasis, already steeling myself. If someone needed help, then I would help them. I didn't care how tired I was. "What do you need of me?"

"Are you certain? You have to be exhausted." He looked so fretful that I couldn't help but laugh. It was easy to see why so many found him charming. It was even easier to see why Arvis liked him. "I know from Edain that healing can be taxing even in the best of circumstance. I don't wish to ask too much of you."

"Well, I do need to give myself a cursory wash and to change my clothes. If you do not mind waiting for a moment, I believe I can find the energy to assist you." I laughed again as he mentally debated. "What say you?"

"I say... 'thank you kindly', Miss Alicia." He bowed gracefully to me. I had to fight to keep from laughing a third time. When was the last time I had laughed so much? I couldn't remember. "Should I meet you at the western gate?"

"I shall be there in a moment."

It didn't take me long to wash up and change. I had to do such things quickly in the past, and saw no point in wasting time. My hair was still a little damp when I met Sigurd, but he kindly did not mention it. Instead, he led me through the gate and down the road, to where I assumed he had his soldiers camped. As we walked, I studied him to discern his mood and his physical state. I noticed he bore a few injures, superficial wounds that needed no bandaging, and his mind was agitated, no doubt because of why he had been looking for a healer.

So, I asked, "do you not have a healer among your forces?" I didn't truly care about the answer. The question was simply to try and ease his mind. Stress was never good for the body, or mind.

"We sort of do," he answered after a moment, with a sheepish smile. I wondered why he was sheepish at all. "There were none in Chalphy. We never had many to begin with, and Father took what ones we had to Isaach with him." That made sense, as an army of that size would need as many healers as possible. "However, Ethlyn joined up with us and she knows how to use a staff."

"I would have thought your younger sister would be in Leonster, given she is married to Prince Quan." Most of the townsfolk had thrown a festival in celebration, though you still had lovelorn fools bemoaning how their 'pink-haired angel' was married. One or two of them had even managed to catch colds because they had spent too much time moping in the rain.

"Father sent word to Leonster in case of potential trouble, and while they were preparing to come visit, they heard what had happened and rushed out." That was still some impressive, and startling, speed. Leonster was on the south-eastern peninsula and, to avoid Thracia, they would've had to have crossed the Aed Desert. "So, she's here, along with Quan and Quan's squire, Finn."

"That is a very small group."

"Well, it's not as if Quan could bring the Erde Ritter with him. That would leave Leonster defenseless against Thracia." Despite the chiding, Sigurd smiled at me. "However, the person who is injured is Ethlyn."

"Ah, I understand now." A healer could not heal themselves with a staff. They would have to rely on medicines, unless they were rich enough to purchase bespelled rings that passively healed a person. Though, I had heard some of Bragi's blood naturally had such power as part of their Holy Blood. "How badly is she wounded?"

"She says it's not bad, but I'd rather have someone else check just in case." He sighed mournfully. "If only to get her husband to stop fretting my ear off. I like my ears where they are, thank you very much." He held out his hand to me and, when I took it, led me off the main road to one of the groves that dotted the landscape here. That was where he had his army camp, and he easily led me through to a tent that was only slightly bigger than the rest. "Ethlyn should be in this-"

"Quan, I love you, but I swear if you ask 'are you okay?' one more time, I'm going to scream!" someone snapped just as we entered the tent. Inside, an exasperated young woman sat on a cot, scowling up at the young man who hovered anxiously. "This is worse than when I was pregnant," she continued sourly. It was only then I realized she was Lady Ethlyn.

"But dear..." the man began defensively. He had to be Lord Quan. I had seen him once or twice before, when he attended festivals with Lord Sigurd, but this was the first proper look I'd gotten of him. "You're-"

"Finish that sentence, Quan, and-!"

"I come with salvation!" Lord Sigurd cheerfully interrupted. He grinned when both looked at him with palpable relief. "I am also delighted I didn't find you two in the middle of making out again."

"You're never going to let that die, are you?" Lord Quan groaned, turning so that he faced both Lord Sigurd and Lady Ethlyn. His anxiety faded with his smile, and I thought the adoration in his expression would be obvious even to a child. "That was a while ago."

"It's also how I found out you and Ethlyn had confessed while I was out almost drowning." Lord Sigurd kept the cheer, but I thought Lord Quan and Lady Ethlyn winced slightly. It reminded me of how I'd heard Lord Sigurd had been swept away by a flood a year or so ago, only to return safe and sound a couple days later with barely any injuries. "Regardless, as I said, I have brought salvation for everyone's sanity." He tugged me forward and gestured to me. "This is Miss Alicia, a healer from town who graciously agreed to check on Ethlyn."

"Is that so?" Lord Quan turned his smile my way. "You have my deepest gratitude."

"I am pleased to assist," I politely replied, thinking over what might be best for the current situation. The patient's well being took priority, so... "However, if I may ask you and Lord Sigurd to leave so that I can tend to Lady Ethlyn?" Lord Quan immediately looked ready to protest, but Lord Sigurd seized his collar just as quickly and dragged him out of the tent without a single hesitation. It took me a half-second to recover from how easily he did that. "I take it this is a familiar scenario."

"Quan tends to be the calm one, unless someone he dearly cares about is hurt," Lady Ethlyn explained with a little sigh. Still, it was easy to hear the fondness amidst the exasperation now. "When that happens, he becomes something far worse than a mother hen, and that's coming from a fusspot like me." She immediately sulked. "Of course, I only became such a fussy person because of my brother. He's always been reckless, and then he has the nerve to tease me about it!"

"Yet, you love him dearly."

"Of course. Even strangers find it hard to hate him, and I'm the cute little sister he literally ran into a burning building to save." She gestured to her side, where I assumed the injury was. "This is his fault too. Honestly, who jumps over a person, especially when they're mounted?"

"I assume Lord Sigurd." I knelt down next to the cot, and set my staff and medicine-bag down next to me. "Do you need help removing your shirt?"

"Yes, please." She managed to start with taking her shirt off, but thanks to the injury, I had to take care of the rest. "Thank you."

"There is no need to thank me." I draped her shirt on the cot and carefully undid the bandaging she had wrapped around her waist. Underneath was a relatively small wound that slowly weeped blood. A quick check proved... "This looks to be an arrow wound?"

"Yes, I got shot while recovering from my brother jumping over me while I was on a horse." She made a face. "When I had to dodge an axe soon afterwards, the arrow ripped itself out."

"I see." I gently prodded the area around the wound, and then brought up my staff to do a more thorough examination. I immediately found something. "Ah, there is some dirt deep in the wound. I imagine the archer stuck their arrow in the mud before firing." I'd read about that possibility in my studies, as an example of why arrow wounds should always be treated very seriously. "Aside from that, however, you are correct in that the wound isn't serious."

"I see. What an awful tactic." She shuddered. "You would think I would be used to such things now, given Leonster's fight with Thracia, but..."

"Perhaps that is why Lord Quan fretted so much?" I mostly said the words to say something, as I noticed something else as I examined her. "Lady Ethlyn, you aren't recovered from your pregnancy or birthing, are you?"

"No, both were hard on me. I hadn't planned on having a child so soon." She sighed gustily, and held still as I opened my medicine-bag and carefully cleaned the injury. "Grannvale's contraceptives are a one-dose only, but the ones in Leonster require two. I wasn't told that, though."

"I see." I was tempted to point out she could have forced a miscarriage, but I immediately knew she couldn't have. She was the wife of the heir to Leonster. It wouldn't surprise me if the people there had purposely avoided warning her so that she would get pregnant quickly and give Lord Quan himself an heir. "Then it shall come at no surprise that your body is still healing, and you must rest more." I smiled up at her before bandaging her side. "You will also want to clean this in the morning and let it heal on its own for now."

"Very well, but do I have to rest right now?" She frowned at me, even when I finished with bandaging and helped her put her shirt back on. "I need to check everyone over. I'm the only healer, so..."

"Lady Ethlyn, I can do that for you." I stood up fully and went through my bag to see if I had anything that would help her with her recovery. Sadly, I didn't and I scolded myself for being so unprepared. I did, however, have some herbs. "However, I think I'll make some medicine for you to help you with recovering first."

"Oh, but you must be exhausted after today." If that was her reason for protesting, then she was just like her brother. "I wouldn't want you to overwork yourself."

"Lady Ethlyn, this is my job." I was a healer, after all. "I am glad to assist, and it makes my job easier if I treat you as much as I am able from the start."

"I... suppose that makes sense." She frowned a little, but then shrugged. "Can you at least tell me what herbs you're using? I love learning, and my knowledge of plants doesn't go much farther than the various languages of flowers used in the different courts."

"Hmm? Ah, of course, I can." What else could I say? She had to be used to watching for poisons, after all.

"Thank you!" She smiled warmly at me. "Sigurd said your name was Miss Alicia, right? I hope we can be friends."

...I'd never had someone say that to me before. She was a very odd girl.

Because I explained each herb to Lady Ethlyn, making the medicine took longer than I anticipated and it was surprisingly late when I left the tent. I didn't fancy walking home alone in the dark, so I quickly headed for what looked to be the main part of the small encampment to check on the soldiers.

"Oh, beauteous lady of the sun!" This did not, however, explain why I suddenly had a knight still in his armor spouting nonsense at me. "It warms my heart to see you!" he continued with a cheeky little grin. He somehow produced a rose and held it out towards me. "Might you honor me with your name?"

"My name is Alicia," I replied, utilizing every bit of willpower I had to keep my composure. What sort of mad fool was this? "I am here to check the health of the injured."

"You are as gracious as you are beautiful, Miss Alicia!" He moved the rose closer towards me for some reason. "Truly, we are blessed this day!"

"...You must have taken a severe head injury to be babbling such nonsense." I nudged him over to a crate to sit down and undid the white cloth he had wrapped around his head. "Is this why your head is so poorly bandaged?" Though, the cloth was much too wide for a typical bandage.

"It's not a bandage! It's a turban!" The knight tried to scowl at me, but I tilted their head down so that I could look for any visual signs of a head injury. "My mother was born in the Aed Desert, in a village near Phinora, and it's traditional to wear one there. I might be of Chalphy, but I am proud of my mother as well."

"I apologize for mistaking such an important item, then." I hoped I sounded as sincere as I felt, but I worried I might not because of my confusion. Though I had been certain he had a head injury, I could find no sign of one at all. "Hmm... I should look you over with my staff." It was entirely possible that the outer injury had been healed without treating the underlying damage. I'd done that a couple of times while learning.

"Oh, don't worry, miss. Alec just talks that way sometimes to try and get a laugh out of people." It took me a second to find the speaker, a young boy noticeably younger than the knight standing nearby. "Are you the healer Lord Sigurd brought to help Lady Ethlyn?" he asked. At my nod, he smiled in relief. "Oh, good... I was hoping I could catch you. Finn was helping me move some supplies, but he got unbalanced and twisted his leg weird and now..."

"Perhaps you should show me," I suggested, stepping back from 'Alec'. I made sure to return his turban to him, though. "Where is he?"

"He's this way, miss." The boy bowed, and quickly walked away. I barely managed to keep up, but thankfully, we didn't have far to go. The camp itself was terribly small, and truthfully, I had only seen a handful of people here. Did Lord Sigurd truly attack the castle with so few? Even I knew that was reckless, yet he succeeded... "Finn, I found her!"

"Did you find her, or did she find you while you were babbling tactics out of stress?" Sitting on one of the various boxes scattered about was a boy a little older than the boy leading me, whose pant leg was stained with a slowly growing bloodstain. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't tease when I'm delaying things, Oifeye," the boy mumbled, looking down. The boy shrugged off the apology, though, and hovered over his friend worriedly. Now that I had a name, though, I realized I knew of him. He was Lord Sigurd's squire and a distant cousin who also bore a Holy Mark. After his parents died from illness, Lord Sigurd took him in and the gossip painted the two as close as brothers. "I'm also sorry to be of trouble, miss."

"You are no trouble at all," I reassured, kneeling down to assess the injury. "Do you want to take your pants off or just have me cut the cloth?"

"Cut the cloth, please. It'll be easier for me."

"Very well." I found the small knife I had in my medicine-bag and cut a 'flap' out of the pant leg so that I could actually see the injury. I was glad I did; the bandages underneath had soaked through. "I am surprised you were walking on this."

"Oh, it was just a bit of pain." The boy shrugged, and I debated lecturing him or not. "Well, it was until it wasn't. I'm really sorry, Oifeye."

"Finn, I think that's the seventh time you've apologized," Lord Oifeye pointed out. So, this was Lord Quan's squire, then. "If anything, I should apologize for not taking your wound into consideration. You got hit by an axe, after all."

"That was only because I stupidly forgot my legs weren't as armored as the rest of me," Sir Finn immediately retorted. I ignored both of them to undo the bandage and inspect the injury. It was, thankfully, mostly a surface wound. One could call it a 'scrape', truthfully. The main worry was that the damage underneath the skin was greater than the damage on the surface, which could lead to pockets of infection and did lead to a pocket of blood pooling within. "Now we won't be done with moving the supplies before dinner."

"Naoise and Arden won't mind covering for us, assuming Lord Lex hasn't done so already." That last name surprised me. I knew him. I had never met him, of course, but I knew of him from Azelle's letters. I wouldn't have expected him to travel all the way here, though. "It's more important that you get your wound fully and properly treated."

"He is right, as otherwise, you will have much more to worry about than delayed chores," I chided, bring up my staff. I heal up the damage underneath the skin, up until the wound itself, and then I rifled through my medicine-bag for my disinfectant, numbing balm, needle, and surgical-thread. "This needs to be stitched for it to heal properly. You shouldn't feel anything but some pressure, at most, once the balm takes effect. Let me know otherwise." I worried he might not, especially given the earlier comment, but sounds behind me gave me another thing to worry about. "Whoever is approaching, you had best ask someone besides Sir Finn if you have a task that needs to be done."

"I promise that I asked Azelle for the help when I noticed you were over here, Miss Alicia," Lord Quan reassured, looming over me as I applied the disinfectant and numbing balm to Sir Finn's wound. Though, the name almost made me freeze. Azelle… he was here? He always got sick when traveling, though…? "Though, Oifeye, if you can ask the others how they are? If Miss Alicia doesn't mind, we should take advantage of having a healer and they might try to endure the pain if Sigurd or I ask." Lord Oifeye nodded, bowed, and scampered off. "That... I need to remember he jumps on requests quickly. How is Finn?"

"There was more damage underneath than what the outer wound suggested, but it should be fine." When I was done, I carefully prodded the area around the wound. "Do you feel pain?" Sir Finn simply shook his head; I hoped he was being honest. "Very well." With that 'confirmed', I quickly stitched up the wound, using a couple of different stitches to better secure it, and I watched him for any signs of pain. At the first wince, I paused to apply a little more numbing balm and then I finished up. "There we are." I wrapped my used needle in a small cloth to sterilize later and re-checked the injury to ensure I hadn't missed anything. If I had, it was nothing I could sense, so I pulled some clean bandages from my bag and wrapped them around his wound. "If you insist on chores, Sir Finn, find some that will allow you to stay off that leg. You must rest it for the day."

"But..." Sir Finn began to protest. But I simply fixed him with a look and he sighed and nodded. "Yes, miss."

"For now, you'd better change pants," Lord Quan ordered, in a strangely teasing tone. Sir Finn simply bowed his head. "I'll have some duties ready for you by then, I'm sure. We know well how there's always too much to do when there's fighting."

"That's very true, my lord." Sir Finn carefully stood up and wobbled a little when he tried to put weight on his injured (and partially numb) leg. I steadied him quickly and helped him take a couple of steps. "All right. I have the feel of it. Thank you again, miss." This time he bowed very formally to both of us before leaving. I thought about offering more help, but he was careful with his steps, so...

"May I ask why you cut a flap in his pants?" Lord Quan quietly urged me to take Sir Finn's vacant 'seat', and I decided to do so in order to organize my bag. "Wouldn't it have been easier for him to just take them off?"

"I asked and that is what he prefered," I answered, more focused on ensuring the wrapped used-needle was in a different pocket than my clean ones. Then I carefully returning my disinfectant and my numbing balm to their proper pouches, before slipping my small knife into its own pocket. I only had the one, so I had to keep it separated in case I needed to use it again. Ideally, though, I'd be able to clean it before then. "That's all there is to it."

"Then I suppose I should ask why he went with that," Lord Quan mused. He chuckled, as if amused by the idea, before looking down at me again. "How is Ethlyn?"

"Lady Ethlyn shall make a full recovery. The arrow wound itself was relatively minor, though the mud deep within could have caused an infection if it was not properly treated." I wondered what else I should say and decided to simply leave it at that. Lady Ethlyn could inform him about the lingering issues from her birthing, if she chose.

"I see." He sighed in relief, bringing a hand up to his chest as if that would calm his heart. "I must admit I panicked a little when I saw you tending to Finn. I'm assuming you wouldn't have let him walk on his own if he wouldn't be fine, but..."

"So long as he rests his leg, then he should also make a full recovery."

"Thank goodness..." The relief radiating off him was almost palpable now. "I'm sorry. I do not react well to loved ones being hurt. I've seen too many die during our not-war with Thracia."

"So I've been told." I noticed he still looked anxious, and decided to try and ease his nerves a little. Though, the only method I could think of was teasing, and I was decidedly lacking in that skill. Still, that was no reason to avoid trying. "Based on what I have heard, I am certain Lord Sigurd-"

"Sigurd and his recklessness have taken entire years off my life!" Though he groaned, his following smile was incredibly fond. I didn't think he would give up that friendship for anything. "Eldigan and I would both panic if we realized he was late for curfew when we studied at the academy together, because that always resulted in him getting caught up in some sort of trouble while helping someone."

"You don't seem to mind nearly as much as one would think."

"It's just how Sigurd is. He has always been bright and always willing to reach out his hand to someone. Even when that someone was a too serious brat from a foreign country." Was he... talking about himself there? He sounded as if he was. "When he first befriended me, I swore he was light personified. Some days, I still have to wonder." All at once, he stilled and, surprising, blushed. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"It's no trouble." I was used to rambles. "In regards to what you say before, I do not mind checking over the rest of your soldiers. In fact, I am still here because I told Lady Ethlyn that I would handle it. Since Lord Oifeye is asking them, however, might I ask if you or Lord Sigurd need healing?"

"Hmm..." He closed his eyes to carefully think on his answer. "No, I don't believe so." He spoke slowly, continuing to think even as he began answering. It made me more inclined to believe him. "Verdane's soldiers are not well trained, whereas Sigurd and I have fought battles before. I wouldn't say we are uninjured, but I do not believe it is anything serious."

"I see." That matched what I saw when I studied Lord Sigurd on the way over. "Then I shall wait and see if the others in your group are the same."

"Might I escort you back to the town proper once you're done? The hour grows late and we do not know if the Verdanite dogs truly ran with their tails between their legs, or are hiding in ambush." He waited patiently for my answer and, after a second, I nodded. "Wonderful. Shall I tell you a funny story while you wait, then? There's the time Arden pretended to be Sigurd while Sigurd dealt with a hostage situation."

"Which one is Sir Arden?"

"He's... ah, actually, he's over there." He pointed to a very large, bulky man who carried large sacks of whatever an army had sacks of. I neither knew nor cared, as I was too startled by how little the man looked like Lord Sigurd. "Thanks for carrying the horse's feed, Arden!" He waved to make sure Sir Arden heard him, and Sir Arden waved back before continuing on. "I am always in awe of just how loyal Sigurd's personal knights are to him. Arden is actually afraid of horses, has been since being thrown from one as a child, but he endures that fear whenever it can help Sigurd."

"I see." I wasn't sure why he felt the need to tell me all of that. "I can't help but notice the lack of resemblance between him and Lord Sigurd. So, I assume the ruse you spoke of failed?"

"Actually, it worked perfectly." He grinned and I had to fight to keep my expression calm and not gape at him like I wanted. "It involved a wig, and Lachesis putting some makeup on him and... truthfully, the situation ended up becoming so absurd that Eldigan thought we were drunk when we told him." He muffled a laugh, amused by the memory alone. "So, surprisingly, this started as a very serious situation. Some local bandits grew bold and decided to take some of Chalphy's servants hostage..."

Thankfully, no one else had significant injuries or, at least, significant injuries they were willing to admit to. As such, Lord Quan escorted me back to town and I made it to my little house on the outskirts of town just before the sun had fully dipped below the horizon. That didn't mean my day was done, though.

"There you are!" After all, I had people waiting for me at my house, though I knew well it wasn't out of any concern. "I need medicine for my little girl," one demanded sourly, aggravated that she had to wait for me. Others in the waiting group scowled or glared to silently convey their own annoyance. "I needed it ages ago."

"What are her symptoms?" I asked, stepping past everyone to enter my house. Immediately, I moved to the back, where I used a blanket to 'wall off' a work area. I didn't bother telling any of them that I had been treating other patients. I didn't bother telling them I was exhausted. I knew they wouldn't care. "When did they start?"

My nights often went like this. People from town would come to me for their medicinal woes, and I would do my best to tend to each one. Most of the time, they simply came for medicines, but a few would come for more serious things. Tonight, I had far more of the latter than usual, because of the assault. For instance, there were broken bones that needed more treatment, or even had to be re-broken to heal properly. There were wounds that kept bleeding because they needed stitches. I quickly lost track of the number of infected wounds and burns I dealt with. It certainly felt like everyone in town came to me for at least one.

When my last patient left, I debating eating before deciding I was too tired. I had to replenish my medicinal stock, after all, as well as sterilize my needle. Both took priority for me. So, I brewed some tea, one of my handmade mixes, and boiled some more water in a small pot on my stove. Once I had it to a roiling boil, I dropped the needle in and left it to continue boiling while I fetched some herbs from my garden to grind up for medicines. It was a routine I knew well, though I never would say I could 'do it in my sleep'. Medicines were both a cure and a poison, depending on the dose and the person receiving it. I never shirked when it came to my measurements.

However, in the middle of my medicine making, I realized there was something I had shirked on and cursed myself for such idiocy. I left things to set, dampened the fire on my stove, and left my house to return to the church. Inside, the wounded were still sprawled out on their blankets, being tended to by a handful of healers. I immediately headed to the back corner, and was relieved to find Sir Midir still there, fast asleep. His bandages needed changing, but his pulse was stronger and his breathing more even. I should have checked on him as soon as I returned, instead of gone to my house. I was lucky Sir Midir hadn't paid the price for my stupidity.

Now that his life wasn't in immediate danger, I could better study the injury and work out a plan to minimize any long-term complicates. I decided it was best to stitch up the wound to better ensure it actually stayed shut, so I grabbed some needles and surgical-thread from the storage room and some numbing balm from the medicine cabinet tucked away in a nearby room. Yes, he was unconscious, but that didn't mean I wanted the pain to wake him. If I could avoid that, then I wanted to. I could always make more to replenish it.

With supplies in hand, I went to work. I had to use quite a few different stitches simply because of how the axe had torn through him, but that was fine. It wasn't as if I expected this to be as simple as Sir Finn's, where only one needle and threading sufficed. With a wound this large, I had to tie off the thread and start again twice before I was finished. But that was fine. If that was what it took to help him heal, then that was what I'd do.

"...Who...?" In the middle of the final bit of stitching, however, Sir Midir managed some sort of consciousness. It was hard to call him 'awake' with his eyes completely unable to focus, but they were at least open. "Your head is... bleeding?" he slurred, trying to gesture vaguely at my hair. I supposed the color could resemble blood. "Should get that... treated."

"I assure you that I am quite well, Sir Midir," I reassured. I figured it was best, since the conversation could help ground him back into reality. "You shall be as well. I have almost finished stitching your wound."

"My... wound...?" It didn't surprise me that his memory was fuzzy. Yet, all at once, clarity sparked through him and he tried to sit up. "Lady Edain...!"

"She isn't here." I did my best to soften the words by speaking in a calm tone, but there was no prettying this up. I supposed I could lie, but he'd see through it before long. "Lord Sigurd saved you and some of the other survivors in the castle, and he will continue on to save her as well. What you must do right now is rest."

"But she..." He tried to sit up again, but I stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Please, miss, I am..."

"Sir Midir, if someone as weak as me can pin you, then you are certainly in no condition to go rushing off." I did have a bit of an unfair advantage in this scenario, of course. I'd given him that sleeping medicine earlier, and it had been a strong one. "What you do when I discharge you is your own business, but for the time being, you are my patient."

"Lady Edain is...!"

"She isn't here." I repeated the words slowly, to make sure he heard them. "If you want to rescue her, as I am certain you do, then you must rest. You were nearly cleaved in two, after all."

"I..." He jerkily brought his hand to his chest, as if just noticing the injuries. Then again, given the numbing balm, he might have. "That's right... I remember that part now. Prince Munnir got too close for me to shoot and I..."

"Yes, and now you are here." Satisfied that he wouldn't try to get up anymore, I sat back on my heels and grabbed fresh bandages to bandage his wound. "Ah, you wouldn't know where 'here' is. You are in the church. I understand you were carried out."

"I see." Sir Midir blinked a couple of times. "Oh, your hair is red."

"It is."

"I'm sorry for confusing it for blood."

"Considering the circumstances, I am grateful you did not think me an enemy." I smiled gently at him. "If you need more medicine to sleep, I can provide you with some tonight."

"I..." He mentally debated it for a moment, and I finished bandaging him up. "Actually, if I can simply have some pain medication, I think I will sleep well enough."

"Of course. I'll leave some sleeping medicine nearby, just in case."

"Thank you, miss..." He closed his eyes, likely more exhausted than he wanted to admit. Healing always took a lot out of the patient.

So, I gave him one final check-up for the night, helped him take that pain medication, and left the exact dose of sleeping medicine he should take within easy reach. Once I was satisfied, I checked on the other wounded in the room before returning to my house to take a quick bath and return to my medicine making. I refused to go to sleep until I finished, after all.

The next morning, I woke with the dawn. I'd done it since I was little, to squeeze in a little extra studying time, and now, it was simply my habit. It didn't matter that I had gone to bed merely a couple hours before. I was up with the sun, and I set about my day with only an extra cup of my energy-tea to help me through. At least, that was my plan. However, a knock on the door stopped that before I had even had a first cup of tea, much less my extra. Still, it wasn't unusual for someone to want medicine this early in the morning, especially if it was a farmer injured their hand or something while doing early-morning-chores. So, I quickly changed into a clean dress and pulled my hair back into a ponytail to hide that I hadn't brushed it yet. Only then did I open the door to greet whoever was there. I didn't manage to actually say anything, though. I was too surprised by my visitors.

"Hello!" Lady Ethlyn chirped, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed despite what had to be an early hour for her. Lord Sigurd, who was with her, simply waved and smiled warmly. "It took a bit to find you! Father Eirik didn't want to tell us, for some reason. I guess because you worked so much yesterday?"

"No, that is…" I began automatically, because I knew that wasn't the case at all. He'd been reluctant partly out of habit (he had been tasked with keeping people from finding me, after all) and partly because the church would lose money if they came to me for healing. But I bit my tongue in time, because I couldn't say any of that. "It is quite early. Is something wrong?" My eyes fell to Lady Ethlyn's side. "Did I miss something with your wound?"

"Hmm? No, it's fine."

"Did Sir Finn's stitches rip out?"

"Noooo…?" Lady Ethlyn frowned on that one, and looked up at her brother. "They didn't, right?"

"Last I saw, they were perfectly fine and bandaged," Lord Sigurd reassured with a smile. He actually hadn't stopped smiling since arriving. "But might we come in, Miss Alicia?"

"Ah, yes, of course," I replied, stepping out of the way. "Would you like some tea?" Defaulting to politeness was a wonderful way to ensure I kept my calm and didn't let my confusion show. If nothing was wrong, if they didn't need a healer, then what were they doing here? "I was just about to make some."

"That would be nice, actually." Both Lord Sigurd and Lady Ethlyn looked about my one-room house curiously. They probably had never been inside such a small abode before. "That's a beautiful blanket. Why is it hanging up like a curtain, though?"

"It separates my work-area from the rest of the room. I made it for that purpose." I started boiling some water on the stove, and grabbed some mugs from my cabinet. "Go ahead and sit down."

"Thank you."

"Miss Alicia, you said you made that blanket?" Lady Ethlyn asked. I didn't know her expression, since I was busy figuring out what teas to mix them, but there was some sort of wistfulness to her tone. "I wish I could do something so intricate. I can mend clothes, but that's about it."

"That's because a certain someone thoroughly disliked sitting still during her sewing lessons," Lord Sigurd easily teased. "Didn't Mother once say that it was enough of a miracle that your stitches were even?"

"Sigurd, I swear…!"

The two started bickering at my table, and I ignored them to focus on the tea. Eventually, I decided on what mixes to make them and just in time, as the water in my teapot started boiling around the same time. So, I finished up and carefully brought the three mugs to the table. Lord Sigurd stopped teasing Lady Ethlyn to help me, and I made sure he took his own mug before giving Lady Ethlyn hers. Only then did I sit down to join them, and I waited for some indication of why they were here. Neither seemed to be in a hurry, though.

"Oh, this is so delicious…" Lady Ethlyn breathed, smiling softly at the tea. She looked like a very contented cat, actually. "Is there a bit of orange? I swear I taste some."

"Orange?" Lord Sigurd repeated, frowning slightly in confusion. Of course, I supposed that was to be expected? "How are you tasting oranges? All I taste is honey, chamomile, and something that's noticeably more tart. I agree it's delicious, but…"

"What in Neit's name are you talking about? There's no honey! I'd definitely taste if there was honey!"

"I somehow doubt there's oranges and yet-"

"You two don't have the same tea," I revealed, mostly to interrupt the argument. Both fell silent and stared at me. "I'm out of my market-bought teas, so I mixed up some herbs for you both. I keep some on hand for my patients as some medicines are easier to take when they're mixed in with tea." I also kept them on hand to make my personal mixes, but I only did that for myself, Arvis, and Azelle and those were less 'medicinal' and more 'preventatives that had other things they enjoyed'. "Lady Ethlyn's has some orange peels to blunt the bitterness of the yalniper root, while the tart flavor you tasted, Lord Sigurd, is from some iklurin petals." Yalniper root was often given to new mothers to help them recover from their pregnancy, while iklurin petals were a stress-relieving herb like chamomile and lavender. "So, there's no need to argue. You're both correct."

"...Is that so?" Lord Sigurd asked, blinking slowly like an owl. He immediately stole Lady Ethlyn's mug and took a sip. "Well, look at that. There are oranges." Did he think I was lying? "I just thought Ethlyn's sense of taste went crazy again." He easily dodged Lady Ethlyn's half-hearted attempt to bat his shoulder, and her more-serious attempt at stealing his mug. He did give hers back, though. "I suppose that's a good enough lead-in for why we're here." I was surprised he looked for one. Most just told me what they needed. "It came to our attention during dinner that we forgot to pay you for your services." ...Ah. That. "I suppose we could have talked with the church, but that seemed rude to you. So..."

"I don't charge anything." I didn't see a need. Most of the herbs I used I either grew in my garden or foraged for myself. Most of the food I ate came from the same garden. I made my own medicines, and my own clothes. I would never say I was fully self-sufficient, of course, but I did what I could. What I had to actually buy was covered by the monthly stipend Arvis insisted on sending me. So, I didn't charge for my healing. It was something Father Eirik vehemently disagreed with me on, but then again, he ran the church, which required upkeep, and took care of the numerous orphans in the province, so he and his needed that coin. Now, granted, I disagreed with how much he charged, considering the average amount of money people had around here, but that was neither here nor there. "So, you needn't worry about it. You owe me nothing."

"I would argue that I owe you a great deal." Lord Sigurd frowned at me, and, to my surprise, Lady Ethlyn nodded in agreement. "You saved Midir's life, you tended to my little sister, and you treated Finn. From what I heard, that was after you ran into the flames to provide healing for the townsfolk, and when you returned from our camp, you treated even more before checking on Midir again." Where would he have heard any of that? I suppose Sir Midir could've told him about the night visit, if they visited him prior to coming here, but I had no answer for the rest. It wasn't something people talked about here. "Yngvi is like a second home to us, and…"

"I still say you owe me nothing. I am a healer, Lord Sigurd. My job is to heal those who come to me for treatment." I sipped more of my tea, realizing it was lukewarm now. There was a trick Arvis always did to warm it back up, but I… couldn't do that.

"Most people are paid for their jobs."

"My payment is seeing my patients recover, Lord Sigurd." It was terribly naive. It was terribly childish. Yet, I couldn't help but love such a simple thing. Being able to help people and seeing their wounds heal was something I loved. That was why I lived as I did, so that I could afford to cling to such silliness. "Speaking of them, I had best head over to the church. Was there anything else you needed?"

"Ah, no?"

"I do, but I can walk with you to ask~!" Lady Ethlyn cheerfully said with a bright smile. I wondered what it could be, but then thought it could be about how she was recovering from her pregnancy. Perhaps she didn't want her brother knowing, and worrying. "I'd love to finish this tea first, though?"

Lady Ethlyn and Lord Sigurd both finished their tea while I made sure my medicinal-bag was fully 'stocked'. Then all three of us left my house and walked to the town proper. Once there, Lord Sigurd split off to tend to whatever business he had, and Lady Ethlyn and I continued down the path to the church. Just as before, she didn't seem to be in any sort of hurry to talk about whatever was bothering her. Instead, she happily skipped next to me, ignoring the weird looks the townsfolk were giving her.

Finally, when we were almost at the church, Lady Ethlyn spoke. "Miss Alicia?" she began, skipping a little ahead so that she could turn and face me. "Would you consider joining our… well, calling us an 'army' seems like a stretch with so few people..."

"Pardon?" I replied, since I… hadn't expected that. I kept my healer-mask of calm, of course, but it was still…

"Would you consider joining our group? I'm not a bad healer, if I do say so myself, but I was taught more of 'quick fixes' that are done on the field. I certainly have more practice with that sort of thing, given Leonster." This should be the point where she claimed to be joking and teasing, but her gaze and expression were both sincere and serious. "I think this little battle has reminded us of why armies travel with dedicated healers as well as field healers. I didn't catch that Finn's wound was worse than it appeared. I wouldn't have even thought to check until things went very wrong, very fast. I certainly don't have the breadth of medicinal knowledge you do. Heck, I don't think Edain has it."

"I have been studying for much longer than Lady Edain." I always had a little knack for memorizing plants and their uses. That was what started my interest in healing in the first place, as I became curious about those uses. "She only took up the staff recently."

"Right, so even when we eventually find her… well, assuming she won't be a patient herself, it would still be better to have someone who has trained longer. I already know you're skilled as well. I saw Midir's wound; not many would be able to heal that." She had the most unwavering gaze. It took a lot to meet it instead of hiding. "I know it's a large request, and that the people here could use a healer like you. But, would you consider it?"

"...I shall consider it." Once I was past the initial shock, I supposed the request wasn't so unexpected. It wasn't much different than how the townsfolk treated me; it was just phrased more nicely. Still, such a thing would require a great deal of thought. To agree immediately would be irresponsible. To refuse immediately… well, even if she was a nice noble, it was generally a poor idea to refuse one to their face.

So, I would think about it later. The wounded took priority for now.

I tended to patients all morning. I focused on treating Sir Midir, of course, as he was the one assigned to me, but I helped the others where I could and made medicines when I saw our stores were low. It was just a typical morning for me, truly, though it felt more atypical thanks to how my morning started. Perhaps that should have been the first sign that the afternoon would be even stranger. At some point after most took a break for lunch, someone arrived in town. Based on the commotion, it was a very important someone and I decided to use my 'lunch break' to see just who it was and why they were here. The only reason I could think of was that there were more wounded on the way. I was soon proven wrong, of course. I was soon proven very wrong, but that certainly didn't help my confusion. Why was Arvis openly here?

"Ah, so that's the situation, then," Arvis murmured, frowning slightly. He and Lord Sigurd spoke together in front of the burnt-out ruins of a tavern; I hid in a nearby alley to eavesdrop. It seemed he was here on official business for once, which made a little more sense. Though, I wasn't sure what he held in his hand, or why it was wrapped in a cloth. "I must admit the rumors that made it up to Belhalla were not nearly so dire."

"No one truly knew how dire everything was until yesterday," Lord Sigurd reassured, smiling slightly. As far as he and Arvis knew, it was just them here, and so both were relaxed, despite the serious topic. "There are a lot of dead. More than half the soldiers left here were slaughtered, and civilian casualties are still being counted. That isn't going into how many were abducted."

"Damn it all." Arvis closed his eyes briefly, clenching his jaw to force back more vitriolic curses. "Has there been any demands in exchange Edain yet?"

"No, it seems she wasn't kidnapped to serve as a hostage. It seems Prince Muddy…" Lord Sigurd grinned when Arvis tried and failed to bite back an unexpected laugh. "I know it's absolutely terrible of me to butcher someone's name, but he kidnapped my dear friend, so I think I'm allowed to be a little childish."

"Where did that even come from?" Arvis had to use his free hand to muffle his snickers. From the shadows, I smiled, glad to see him laughing so much. "Did Quan come up with it? I understand he came up with nicknames like that in the past."

"He only does it when we tell him that he can't go dueling people like he wants to when someone is being particularly insufferable. I'm fondest of 'Elidiot' personally." Lord Sigurd chuckled, shaking his head. "Alas, this one is not his fault, though he dearly wishes it was. It was simply Oifeye misreading his own handwriting while delivering a report, so it was said with the utmost seriousness, and we all spent far too much time laughing about it." Still, even his amusement faded. "Regardless, Prince Munnir seems to have kidnapped Edain specifically to force her to be his wife."

"So, essentially, he actually did what half of Grannvele's own nobility talked about doing." Arvis sighed, shaking his head before reaching up to fix his hair. "I don't know if they plotted or got lucky, but regrettably, they couldn't have chosen a more perfect time. I fear we have little to no aid to give you here, Sigurd, and I have no doubts that you intend to push forward."

"Of course. They still have Edain and the civilians here." Lord Sigurd's following smile somehow enhanced the conviction in his words. "Be at peace, Arvis. I knew of that possibility when I marched out. Many would no doubt call it reckless and foolish to do so anyway, but just as there is a price for action, there is a price for inaction. I decided the price of inaction would be too high, certainly much higher than I wished to pay."

"As always, Sigurd, you are far too kind." Arvis smiled back, but I could easily see the worry in his gaze and in how stiff his shoulders were. "I fear it will be taken advantage of, one of these days."

"Well, if I die for being kind, then that is just how it is. I'll still take the risk." Lord Sigurd shrugged, unbothered by the notion. "I suppose I haven't changed much from the stubborn child I was."

"Perhaps, but there is no reason to grow out of being gentle. If more people were like you, Sigurd, I feel like the world would be much better." Arvis looked down briefly, collecting his thoughts, before holding out that cloth covered item. "I digress. This is a gift from King Azmur." Lord Sigurd took it without a word, frowning at it in confusion. Said confusion dropped for shock when he unwrapped it to find a sword. "He said that a silver sword would better suit a paladin of the realm. He dislikes he cannot send you aid, so he wishes to at least ensure you are well-armed." Arvis smiled teasingly. "Perhaps you shan't have so much difficulty with these barbarians now that you have a proper weapon."

"Not all of us can wield the flames of the sun, Arvis." Still, Lord Sigurd laughed, easing the sarcasm into teasing. "So, His Majesty is giving me his approval."

"Yes, so you will go with his blessings, and my prayers." Arvis crossed his arms, now that he had both hands free, and frowned at Sigurd. "Speaking of hope and prayers, your report mentioned Azelle."

"Yes, as he played a critical role in our liberating the castle." Lord Sigurd smiled wryly, though he tried to hide it by undoing his belt to put the silver sword on it. "I know he came here behind your back, and I'm sure you have quite the lecture prepared for him, Lex, and me."

"So, Lex is here. I thought he might be." Arvis's frown deepened, giving Lord Sigurd a stern look that would make most quake in fear. Lord Sigurd, of course, didn't even flinch, so Arvis let it go with a long suffering sigh. "I would much prefer him to be safe at home, but if he felt so strongly that he went ahead and ran here, then I suppose I should let fate have its way and let him learn whatever lessons it wishes for him to learn."

"Perhaps it is, instead, fate intervening to help you?" Lord Sigurd appeared teasing at first, but his smile dimmed, hinting towards seriousness. "This might be overstepping my boundaries, but though I know well how much you adore him, it seems Azelle himself thinks he's a nuisance to you."

"...I feared that might be the case. Between my duties and my poor 'fatherly instincts', I worried I neglected him." Arvis looked down briefly, almost hiding his slight wince. "He is my precious little brother. I adore him. Yet…"

"Yet you have difficulties showing your kind heart." Now Lord Sigurd was back to teasing, and his mood didn't falter even when Arvis scowled at him. "No, that won't work on me. I saw through you ages ago." He shrugged, smile softening. "I'll see what I can do on my end of things. I doubt he'll truly believe it until you two have a proper talk, but I can at least encourage him."

"Yes, and I shall think on how best to approach the topic." Arvis nodded a couple of times, no doubt already scheming. "I best return to Belhalla now, however."

"Already?" Lord Sigurd frowned. "Will you not see Azelle?"

"I think your lecture made it clear I need to wait a little to gather my thoughts and words." Arvis chuckled, and Lord Sigurd actually sulked. "Right now, I will likely simply lecture him. It will be better for us both."

"I'm not sure if I agree, but I won't press." Lord Sigurd's continued frown, however, showed how little he liked this choice. "I will simply tell you that there was a time when Ethlyn thought I hated her because I did not properly show or tell her." That must have been quite some time ago. I'd honestly never heard anything like that on the gossips.

"Ha… that makes me feel a little better, truthfully." Arvis smiled and held out his hand. Lord Sigurd took it for a firm handshake, and smiled back. "I shall hope for news of everyone's safe return, and will see if I can rearrange things to give you a little more aid."

"I will accept that only if you promise to not overwork. You have to get at least one hour of sleep." Lord Sigurd grinned, and Arvis actually rolled his eyes. "Give my regards to His Majesty, please."

"Of course. Farewell, Sigurd."

"Until we meet again, Arvis."

The two parted without another word, both striding off to their next destinations. I had no idea where Lord Sigurd was heading, but it was easy to guess Arvis was heading to a carriage or something on the outskirts of town. For something so public, he would've kept to 'official' means of transportation, instead of riding. That meant I had a little time, though I still hesitated. I peeked carefully out from the alley and looked both ways to confirm no one was looking. Then, I bolted after Arvis, luckily catching him before he made it to the carriage.

"Will you not at least see me, Lord Brother?" I gently chided as soon as I got close. Arvis whirled at my voice, and smiled softly when he confirmed it was me. "I am hurt, indeed."

"Sigurd was just telling me of how many casualties there are," Arvis protested, walking so that he could stand in front of me. "I figured you would be busier than a bee."

"As I have told you in the past, I am never too busy to see you." Now that I was closer, I took the opportunity to study him and I frowned when I saw the exhaustion lining his face and the bags under his eyes. "No wonder Lord Sigurd made a joke about you needing to sleep. When was the last time you slept?" Arvis was quiet, trying to remember. "If it is taking you that long to answer, Lord Brother, then it has been far too long. Do I need to write Aida?"

"She's just as busy. There's… a lot going on." A dark look briefly crossed his face, and I wondered why. I had a feeling it was tied to that one secret he would not tell even me. "Enough of such dark talk, though. How is my favorite sister?"

"As far as we are aware, Arvis, I am your only sister." Of course, it would not surprise either of us if we had more half-siblings running about. Our father had been a notorious womanizer and rapist. We three were simply the only ones with records and Holy Marks to connect us to him. "No matter. Aside from recent events, I have been well. How have you been? I'm assuming the chaos is why your latest letter was delayed."

"It was. I was in the middle of penning it when we got word of Darna. As for how I am, I believe your answer matches my feelings well." He pressed a finger to my cheek, peering at me worriedly. "Did you sleep?"

"I slept some last night, though I am certain I needed more." I shrugged, since I couldn't see a way I would've gotten it. I had to tend to my patients, and I needed to make that medicine. "We are at war, whether we like it or not, and I am a healer. Healers rarely have leisure time when there are wounded."

"Yes, they have less than even soldiers." He smiled at me, and I caught the trace of envy in it and his tone. "I can't help but be proud, though. Fjalar's blood is fire and destruction, yet you use it to mend wounds instead of burning everything in your path."

"Some would argue that preventing your people from needing a healer in the first place is a much better use of power." I couldn't do it, though. It was one thing to cut into a person to remove a foreign object, or to stitch their wounds together. To me, it was another thing entirely to hurt them. I couldn't do it. I wouldn't. "There are also plants that thrive in fires and ash, and controlled burning helps forests to grow instead of suffocate."

"As always, you scold me for my self-pity." He made a face, and I muffled a quiet laugh. "I should keep a running list, huh?"

"I can send one in my next letter. I'm sure Aida would appreciate it." That reminded me, though. "How is she doing? How is Saias?"

"Both are well. Saias's hair becomes redder by the day, so I think it's safe to say he inherited the traditional Fjalar coloring." He gently tugged a small lock of my hair, as red as his own, for emphasis. "Thankfully, the coloring isn't entirely rare in Velthomer." From what I'd heard, many in Velthomer, nobility and commoner alike, prized the coloring specifically because it resembled Fjalar's, so they 'highly encouraged' pairings that would yield children with the coloring. "He also shows a strong magical aptitude, but thankfully, no Mark has appeared yet." He glanced down at my right arm, where my own Holy Mark was hidden. "Given that yours and Azelle's both appeared when you were young, perhaps…"

"Perhaps." It was all I said, as we both knew the chances of that were very small. Arvis was the Fjalar Major of our generation, after all, and Saias was his first child. Typically, that would mean Saias inherited Fjalar Major as well. "So, you haven't driven Aida to madness yet. I'm glad to hear it."

"No, not yet, though she swears she is going to stab me for the mess that is my office." Arvis laughed at the old joke between him and Aida, and I smiled softly, glad that things weren't very awkward between them. I knew Arvis felt guilty. What had supposed to been a simple night of passion, mutually agreed of course, had spiraled into something neither expected. Despite the numerous precautions they took, Aida had ended up pregnant and, worse, was allergic to the key ingredients of most known miscarriage teas. Arvis, of course, saw all too easily the similarities between him and our father, and offered to marry her to make it 'right'. Aida had refused, content to being his right hand and best friend. She mentioned she'd be a widow in five minutes of being married. "You could see them for yourself, you know."

"Arvis." I frowned slightly at him, and he smiled sheepishly. Then we both shared a laugh, because it was our own little 'joke'. If I ever wanted to come live with him Velthomer, he'd pack my bags for me, but I didn't want to leave. I was content with being a simple healer, and I was terrified of being used against him and Azelle. It was much better for all of us if I stayed. "Though, I am reminded. You usually use Azelle for the joke, but I've heard…"

"So long as he rides a horse instead of in a carriage, he doesn't get motion sick anymore." That was a relief… I knew it had always bothered him. "I was hoping to arrange for both of us to visit when this mess started."

"How cruel of the world to deny me the chance of having both of my brothers in my humble house." Still, knowing Azelle was truly here made me remember Lady Ethlyn's request. "Arvis?"

"Yes?"

"Earlier today, Lady Ethlyn asked if I would consider joining their group as their more dedicated healer." I wrapped one arm around my waist to grip my other arm, just to have something to do with my hands. "What do you think?"

"Hmm…" Arvis crossed his arms, likely for the same reason I'd moved mine, and was silent for a very long moment. It was almost too long, truthfully, but I knew that meant he had to mentally debate quite a few things. "Sigurd did mention you saved Midir and treated some in his group already. It would be more surprising if Ethlyn didn't ask you after that." I supposed. I was really only doing my job. "Thinking logically, you would be a very good choice. It will be brutal, certainly, but I know you. I know you'll give it your all and then some, and that… is what such a campaign will need."

"What about illogically, Lord Brother?"

"I am torn on that front." He sighed slowly, like he was trying to breathe out all his tangled up thoughts. "On the one hand, I don't want you anywhere near a battlefield. You are my dearest little sister, and I would prefer you to be safe and sound. Though, this incident certainly serves as a reminder for how tenuous that 'safe and sound' can be."

"I am guessing the other hand weighs Azelle."

"I would be glad to know you are near to watch over him and give him advice. I also know that he's been looking forward to spending time with you ever since I first told him about you." He fussed with the hair by his face, still weighing all of his thoughts. "Yet I also do not like the thought as it feels like I am considering his feelings more than yours."

"I know that isn't the case." I dug my fingers into my arm, like I could somehow pull the answers from it. "I wish to spend time with him as well, though I am not certain working as a healer for an armed group would give me a lot of time." Though, it would certainly be more than we had before. "I worry for the people here. It will take many months for them to recover, if they do at all. I would like to continue helping them." Yet, I thought of why Lord Sigurd would keep charging forward. "At the same time, I worry for Lady Edain. I have never met her, of course, but Azelle's letters mention how kind she has always been to him."

"Of course, that plays a role in his infatuation." Arvis rolled his eyes, and I had a feeling the two had argued about that recently. "Still, I can see the path your thoughts take. You want to help her because of that."

"Yes." It was a terribly selfish reason, of course. But it lingered in my head like a parasite and it latched onto other thoughts, burrowing deep into my heart. Specifically, it latched onto thoughts of how I might be able to help more people if I… "I think… I will accept that request." I looked him right in the eyes with a little frown. "Do you truly think I can do it?" I frowned a little more when he opened his mouth to give an immediate response. "I expect a serious, non-biased answer, Lord Brother."

"It is exactly the same as what I said before. I believe you would be a very good choice." He smiled wryly. "In fact, my fussy heart wishes you were a little less skilled so that there was a good excuse to keep you away from battle. You don't know how to fight."

"Well, that's what the knights are for, yes?" What else could I say? He knew why. The only argument we'd ever had was because of it. "I suppose I'd best inform Lady Ethlyn, and you have to be terribly late."

"I am, sadly." He tugged me into a warm hug, and I returned it. "Please, try to stay safe."

"I shall, if you make the same promise." I pulled away first, just as always. He always felt so guilty when he left, even though this was my choice. "I love you very much, Lord Brother."

"And I love you, my dearest little sister."

He left abruptly, no doubt because otherwise, he'd linger and put off leaving and he simply couldn't. He had too many duties, too many schemes, to stay. I knew that, and so, I wasn't offended. If he had done anything else, I might have worried. So, I simply watched him leave and, when he was out of sight, I returned to town to find Lady Ethlyn. I needed to let her know I accepted, after all.

Surprisingly, I found Lady Ethlyn quickly and told her my decision. She'd promptly squealed in utter delight, and almost dragged me off before I could pack my things. Thankfully, we passed Lord Sigurd along the way, and he helpfully reminded his little sister that I at least needed another change of clothes. To my surprise, the two helped me pack, despite there not being much, and then Lady Ethlyn led me to the camp while Lord Sigurd informed Father Eirik that I would be accompanying them.

"Thank you so, so much!" Lady Ethlyn had thanked me ten times in as many minutes. I tried to think of the last time someone had thanked me so much, or even half as much. I came up blank for both. "I know you're doing us a huge favor," she continued, as if she hadn't said that already. "Don't hesitate to let us know if you need anything, okay?"

"I shall keep it in mind," I replied, far more focused on organizing my medicines. You had to keep things organized, because you moved so much on instinct when lives were on the line. No amount of training fully took that away; training simply changed what your instincts told you. "For right now, however, would you see if someone has a list of what medicinal supplies you have on hand?"

"Of course~!" With that, she left with a skip to her step. As soon as she was gone, I closed my eyes as the weight of what I had agreed to crashed into me.

It was one thing to be a village healer and it was another to be a healer in an area that suffered an attack. It was another thing entirely to be a healer in the army, and what I agreed to was… it was yet another thing. I wouldn't simply be a healer; I would be the healer 'in charge'. This group may be small, but the position was still more responsibility than I'd undertaken before. I would have to work harder than ever to live up to expectations, particularly Arvis's. He said I was a 'good choice', and I didn't want to disappoint him. Then, of course, you had my more selfish reasons, which was that I didn't want to seem incompetent in front of…

"Um… hello?" A quiet, shy voice knocked me from my worries, and I turned towards the entrance with my healer-mask in place, with a serene smile painted on. The speaker hadn't entered yet, but it never hurt to be prepared. "May I come in?"

"You may," I reassured, already preparing myself for whatever injury I would need to tend to. However, the person who entered didn't appear injured. He simply appeared as a very shy young boy, who looked so much like a younger Arvis… "You must be…"

"I'm Azelle." He smiled warmly, though he averted his gaze. "I… I'm sure you must be busy, but…" He held up a paper. "Ethlyn said you needed this, and it seemed like a good excuse to…"

"I'm very glad to finally meet you, my sweet little brother." It was dangerous to say it so openly. I had no idea who was near. Yet Azelle beamed, and I decided it was definitely worth the risk to see his face light up like that. "Is that the list of medicinal supplies I requested?"

"It is." Azelle looked around the tent Lord Sigurd had set up for me, and set the paper on the small table set up haphazardly in the middle. Throwing this together had clearly been a quick job, but I had a place for my medicinal supplies, so I wouldn't complain. "Um… do you need help?"

"Right now, I'm determining what I'll need to make a proper infirmary for everyone." Still, I didn't want him to leave just yet. This was our very first meeting. "If you do not mind listening to me mumble while I think, I could use your insight on the people here."

"Yeah, I can do that!" It was so easy to see why Arvis loved Azelle's smile so much. It just looked so bright and chipper, more than his own smiles or mine. "There's not a lot of us, for now. I think you saw almost everyone the last time you were here."

"Is that so?" I found a pen in my medicine-bag and headed over the table to start going through the list. "So, for right now, I should ensure we have room for everyone." Then, of course, I'd want a couple of extra. I'd like it if we could avoid cramming everyone together, and to have the extra in case we came across wounded. "So, that means more cots and blankets, for certain, and space to put them."

"I think there's an old church near the bridge to Evans Castle, which is our next destination." Azelle hesitantly came to my side to look at the paper with me. Yet, for some reason, he kept looking at my face. "Green…"

"Hmm?"

"Sorry, it's just…" He gestured vaguely at his eyes. "Arvis always said you have green eyes instead of red like ours. It was always so hard to imagine, though."

"Yes, I suppose so." I also supposed it was very helpful for my mother when she threw me away. "Arvis commented on them a lot too. Though, I suppose in his case, it was because he remembered my mother."

"Sunna, right? I remember Mother talking about her, and how she always protected Cigyun and Arvis from our father."

"The name sounds familiar enough." I had to rely on years of practice to keep my tone even and calm. I hated her. I didn't want to talk about her, no more than I wanted to talk about our father. "Hmm? Do we really have so little herbs?"

Thankfully, Azelle went along with the blatant change in subject, and he helped clarify a few things for me. Then he left to confirm the numbers on what I was most concerned with, and I poked my head out of the tent to see if anyone would mind if I returned to my house briefly to gather what herbs I had. Clearly, they would be more needed than I'd assumed.

"Is everything all right, Miss Alicia?" That was when Lord Sigurd appeared, smiling warmly. "No one caused any explosions while I was gone?" he asked, clearly teasing. I wondered why his mind jumped to that, though. "The camp almost seems too quiet."

"I have not heard of anything," I replied, wondering if I should make up some burn balms. I didn't have a lot on hand anymore, thanks to the assault on town, but… "I was simply thinking I should gather what herbs I have in my garden. I was also curious about what budget I would be working with."

"No budget. Chalphy's way is to spare no expense when it comes to health." Well, if that was true, that was certainly a worry off my mind. "I can walk you to your house if you'd like."

"Did you not just return?"

"Yes, but you're the only one who knows." He grinned, mischief making it seem strangely wicked for how good-natured he was. "Besides, I had a question or two for you and depending on your answer, I'd have to return to town anyway."

"Oh?" I debated for a brief moment before deciding to go along with it. It didn't seem worth the argument, and I had to be certain I acted like a proper healer. I might have gotten away with slips before, but that wouldn't last. "Very well." I ducked back briefly into the tent to fetch my bag and then returned so that we could walk together. "What question was it?"

"It's something I was reminded of when checking on Grani." He held out his hand to help me around a hole in the ground, and I took it to hide my confusion. I didn't know the name. "Ah, sorry, Grani is my horse and he pulled a muscle during the battle."

"So, your question is about my knowledge on animals?" I shook my head, almost amused by the question. There weren't enough hours in the day to study about just humans and their health. "I know the basics, but my knowledge of animals and their health does not go beyond that. You would want a specialist for that sort of thing, someone who has spent a very long time learning about animals."

"That is something I should keep an eye out for, then. Though I pray for this to be a short campaign, I must prepare as if it will be very long." His gaze darkened briefly, perhaps because of what everyone had already suffered. "So, that was my first question. The second is…" He hesitated, and I tried to think of the reasons why he would. "Midir asked to travel with us."

"Somehow, I am unsurprised." I also heard the unspoken question, so I did my best to decide, based not only on his wounds but his mental state. "Travel would be fine; however, I am certain the next question from there is battling and I do not believe he is fit to fight." I didn't know much about fighting, but I did know it put the body through a lot of even when it was perfectly healthy. "With that said, I fear being forced to stay behind will inflict terrible wounds to his mind or, rather, deepen the ones already there."

"Yes, I worry about that as well." Lord Sigurd sighed. "Well, perhaps for now, we have him travel and we'll… see about the rest? I'll make sure he is aware that he has to listen to your orders."

"So long as he does that, I believe it can be managed." The wind gusted then, heralding some sort of change to the weather. Without thinking about it, I brushed my hair out of my face and behind my ear. "Perhaps he might be able to ride, but I do not-"

"Oh, your arm…" Lord Sigurd immediately focused on the bandages I had wrapped around the lower part of my right arm. "I'm sorry. Were you injured in this whole mess?" He actually looked distressed that he hadn't noticed. "We shouldn't…"

"No, I'm not injured. It simply covers a scar." The lie came easily, just as it always did. Father Eirik had hammered it into me from a young age. "I burned myself when I was little, and it would upset some of my patients, so I cover it up."

"I see." His relief that I was unharmed was almost palpable. I wondered why he worried so much in the first place. "Ah, do you want to stop by the apothecary while we're in town? I'm certain our medicinal supplies are nowhere near what you'd prefer. Ethlyn nearly threw a fit, until I reminded her that most of Chalphy's medicines went with the soldiers to Isaach."

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but yes, some of the items are deplorably low. I do not wish to take much from here, given how many will need them, but perhaps a little…"

The apothecary was certainly surprised to see me in his store, especially with someone. I chose to ignore his slack-jawed staring to simply pick out the most needed items, while Lord Sigurd chatted happily with him about how the town was doing. I had other things to worry about after all.

This was going to be a nightmare and a half, and I was jumping right into it. I could only hope I wouldn't grow to regret this.

Alicia

Class: Cleric

Skills: Charisma, Miracle

Holy Blood: Fjalar Minor

A 19-year-old healer who grew up in the church in Yngvi, she is an illegitimate child of Duke Victor of Velthomer, born from when he raped her mother, Lady Sunna. The nearest thing she has had for a parental figure is Father Eirik, who always made it quite clear that he was only doing it as a favor to someone else.

Her Mark is on her lower right arm, which she hides by wrapping bandages around it. Due to the inheriting the blessings of the Fire God, Salamander, she is very proficient and powerful with magic. The blessings should also let her conjure flames without a tome, but she claims to be incapable of that.

Few know what goes on in her head due to her keeping up a 'healer-mask' of calm during most social interactions, a practice that was 'highly encouraged' by Father Eirik to minimize the chances of her turning out like her father. The very few she speaks her mind to will find her a strange combination of cynicism and idealism, where she believes the world is a mess and is terribly unfair, but that doesn't mean she can't strive to make it better anyway.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2) Firsts

Well, this is certainly unexpected. I never would have imagined myself serving in an army, even one as small as this, yet here I am doing exactly that. It may be a small group for now, but that is no reason to shirk. I have to act as if I would be treating hundreds. After all, I agreed to stay until the end of the campaign and no one hides that while they hope for a short one, it could very well lead to a long string of battles. These battles... I had no doubts that after this next one, we would have far more soldiers. Already, Lord Sigurd has had to refuse volunteers, but if the captured are not in Evans, then we would have to invade Verdane itself and face the full force of its army. Volunteers would have to be accepted to make up the difference in numbers, and many of those volunteers would die if I did not give it my all. Many would die even if I did.

Evans Castle is technically a Verdanite fortress, but few treat it as such. It has the 'honor' of standing at the border of three different countries: Grannvale, Verdane, and Agustria. To the surprise of no one, it is also situated at the only crossing point for those borders. The Tuncier Mountains that separate Agustria from the rest of the continent stop short of Verdane's Lifespring Lake, leaving only a sliver of ground that can be safely used as a road. Meanwhile, the Jun River, which forms a natural boundary between Verdane and Grannvale, is notorious for its fast current and hidden rocks. The only safe way to cross is at the Nicoquet Bridge, which 'conveniently' leads straight to Evans Castle. Those that try otherwise find themselves quickly regretting the choice, assuming they could think before the panic of dying set in and death took them.

Despite its location, Evans Castle has always been a relatively peaceful area. But that would change soon. There is no such thing as a bloodless, peaceful battle, after all.

"Damn, they have the bridge blockaded," Lord Sigurd murmured, glaring at something in the distance. I didn't know what. All I saw was a tiny blotch on the horizon, which I assumed was the bridge. I thought about trying to stand up in the saddle to see if I saw more, but decided to remain seated. I didn't know how this horse would react, after all. "It's a smart move since we'll have to ride straight into it, no matter what sort of traps they have set up."

"What sort of traps?" I asked, tilting my head up to look at him. His expression was drawn and dark, yet I knew I couldn't ease his mind. I needed to know this; it would help me anticipate what sort of injuries I would treat. Gods knew I would need every advantage I could snatch to make up for my inadequacies. "Arrows?"

"Very likely. From what I've heard, the archers led by Prince Jamke are easily the equal to Yngvi's Beige Ritter." Were they now? I supposed that was impressive, though it told me nothing truly. Yes, they were the 'best archers of Grannvale', but that only implied that their arrows killed more. That was all it meant to me. "There will likely be traps that hobble the horses, and the bridge itself means we can be easily funnelled into one spot…"

"I fear I shan't be much help with any injuries the horses suffer, other than a simple gash." If any broke a leg, for instance, I would be next to no help at all. I wouldn't know what was 'normal' for the horse and what wasn't. "I shall, however, take a guess and assume some of you will be thrown."

"Pretty good assumption. The horses might be trained for battle, but even the best trained horse will balk." Lord Sigurd sighed, and finally urged his horse to turn away from the border. I remained silent, trying to remember just what my books said on injuries resulting from falls like that. I'd have to read over them again to be certain. "Okay, so based on the map, that church should be in this direction…"

The day after I joined, Lord Sigurd moved the 'army' closer to the border, dealing with stragglers along the way. When we were within easy riding distance of Nicoquet Bridge, we set up a camp and Azelle brought up the abandoned church he had told me about. Lord Sigurd thought it worth investigating, and thus, he and I rode out as soon as the basics were done. It was strange riding with someone who wasn't Arvis. For one thing, Lord Sigurd was somehow even more careful than him, constantly checking that I was okay and comfortable riding with him, no matter how many times I reassured him that I was. It would have been frustrating if he were not so genuine and sincere about the concern, and it wasn't as if he knew I had some minor experience with riding. To him, I was a simple village healer of some skill. He wouldn't know that Arvis visited me, and would sometimes take me out for a gallop when he did.

Eventually, we did find the church and it was obvious at first glance that it had been abandoned for many years. What had once been a small garden along the outer wall was overgrown with weeds, and what plants survived grew up along the walls to snatch what sunlight they could. There was no sign at all of the path that once led to its doors, and the windows were so filthy you could barely tell them apart from the walls.

"I wonder why this was left," Lord Sigurd mused, easing his horse to a stop and dismounting. He then helped me off and steadied me while I regained my footing. "Do you know, Miss Alicia?"

"I believe I heard something about it being 'less needed' after King Batu took the throne and negotiated the peace treaty with Grannvale," I answered, pressing a fist to my cheek while I thought. It had only come up once or twice, mostly from Arvis. Once he'd learned of me from Cigyun's journals, he had scoured Yngvi trying to figure out where I was and had even checked abandoned churches like this one. "Most of the travelers along the road were soldiers going to battle."
"Ah, so when the treaty was signed, there was much less traffic. Verdane and Grannvale don't trade much with each other, so there would be no merchants, and the locals would still be very wary thanks to the old border raids, so they aren't likely to travel."

"Yes, so the cost of upkeep became greater than the coin coming in, both from healings and donations." I wondered what Verdane would trade. In particular, I was curious about what medicines they had. Alas, it seemed I wouldn't learn either. "The outside looks sturdy enough, though."

"Quite true. No noticeable holes and it doesn't look like the roof has caved in." Lord Sigurd walked a few steps ahead before turning and holding out his hand to me. "Here, the ground is unsteady, and muddy. Would you like me to carry you instead, so that you don't ruin your shoes?"

"Lord Sigurd, my shoes have been filled with blood before." Despite the words, I took his hand to let him help me. He was right in that the ground was muddy and not easy to walk on. Perhaps that was another reason why this place had been abandoned; it had been weeks since we'd had rain and yet, the ground still retained the water. "My shoes are surprisingly sturdy."

"Ah, good to know." He smiled warmly and led the way to the door. It was surprisingly intact, but smelled of mold and rot and I could tell by Lord Sigurd's expression of disgust when he pushed it open that it was soft and perhaps even 'squishy'. The hinges creaked from disuse and rust flaked off like a scab. Dust met the rust in mid-air, as simply opened the door scrapped years upon years of dust off the floor. The inside itself was caked in it, so much so that one could be forgiven for thinking there were simply sheets covering everything instead. Of course, 'everything' implied there was much more inside than there was. Anything of value had been taken long ago to be used elsewhere, even the wax from burnt out candles. Only the sunlight streaming in behind us gave us any sort of light. "Ethlyn is going to faint at the state of our clothes."

"It's nothing a wash can't clean." I stepped inside and a plume of dust greeted me. I immediately started coughing from it, and Lord Sigurd gave me a handkerchief to cover my nose and mouth. Our clothes were already stained. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble." Lord Sigurd produced a second one from his pocket to cover his own mouth and nose. "Well, I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't this. Is it useable or would you rather we just set up a tent for you?"

"I suppose it depends on how much time we have." I carefully walked through the main room, studying everything. We had a small group, so I wouldn't need a lot of room, so this was actually a good size. It was easy to imagine just where to set up things as well. "The main issue is cleaning. It needs quite a few thorough scrubbings before we could even begin to use it." I'd personally prefer a few more, but I could make due if I had to. "Still, as we noted earlier, the walls are sturdy and it does not look as if any animals have made their way in here." With this amount of dust, I doubted even a ghost had wandered through.

"The dust probably scared them off." Lord Sigurd headed for the back, looking at the doors to the outer rooms. "Is there another way out besides the front?"

"Typically, there's a secondary door hidden in one of the back rooms. The one in town had it in the back left corner, across from where we stored the medicinal supplies." I knew both rooms very well. They were good hiding places when the jeers and lectures became too much when I was a child. "Why?"

"We are a small number and I will not assume we will be able to completely hold them back. No matter what I wish, it is entirely possible some push past us and reach you here." Lord Sigurd looked grave as he checked the rooms I indicated, looking for that hidden door. "I do not wish for you to be trapped. You should have a way to escape, should the worst occur." He stepped into one of the rooms and ran his hand along the wall, leaving a long stripe through the dust that stubbornly clung to it. Then, all at once, he stopped. "I think I found it." He fiddled with something I couldn't quite see from the doorway, and pressed against the wall. He frowned when nothing moved. "Hmm…"

"What makes you think it's there?"

"Felt different from the rest." He didn't elaborate further, and continued frowning at the wall for a second. Then, surprisingly, he kicked it hard. Immediately, I worried he'd hurt himself, but thankfully wasn't the case. He'd simply proven himself right and opened the door. "There we go. Not surprised it was stuck, but wow, I'm glad it wasn't Eldigan who kicked it. He probably would've kicked a hole through it. I can see where the wood gave with just me."

"Pardon?"

"Eldigan is the Hezul Major of our generation, and the war god's blessing yields strength. A lot of strength." Though I couldn't see his grin thanks to the handkerchief, his slight squint and dancing eyes told me he was. "The number of times he accidentally broke a practice sword from swinging it too hard is hilarious, and we won't go into the other things he's accidentally broken over the years." Lord Sigurd ducked down to fit through the now open door, and I followed simply to have a breath of non-dust-filled air. "Okay, this leads straight to the woods. You can evade pursuers there."

"It is also close enough that most wounded could be carried there safely." A thought occurred to me and I glanced up at him. "Lord Sigurd, does not Baldr blood also carry the blessing of strength?"

"It's not nearly as much, but yes, it does, as well as Njorun. They're the only three bloods that provide any blessings towards physical strength, truthfully. But the blessings of Baldr and Njorun are many and, thus, each individual one is lesser than those whose blessings are to one thing, such as Hezul. It's a trait shared by those of Naga's blood and Bragi's."

Meanwhile, Hezul was clearly a physical counterpart to Fjalar's own blood. "I see." I glanced back at the door before returning my attention to him. "Well, I do believe this church can serve as a temporary base and infirmary, provided we have time to clean it. Does it pass your own inspection?"

"I'll want to double-check the integrity of the walls and roof, but I think it's worth moving the camp closer." Lord Sigurd reached over and brushed some dust out of my hair. "Let's walk around the perimeter to check for anything obvious, and then we'll head back to make Ethlyn faint."

"I still do not understand why she would faint, when a simple wash will clean it." It wouldn't be hard, certainly less extensive than the cleaning we'd do for the church. "She should have seen worse."

"Different mindsets for off-duty and on."

"I suppose." It did make some sense, yet it still confused me. The only way it made sense was remembering that a healer should always appear tidy for her patients. Sadly, there was no place to wash up here. "Regardless, shall we head to the right? If we start on the left, I fear we shall have to fend off whatever lies lurking amidst the weeds."

"Yikes, that's definitely something to avoid." He brought down his handkerchief and smiled. "So, to the right, we go."

We found nothing unusual along the outside, so Lord Sigurd helped me mount up and we returned to camp in time for dinner. Though, it was certainly delayed by Lady Ethlyn's yelping and flailing. She did not faint, but she did wax dramatically about the dust until I told her that I could wash them easily and would do so after we washed up and ate. She was such a strange girl.

The first, second, third, and fourth steps to cleaning the church involved a lot of water, a lot of scrubbing, and more mud than I'd thought. The fifth and sixth involved a little less water and less mud. The seventh and eight had even less, and by that point, I finally did deem the interior 'acceptable'. I still cleaned, though. 'Acceptable' only meant that if I had to deal, then I could. When it came to people's health and lives, 'acceptable' was no excuse to stop. Of course, not everyone agreed.

"Ugh… how is this supposedly not clean?" Lord Lex groaned, stretching up as far as he could to clean as much of the wall as he could without grabbing something to stand on. I had originally intended to do the last cleanings on my own, certain the rest would be too busy to assist now that everything 'passed'. Yet, when I told Lord Sigurd of my plans, he had added 'cleaning the infirmary' to the chore roster. I had protested, telling him I would be fine alone, but he had insisted and proved the more stubborn of us two. So, I had help, with some were more enthusiastic than others. "Finn, what do you think?"

"I think that listening to the healer is a good idea," Sir Finn answered, focused intently on scrubbing the floor right by the wall. There were soap suds in his hair and up his arms, all the way to where water soaked his rolled up sleeves, but he didn't appear to care. "She's going to be keeping our insides where they're supposed to be, and in Leonster, a healer has absolute command over their 'domain' of the infirmary. Not even the king can order them in matters of health."

"That doesn't really answer my question you kn-GACK!" Lord Lex reeled back as some soapy water dripped right onto his face. He coughed and sputtered and desperately rubbed at his watering eyes. Of course, that just made his situation worse, since he had soap on his hands. "Ow…! Why does soap hurt so much?!"

"Lord Lex, come over here," I urged, stopping my own task. I had been sorting through my medicines, but this took priority. "I have clean water." I smiled slightly as Lord Lex stumbled blindly towards me, and caught his arm to lead him to the boxes we had set up as a 'table' for me. Smaller boxes served as chairs. "Easy…" Carefully, I helped him flush the soap out of his eyes and then examined them to make sure there was no lingering damage. I wouldn't think so, but it didn't hurt to be sure. "I was about to make some tea. Would you like some?"

"Please," Lord Lex groaned. He made to use his sleeve to clean his face, but I handed him a cloth to use instead. I didn't want a repeat of what just happened. "Who knew soap tasted so bad?"

"Well, it's not designed to be consumed." I set about making tea, using the stove in one of the side rooms. All churches had something like this, for what better way to entice followers inside than the smell of something delicious cooking. I liked it because it made it easier to make medicinal teas and to boil water to sterilize needles. "To answer your question, Lord Lex, while the room is indeed clean 'enough' to work in, an infirmary can never be 'too clean'. The chances of infection increase dramatically if you work in an unclean area. So, since we have the time, I wanted to clean some more." If a little effort now spared someone pain later, then I thought it well worth it.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense, especially since the one most likely one to be resting here is Midir and the last thing he needs is an infection." Lord Lex glanced over at Sir Finn, who didn't seem to be paying attention, and then ducked into the side room to stand next to me. "Hey…" He then spoke quietly, frowning very slightly. "Must you call me by title? I've known about you almost as long as Azelle has." That didn't surprise me. He was, after all, one of Azelle's best friends. Tailtiu was the other, and I was certain she knew too.

"It is better and safer for both Arvis and Azelle if I remain hidden." I smiled serenely and he immediately made a face. "Does it truly bother you?"

"Well, yeah. I wouldn't bring it up otherwise." He sighed gustily, shaking his head. "I suppose I can deal for now, though."

"Thank you." Wanting to end the discussion, I returned to making the tea. "Hmm… we have enough water for a larger batch. Do you mind asking if any of the others want tea?"

"If it means getting out of cleaning, I'll do almost anything."

"Go on, then, and ask Sir Midir first. I'm certain he needs a rest by now." I kept up the smile until he left and then let it fall and indulged in a little bit of slumping and sighing, since I was so tired. Father Eirik would have scolded me, but he wasn't here. Still, I knew it was improper for a healer to indulge herself for long, so it was just enough to ease the wear on my mask. Then I had my calm back in place and I stepped out into the main room. "Sir Finn, would you like some tea?"

"Ah, yes, thank you," Sir Finn answered, standing. He winced in pain and rolled his shoulders slowly. He had been at it for a while now… "Though, Miss Alicia?"

"Hmm?" I beckoned him over to the box-table and had him sit down on a smaller box while I fetched my staff. "What is it?"

"You call me 'Sir', but I am not officially a knight yet. I am Lord Quan's squire." He smiled sheepishly at me, blushing very faintly. "It is embarrassing to be called a title I have not earned yet."

"Ah, I'm sorry." I held my staff up to examine him, noticing immediately the strain and inflammation of his muscles. His leg wasn't fully healed either, and he had definitely stressed it today. "I'll call you what I call Lord Oifey, then."

"That's… incorrect as well, Miss Alicia." He became even more sheepish. "I'm common-born. So, I am no 'lord'."

"Is that so?" I healed up his muscle strain, and then turned my magic towards his wounded leg to study it further. "I suppose it must be 'Mister Finn', then."

"That still sounds strange, but it is accurate, so it'll do?" He tilted his head, watching me curiously. "Are you sure you should be wasting a charge like that? Healing staves require that, right?"

"They do, but I find it no waste." I frowned and knelt down to better reach his leg. "I need to look at this injury again. Would you-?"

"These are loose enough that I can roll them up, if that's okay?"

"Of course." I carefully rolled them up, to lessen the chances of me putting more pressure on the wound than needed. Almost immediately, I saw a concern. "It's open a little…" I must not have stitched it tight enough. Darn it… that sort of mistake could've cost Mister Finn. "Sit here for now. Once the tea is finished, I'll reinforce the stitching."

"Hmm? But surely I can still…" He trailed off when I fixed him with a look. "Yes, Miss Alicia."

"There we go." I smiled serenely and stood. "Do you have a preference for how you like your tea?"

I would need to practice my sewing. I needed stronger stitches now that I was tending to knights. I had to minimize the number of mistakes I made, lest they cost someone their life. I had to. That was my job, after all.

"Miss Alicia, I think the plant you're looking for is over here?" Lord Oifey hesitantly told me, pointing to a patch of flowers growing in the hallows under a root. He looked between the sketch and description I had given him before we left, and the flowers. "It matches everything…"

"Let's see…" I murmured, joining him. I smiled when I saw them. "You are correct. That is it."

"Really?" He smiled triumphantly, and it was strangely endearing. I suppose he was glad to be of help, since he had shyly volunteered to escort me when I told Lord Sigurd I wanted to go foraging earlier. "I'll gather them, then!"

"Okay, but make sure you're wearing your gloves. The leaves can cause a rash, much like poison ivy."

"Yes, Miss Alicia!" Lord Oifey double-checked his gloves were fully on and then crouched down to pick the whole patch and deposit them in the basket I carried. "Why do you want these again? I never thought knorn blossoms were anything but weeds."

"Once they have been washed, the leaves can be ground up into a powder that can be used in many different medicines." I helped him up and then counted just how many leaves I had. "In particular, I want it for a disinfectant balm." It was one of the strongest I knew, and I wanted to use it for Sir Midir's injury. He had thankfully been doing his best to follow my instructions and keep it clean, but the sheer size of it made me worry anyway.

"Wait, it can be used for disinfecting?" Lord Oifey frowned and nearly tripped over a root in his distraction. "What about the rash?"

"You have to wash the leaves thoroughly first, and you cannot use them on their own. They must be made into a balm first. They are but one of the many ingredients in medicine that can be detrimental on their own." I tried to think of another example, and my mind immediately latched onto one of the more extreme ones. "Most do not know this, but the antidote carried by most apothecaries is made with the venom of a ygg snake."

"A ygg?!" Lord Oifey's yelp was loud enough to startle the nearby birds into flight, and I had to quickly muffle a quiet laugh. I remembered my own reaction had been similar, when I first read that in my books. "But that's the most venomous snake in Grannvale! One bite and your entire limb necrotizes!"

"Yes, but when you distill it and mix it with a particular combination of herbs, it becomes a powerful antidote." I smiled down at him. "If you would like, when I next acquire the ingredients, I'll show you how to make it."

"That's still so… illogical!" He frowned, looking almost irritated. "Yes, I must witness this alchemical miracle!"

"It's no miracle. It's a proven technique." Things like that, however, were one of the many reasons why measurements were so important when making medicine. "Regardless, this should be plenty, so shall we head back to camp?" Thanks to the herbs from my garden and the medicines we bought from the apothecary, we had enough medicines for this battle... or so I hoped. I couldn't be so lackadaisical for the next one. In truth, it was irresponsible to be so for this one, but the area here wasn't good for foraging. What herbs had once grown in the garden were next to useless and the surrounding area simply didn't have many plants at all, much less medicinal ones. It was, perhaps, yet another reason why the church had been abandoned.

Lord Oifey agreed and insisted on leading the way back, even though we hadn't traveled far at all. However, when we arrived back at camp, things had obviously gone wrong in our short absence. There was no other reason for everyone to be running like something was on fire.

"Ah, there you two are!" Sir Naoise greeted us, remarkably calm given everyone else. "Oifey, our lord needs you to check his saddle and weapons," he conveyed, not bothering with any sort of greeting or explanation. Lord Oifey simply nodded, bowed to me in farewell, and raced off. "Miss Alicia, Lord Sigurd would like to speak to you. I was about to go looking for you both, but you have very good timing."

"Perhaps I needed to return sooner," I whispered, focusing on keeping calm. It was a healer's duty to be the calm one in a chaotic situation. "What has happened?"

"Verdanite soldiers have crossed the bridge to attack us directly." That seemed… ill-advised? I didn't know much of battle, yet… "We think they do not know of us and seek to do another raid, but the circumstances do not matter. We must meet them in combat, and ideally seize Evans Castle."

"I see." So, it had begun then. This would be my first time as a healer during a battle, my first time being 'in charge'. I had to meet and exceed expectations. "Where is Lord Sigurd?"

"Allow me to escort you, Miss Alicia."

"Thank you."

Sir Naoise escorted me easily through the camp, no doubt helped by how it was truly a small number of people rushing about, and then a short distance away where Lord Sigurd stood, watching the horizon. I was surprised to see him alone, but perhaps it was simply him taking a moment to breathe before the chaos swallowed us all. It could also be that there were so many things to do that even waiting to speak with me was too much.

"Goodness, you must've charged like there was an enemy in front of you, Naoise, to return so quickly," Lord Sigurd gently teased as we approached. Sir Naoise smiled slightly in acknowledgement, but said nothing. He simply bowed. "Thank you. Continue with what you were doing before?" Without a word, Sir Naoise left to do just that, pausing only to take my basket from me. "Well, this wasn't what I expected today."

"I know little of tactics and battle, Lord Sigurd, but even I know you do not expect an enemy to throw away their greatest advantage," I replied, stepping to his side. He was paler than usual, and there was a steely glint in his eyes. "You wished to speak to me."

"Yes, it's about Midir." Ah… of course it was. "I know he wishes to join the battle. He has not stated it yet, but I can tell. I have Naoise watching him to ensure he does not do anything reckless, but..."

"Hmm…" I closed my eyes to think, trying to balance his physical state with his mental well-being. The problem was, of course, that his wound… "Well, I shall be needing a guard or two. I have no fighting capabilities." I opened my eyes and saw him pondering the suggestion. "Do you think that might be a good enough compromise?"

"I had planned on leaving Arden to guard, but perhaps two guards would be better, given they have already surprised us once. Twice if you include the initial attack." After a moment longer to think it over more, he nodded. "Yes, I think that will work. Thank you. I knew his wound was too great still for active combat."

"If it worsens, I shall be right there to assist him and keep him bound in a bed if the need arises." Well, truthfully, it would be more of 'bound in blankets'. We didn't have spare beds and none of us thought it needed for the infirmary of such a small group. I hoped we wouldn't regret that in the coming hours. "I should ensure I have everything organized."

"I'll walk with you. There's not much more I can do staring out into nothing."

"Thank you."

Lord Sigurd escorted me to the church and made sure I would be fine before leaving to continue (or start) his own preparations. Meanwhile, I saw Naoise had left my basket of flowers on the box-table and I found a bowl to fill with water and let them soak. If there was time, I would wash them, but for now, this would do. Now, I just had to check my medicines, or so had been my intention. However, the front door open and shut and I turned to see Azelle walking inside. He came over to my side, but didn't say anything immediately. It was like he was trying to gather his words, so I waited for him.

"Um… is there anything…?" he eventually mumbled, not quite looking at me. He tried to pretend, but his eyes were firmly fixed on the ground. "Anything I can do to help?" He fussed with his cuffs, trying to hide his nerves, and unease. Was it because he didn't feel comfortable in an infirmary? Was he asking because he felt obligated?

"At the moment, there's not much," I refused, shaking my head. As soon as I did, gentle as I tried to make the words, he slumped. I… had guessed wrong. So, I quickly tried to think of a way to fix things, to mend the hurt, and glanced around quickly to make sure no one was around. "I would, however, very much appreciate a hug?"

"Huh? Oh!" Almost immediately, he brightened and, after checking for potential witnesses himself, he hugged me almost shyly. It was different from Arvis's awkward, yet sure, hugs. Arvis wasn't used to such gestures, while Azelle… it almost seemed like he thought I'd push him away. So, when I hugged him back, I did my best to make sure it was firm yet gentle, warm even. Well, it would be 'warm' by default. All those of Fjalar's blood seemed to generate a lot of extra heat, perhaps because of the fire in our veins. So, 'comforting' might have been a better word instead. "Your hugs are a lot like Arvis's. A little awkward."

"Is that so?" I supposed it made sense. This was the first time I had ever hugged him. "The next one won't be as awkward." I hoped, at least. For now, I simply hugged him until he himself pulled away. "Please be careful on the battlefield? I know you're aware of the dangers, yet I cannot help but fret."

"I'll be as careful as I can. I promise." He smiled bravely, and I smiled back slightly. I tried not to think of the very real possibility that I might find myself desperately trying to save his life in a few hours. Such a thing… it would be a nightmare, but I couldn't let fear make me falter. If I did, then more would die. That was why healers were taught to remain calm in all situations. Well, it was one of the reasons. "I'd better double-check my preparations, huh?"

"It would certainly be a worry off my mind."

"Then I'll see you later!" Azelle grinned and rushed out of the infirmary. I watched him leave and closed my eyes to gather my calm again. I had my own preparations, and it was not just ensuring my medicines were well-organized and labeled. I had to check my inventory, make sure everything would be within easy reach…

It was time. I had to hope that, for once, I would meet expectations.

I liked mending. It was a good, practical way to practice stitching, or so I thought. I didn't have to worry about hurting someone, and regular thread was much cheaper than surgical. Mending also helped things last longer, like my dresses or blankets, so I could save and afford to indulge in my silly ideals. So, I thought it was a very efficient use of my time to mend some of the blankets while most of the group left to challenge the Verdanites. In ideal circumstances, they wouldn't have to be used until nightfall, but I doubted that would happen. Ideals were something to strive for, not expect.

"Thank you for allowing me to guard you, Miss Alicia," Sir Midir murmured at some point during our long wait. For the moment, only the two of us were inside the church. Arden insisted on remaining guard outside, and Lord Oifey was seeing if there were any messages from the others. At least, that was what Lord Oifey claimed; in truth, I was certain he simply longed for something to do. "I know that my injuries should have me lying abed, yet the thought of simply sitting here and waiting while others shed blood for my mistake is..."

"If anything, I should be thanking you," I demurred, continuing my mending. I didn't see the point in informing him that Lord Sigurd and I had already guessed that would be the case, nor did I see reason in trying to convince him that he had made no mistake. For one thing, I didn't know what had happened and, for another, I knew no amount of reassurance from me would change his belief. "I am not trained to fight, so having a guard is very reassuring. You are also folding the blankets for me."

"Lord Oifey is not the only one whose nerves and worry can overwhelm if left to idleness." Sir Midir smiled weakly and continued to fold. He was very careful and practiced at it. "I am aware, however, that even things that appear small can be a huge boon. Having the blankets neatly folded lessens the chances of them becoming tangled at an inopportune moment, and it frees you to work on other preparations."

"That is quite true." I finished with one blanket and moved to the next, checking that the thread matched the color before starting. "How are you feeling? Is the pain worse?"

"The pain is manageable, and much less than it was yesterday." Sir Midir paused in his folding to rest a hand on his chest. "It is there, of course, but until the battle is won, I would like to avoid pain medications. They make my head feel fuzzy and my thoughts slow. An archer's role is one of support, to recognize even the smallest of details, and that is something I would still like to be able to do despite my injury."

"Very well. Do tell me if it becomes unbearable, however."

"I promise." He smiled in both relief and gratitude and I ducked my head to hide from it. I didn't think either was warranted; I understood his reasonings and it was my job to take his wishes into consideration. "Now, I am certain Lord Oifey-"

"Nothing from the front yet," Lord Oifey announced, striding inside with all the dignity a fourteen-year-old thought he could muster. His slight scowl belied his annoyance at having nothing to do. "You would think that they would have had contact by now."

"Lord Oifey, it is good that there is nothing to do," I chided, deciding to cut to the heart of the matter. Sir Midir ducked his head to hide his slight smile at my terrible bluntness. "Ideally, it means that the others are not so wounded that they need a healer's assistance, and that they are not so rattled that they need strategic advice." I didn't mention the worse possibilities. It was entirely possible they were all dead, for one. For another, another potential 'alleviation of boredom' was the Verdanites arriving. But the lighter possibilities seemed like enough of a chastisement. "Why not come and sit by me? You can help me with the mending."

"I... don't know how to sew?" Lord Oifey reluctantly sat down on the box next to me, and watched me mend a threadbare spot on one of the blankets. "It's not something knights need to know."

"That may be what the books and traditions say, but I have found that knowing how to mend my own clothing to be a very useful skill," Sir Midir gently countered. He continued folding the blankets, setting them down carefully to keep the piles evenly distributed. "Arden, what are your thoughts? I know you're listening in."

"It's not like there's much to drown the chatter!" Sir Arden laughed, stepping halfway inside. He kept his gaze fixed to the horizon, and didn't relax at all. He was, after all, our first line of defense here. "However, I do agree. Sewing is always a useful skill, though I'm dreadful at it personally. Alec is good at it, though."

"Really? I find that surprising."

"Said something about it being a good excuse to spend time with the maids."

"Never mind, I am no longer surprised."

"...If you think I should learn it, then I suppose I should," Lord Oifey mumbled, blushing faintly. Sir Midir and Sir Arden shared a grin, no doubt over what had likely pushed him to agree. I hid my amusement behind my mask, and handed him a needle and thread. "Okay, how do I...?"

"Different people have their own tricks, but I shall show you what works best for me," I explained, taking his hands. I briefly noticed the blue Baldr Mark on his wrist, a series of interlocking 'squares' that almost resembled a small shield, but I didn't comment on it. "First, we have to thread the needle, so hold them both like this..."

"Hold like this..." He frowned in concentration, though his eyes flicked briefly to the bandages on my lower arm. "Um... does your arm hurt?"

"No, it doesn't. It just covers a scar I prefer to hide."

"Scars can hurt, though."

"That is true. But this one doesn't. It's kind of you to ask." I wanted away from this topic. "You aren't holding your hands correctly."

"Agh..."

I wasn't certain on how good of a teacher I was, but Lord Oifey was determined to learn, so I did my best to help him. I even massaged his hand when it started cramping from holding the needle for so long and so tightly. During the lesson, Sir Midir and Sir Arden chatted about random things like people they both knew and old memories. Their words washed over me, simply noise in the background, until I noticed that they had stopped talking. They were both completely silent, their attention focused firmly outside.

"...There's people approaching, but they do not ride horses," Sir Arden murmured at last. I had no idea how he knew; I neither saw nor heard anything amiss. But the way Sir Midir tensed told me to pay attention and take his words for fact. "I'm closing the doors. Don't open them for anything. I'll open them with it's safe."

He didn't wait for a reply. The doors closed with a heavy 'thud' that echoed in the silence and lingered amidst the dust. It only disappeared with the shouts heard an eternity later, and the clanging and screaming resulting from the battle outside.

"Perhaps it would be best if you and Lord Oifey head to the woods, Miss Alicia," Sir Midir suggested slowly, his gaze turning to the windows. It took me a moment to guess why; glass was breakable and we had no idea how many were here. We had to assume the worst, and that there were those among our enemies would be willing to brave jagged glass. "I will follow momentarily. I wish to grab my bow first."

"I will need my staff," I 'protested' with all the calm a healer should have. I hoped so, at least. It was my job to remain calm, as Father Eirik had reminded me so many times. "I should get it."

"I will do that."

"Very well, then." I stood up on legs that did not feel connected to the rest of me, and placed the blankets on the table. Then I gently touched Lord Oifey's shoulder to jolt him out of his own shock. "Lord Oifey, we should hurry." Lord Oifey gasped and jerked his head up towards me, blinking owlishly. "Come now and keep close to me."

Thankfully, Lord Oifey did move then, and we made our way towards the back room where the hidden door was, though I moved ahead since I remembered how much trouble the door had originally given Lord Sigurd and wanted those extra seconds, just in case. Sadly, though, we moved too slowly, wrongly assuming that the threat of gouges from glass would deter our enemies for longer. It felt like only an eternity of seconds had passed before the sound of glass shattering ripped through the air. It was followed by a triumphant warcry and a Verdanite soldier clamoured into the church, uncaring of how the glass gouged them. No, they cared only for one thing and one thing alone: easy 'prey'. Unfortunately, they immediately found one, for Lord Oifey had frozen, no doubt startled by the disregard to one's self and how much danger we were truly in. So, the soldier charged straight for him, axe raised high above their head, and Lord Oifey could only stare as death came rushing for him.

I did the only thing I could think of. I had no true fighting ability, save for the 'Final Strike' suicidal attack all those of Fjalar's blood had. I certainly couldn't fend off a soldier by myself. However, I could use myself as a shield and I could drag Lord Oifey out of the axe's path. Well, I could in theory. In actuality, I only mostly succeeded. While I did manage to get in-between in time, attempting to drag Lord Oifey only resulted in both of us falling. I pulled Lord Oifey towards me as the soldier towered over us both, wrapping my arms around him to cover him as much as possible. When the soldier leered, I regarded him stoically, forcing myself to remember all of Father Eirik's lessons in keeping calm. If this was how I died, I would not die as my father did. I would not go to death screaming and crying like a child throwing a tantrum. I'd keep some measure of dignity while I breathed, even though I knew a fate worse than death could await me before death itself arrived.

Thankfully, however, I didn't have to test my resolve any further. After all, there had been more than one guard and Sir Midir had been fetching his bow. Before I knew it, an arrow thudded into the soldier's eye. They reeled back in pain, screeching until another arrow caught them in the throat. Then they crumpled with a gurgle, choking on their own blood. Immediately, I crawled to their side and tried to see what I could do to help, but there was nothing. I hadn't expected as much, but I still had to check. I still had to try.

"That… I do believe that my wound did not agree with that action." However, since there was nothing, I had to move on. I had to focus on those I could still heal, and that meant Sir Midir, who now had blood seeping through his shirt. "I must apologize, Miss Alicia," Sir Midir continued, the strained breathlessness in his voice belying his attempts to act nonchalant. "I fear I have undone your work."

"From what I understand, that is precisely what any soldier or knight does," I quipped in return. I pushed myself up and winced at the sudden spike of pain that lanced up through my shoulder. A quick look showed why; I had been grazed at some point. I didn't know when. I could guess, but that didn't matter at the moment. "Here, I will…" No, my wound did matter, actually. The blood would interfere with my attempts to clean Sir Midir's wound. "Lord Oifey, will you help Sir Midir to the back room?" There was no response, and when I turned to look, I saw him standing and staring. "Lord Oifey." He still didn't react. So, I had to… "Sir Midir, here." Ignoring my wound, I wrapped an arm around Sir Midir's shoulder and helped him walk. "I am afraid I shall have to wrap and clean my arm, but I shall tend to you as soon as I do."

"I was actually going to insist you tend to your own injury first. I can feel mine holding together still. It just hurts."

"Sir Midir, you truly shouldn't feel that." That alone told me just how poorly Sir Midir was doing. So, while I hoped SIr Arden was still okay outside, I had to focus. While I thought of everything I'd need, I glanced back at Lord Oifey to try and urge him to at least follow. However, I realized then just what he'd been staring at, and decided to let him collect himself for a few more seconds.

His eyes were fixed firmly on the blood Sir Midir and I left behind. I would let Lord Sigurd know later.

"I am most pleased you did not suffer too many injuries while defending us from the bulk of the assault," I murmured to Sir Arden as I patched him up some time later. Honestly, I could have used my staff to have him fully healed, but he had insisted on waiting until we had seen the others. "You were outnumbered, from what little I saw."

"I may not be the fastest, but I'm sturdy and strong," Sir Arden boasted with a slight smile. I thought he might've shrugged with the words, but it was difficult to tell with the armor. "I'm sorry for not stopping that one, though. How is Midir?"

"He shall be fine, though I fear he won't be able to shoot for a while." I glanced over to where Sir Midir stood watch by the door, since all four of us had moved to the back room with the hidden door. He had insisted on it, despite the fact that his entire torso was numb. I had to stitch his wound again; my original stitches hadn't been strong enough and only the fact that I had used multiple types of stitches kept it from completely ripping open.

"And Lord Oifey?"

"He's…" I didn't know how to answer that. While Lord Oifey had eventually let Sir Arden guide him into the room with Sir Midir and me, he hadn't said a word. He simply sat in the corner furthest from the door, his eyes unfocused and looking at nothing. "He's here."

"I see." Thankfully, that seemed to tell him enough. "When we took the castle, I guarded Lord Oifey and neither of us were near the battle. This was his first time being in danger like that. Most freeze during their first battles." Sir Arden looked up at me, but I tilted his head back down to add more disinfectant to the wound on his scalp. An axe blow had broken his helmet just enough to scrape it. "Bit of a surprise you didn't freeze, Miss Alicia."

"Healers are not so different from soldiers. Our job involves battles as well, though we fight infection and death instead of people." Besides, I had no doubts I would have just sat there staring after he'd shut the front doors if Sir Midir hadn't prompted me. However, I couldn't admit that failure to him. "It's also part of our training to remain calm. Those that can't quickly find themselves another path to walk." Right then, I saw Sir Midir straighten, as if reacting to something, and I seized the chance to change the subject. "Do we have more guests, Sir Midir?"

"We do…" Sir Midir confirmed slowly. He watched whatever it was for a short second before relaxing. "I think you'll be pleased to see this one, though. Naoise, we're here in the back."

"Thank the twelve gods! I feared Neit had taken at least one of you when I saw the corpses out front and the shattered window!" Sir Naoise slid into view, almost passing the doorway entirely but catching himself on the frame just in time. He had a scratch that dripped blood on his cheek, and was both sweaty and breathless. Otherwise, however, he looked well. "I must apologize," he continued, bowing briefly. "Our ruse to gather the Verdanites in one spot proved more fruitful than expected. We did what we could, yet some slipped behind us."

"Does the battle still rage on?"

"Yes and no. We believe we have taken out the bulk of the Verdanite forces, yet we still must cross the bridge to take Evans Castle." Sir Naoise's gaze hardened, and there was a distinctly thrilled glint in his eyes. Did he like fighting? "However, because of the lull, Lady Ethlyn insisted we fall back to assess our injuries and to make certain you were well. I rode ahead."

"Of course you did. You always charge first. Sometimes, I feel like you and Alec switch personalities once a battle has started."

"We do not!"

"If the rest are arriving, then we should move back to the main room," I interrupted, adding the last of the disinfectant to Arden's head wound. It would have to do for now. "Sir Naoise, you can be the first to be checked, so sit on the chair while I gather my supplies."

Sir Naoise attempted to protest, but thankfully, Sir Arden solved that by picking him up like a kitten and dropping him on the chair for me. I quickly went to work, noticing that Sir Naoise was bruised badly, but had few bleeding injuries aside from the one on his face. He'd taken a heavy blow to his leg, though, and I knew it would take multiple sessions to heal it fully. Still, I did what I could for now, using my staff to ease the worst of it before applying some bruise balm and covering it with bandages. By then, the others had arrived and I treated them as well. Though, with a couple of them, I thought I needed to check their heads first.

"You shouldn't pull arrows out of your injuries, Lord Lex," I scolded, once I learned just how he'd acquired the tiny wounds that peppered his arms and chest. I'd question how he was alive, but Neir's blood blessed its bearers with bodies of steel or so the stories went. The legends of the Holy War frequently spun tales of Neir's ability to catch a blade with his bare hand and other feats that should have led to him losing a limb, if not his life. "They plug up the hole, for one thing."

"But they were annoying," Lord Lex grumbled, scowling. It almost hid how he flinched each time I reached for him, as if he expected some sort of blow. I didn't comment on it; I just did my best to silently warn him whenever I had to. "If they didn't bounce off, then they got stuck. The wounds weren't big, so what did it matter?"

"Well, for one thing, one of these is near an artery. A small puncture there could have led to you losing a lot of blood very quickly." I frowned slightly at him and he looked away. "Still, this time it seems you were lucky. These shall heal easily and there is no poison or debris that I can find for now. So, I will only ask that you do not pull them out yourself next time."

"Fine, fine…" He muttered something I didn't quite catch before sighing. "Azelle is going to scold me again when he hears about the close call."

"I see no reason to tell him. Your wounds and health are your business." Finished with my cleaning, I stepped back and grabbed a roll of bandages. "Lord Lex, might you hold still for a moment longer? I need to bandage you."

"Ah, right, okay."

He did his best, of course. He definitely flinched when I had to lean around him, but for the most part, he kept himself as still as he could to make my job easier. I helped him pull his shirt on, and ignored how quickly he escaped outside where Azelle was. Azelle insisted on staying as the 'guard' since he was uninjured, merely tired, and now, I wondered if he had also wanted to give Lord Lex a convenient excuse to step away from everything. It wasn't truly my business, of course, but it was certainly curious.

"Are you able to take a break?" Lord Sigurd asked, joining me in my work area then. I nodded and started cleaning up, but stopped when he rested a hand on my arm, under the bloodstained hole in my sleeve and the bandage underneath. Lady Ethlyn had double-checked the wound for me before helping Lord Quan with the horses and she agreed it could wait until later for further treatment. "You look a little pale." He brushed the hair out of my face, and I frowned slightly at him. "I'm sorry. First you were attacked, and then you had to heal us."

"Lord Sigurd, that is precisely what I'm here to do," I chided, returning to my cleaning. It gave me something to do with my hands. I always had to be doing something with them; time was wasted otherwise.

"You're not here to get attacked." His tone went very flat, and I did have to smile slightly at the fair point. "Alas, I fear we can't give you the break you deserve. We must press onward."

"I expected something like that. Sir Naoise already explained." Guessing that he wanted the status of everyone, I stopped what I was doing to carefully consider everyone's injuries. "Sir Midir must rest. The stitches held for a single shot, but I do not wish to try them further." I might have reinforced my earlier work, but... "As for your more battle-ready soldiers, Sir Alec insists he can fight, though it shall likely be with his off-hand only."

"I'll take that into account. How is Finn? Quan has been worried about his leg."

"The stitches are holding. I checked them twice to be certain." I hesitated before continuing, going back to my cleaning. "He can fight, if he must." I'd rather he didn't, though...

"Will you be offended if I had him stay and assist with guarding? He may be a squire, but he is very skilled."

"Of course I wouldn't." If anything, I would be happy he was putting less stress on his leg! However, the mention of 'squire' made me remember Lord Oifey and… "Lord Sigurd, have you spoken with Lord Oifey?"

"I've seen him, and he asked to talk later. He struggles to untangle his thoughts for now and its better to leave him alone for that. I know from experience." Lord Sigurd smiled at me. "I heard you protected him. Thank you."

"Sir Midir is the one who saved him."

"I have already thanked him for that." He glanced at the door and nodded to someone I couldn't see. "We'd best be off. Hopefully, when we next meet, we'll have Evans Castle captured, and Edain and the other captives safe."

"...I shall prepare to take care of any injuries they might have suffered." It was all I could think to say. We both knew that the chances that any of the captured were still in Evans was slim. Still, I knew it wasn't something to speak.

So, I smiled a serene smile and saw them off before finishing with my cleaning. It was all I could do, after all.

"...The captured are truly at Evans?" I repeated, certain I had misheard Lord Quan. It was much later in the day, close to sunset truthfully, and Lord Quan had come to inform us of the capture of Evans Castle. "What of Lady Edain?"

"Sadly, Munnir took Edain deeper into Verdane ahead of the others," Lord Quan relayed, sighing softly. He looked no worse for wear than he had earlier, but he had to be tired. "Still, this is no small victory. Sigurd asked that you come ahead to tend to them. I'm certain they'll be more at ease, seeing someone they know."

"We'll see." I wouldn't say any of them knew me, so much as they knew of me. They would, however, know I was there to heal them, and perhaps that would be enough. "I need a moment to gather my things." I almost asked what he'd meant by 'ahead', but thought better of it. While they may be enough horses for all of us, that didn't mean everyone could endure a gallop. "You should check with Mister Finn. He's done a very good job keeping watch for us."

"Has he? I knew he would, but it's nice to have it confirmed." He relaxed enough to smile slightly. "I'll be with him, then."

"Very well."

Sir Midir was kind enough to assist me, so I was ready sooner than expected. Lord Quan didn't seem to mind, and had us riding for Castle Evans in what felt like no time at all. It felt like even less time had passed before we arrived at the castle itself. Lord Sigurd and Lady Ethlyn met us at the front gates, but there were no pleasantries. As soon as Lord Sigurd helped me off Lord Quan's horse, Lady Ethlyn seized my hand and dragged me to the room they'd moved the captured to. There was no time to waste, after all.

"Alicia, fix her!" It was hard to tell how much time had past since I'd entered the room. I only knew it was enough for my back and shoulders to ache, my hands to cramp, my knees and legs to have gone numb from crouching on the stone floors, and for those with lesser wounds to find their voices. "That's what you do, right?!" At the moment, I had a little girl, probably nine or so, screaming at me while I tended to her sister. "You fix people!"

"I fix what I can," I gently corrected, focused entirely on my task. I already knew, though, that her sister's recovery would be long. Her physical wounds were easily tended to, but the wounds to her heart and mind during all of this had left her dumbstruck, unable to communicate or do much of anything but stare. "I do not have a spell that erases memories." I doubted anyone did, truthfully. "Still, I can give her body the strength to keep going while her spirit tries to come to terms with everything that happened."

"But…!" That was all the girl managed to choke out before breaking down in sobs. A flicker of unease crossed into her sister's expression, but it looked distant as if she were simply an actor on a stage. Still, it was the first bit of a reaction I'd seen since I started treating her. "I…"

"...I fear I need my hands to work, but if you would like to rest on my lap, you may."

She took my offer and she fell asleep there after crying all the tears she could. Lady Ethlyn saw and arranged it to where my next patients came to me instead of the other way around as she was doing. That was how we spent our time until the last patient was treated and all of them were reasonably reassured that they were finally safe again. Only then did we rest, sitting against the far wall while the knights carried and escorted the former patients to… somewhere. I assumed one of the many rooms in this castle, but I didn't know which ones or how they would go about dividing everyone into said rooms.

"Their armor looks freshly cleaned," I observed as I passed the girl sleeping on my lap to Alec. He smiled and winked at me, but both looked more of gestures of habit, not genuine. "Is that to give their armor the shine needed to be 'knights in shining armor'?"

"That and so they look less scary," Lady Ethlyn answered. Now that we weren't working, she pulled her ribbon from her hair and rested her head on my shoulder. "I wonder why they were captured. I can make some guesses about the older ones, each one worse than the last, but what about the younger ones? Some of them were two or three…"

"Sadly, that seems to be one of the many unanswered questions." The biggest, of course, was 'why did King Bantu suddenly attack?'. Was it something Prince Munnir did on his own or had the pretense of peace been nothing more than a mask? "I doubt the answer will be satisfactory, no matter what it is."

"True." She sighed and leaned more on me. "You smell nice. Herbal and floral."

"Do I?" That was an odd thing to comment on.

"Yep." She smiled sleepily, but then winced as Sir Naoise picked up a toddler to carry out. "I hope things are solved soon. I don't want Altena to experience this sort of danger."

"Altena is your daughter, right?" It was better to change the subject to that, instead of pointing out that with Leonster's 'war' with Thracia, Altena was already in this sort of danger. Then again, princesses tended to be better protected than commoners…

"Yes, she is!" Though still tired, Lady Ethlyn's face lit up at the thought of her little girl. "She's so cute and tiny and she has the biggest smile! Father and Sigurd haven't met her yet; Father was supposed to visit, but then word of Darna arrived. Maybe I can send for her when things settle down up here? The Aed Desert is neutral territory, so its safe to travel. Though, then again, Darna is in Aed and..."

"Lady Ethlyn, Miss Alicia?" Sir Naoise gently interrupted suddenly. I looked up at saw him kneeling in front of us, and that the three of us were the only ones in the room. "I am here to escort you to your rooms." He offered us a hand to help us stand. Lady Ethlyn took it; I didn't. "Please, follow me."

I didn't pay attention to the various turns we made in the maze that was the castle's halls. For one thing, I was tired. I was completely and utterly exhausted, yet there was still a lot to be done. I had to conserve my strength. For another thing, I didn't actually plan on staying in said room, lovely as it may be. I was a healer, and so it was best for me to remain near the infirmary. Still, the room was a good place to wash up and change into a clean dress. Once that was done, though, I gathered my things and left to try and find the infirmary. Of course, given that I had never been in a castle before, I had no guesses as to where it was. I did, however, know where the main room was and figured that was a good place to start my search. If I had known Lord Sigurd and Lord Quan were having a private discussion there, however, I would've reconsidered. Alas, hindsight was perfect.

"Damn them!" Of course, the private discussion appeared to lean more towards Lord Quan leading Lord Sigurd away so that he could scream and flail in private. "Damn them!" Lord Sigurd repeated, pacing and gesturing wildly as if that would bleed off his anger. "To put civilians through this sort of hell and drag Edain...! If Munnir harms one hair on her head, I swear I'll...! I'll…!" Though, perhaps it did since he calmed soon after and became unnaturally still compared to before. "Damn them."

"Hmm... quicker than I thought," Lord Quan noted, frowning. He stepped towards Lord Sigurd and peered at his face. "You can yell a little more, you know. No one is here."

"It's not like its doing anything, besides making my throat hurt."

"Oh, I don't know. I can think of many times where you not yelling and holding in your anger led to further trouble." Lord Quan poked Lord Sigurd's temple, and Lord Sigurd immediately grimaced. "In fact, I believe it's a very known trend. Your anger festers and poisons your impulse control and makes you even more reckless than usual. I'd rather we not have to deal with that, my dear friend. For one thing, we don't have Eldigan around to pin you."

"Still, me screaming to absent dastards is-"

"Dastards?" Lord Quan raised a brow. "That's... why blunt it? 'Bastards' is probably the least of the insults we can rightfully throw at them." Lord Quan frowned even more. "Sigurd, we are brothers by bond and brothers by marriage. Of all the people in the world, I am not one you should feel the need to hide from."

"I'm not hiding!" Still, Lord Sigurd glanced away, noticeably uncomfortable. Unfortunately for the building awkwardness, he happened to look right at me. "Miss Alicia?"

"Hello," I greeted, making sure to smile serenely. It was best to not comment on what I just saw, for now. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You're not, but is everything all right?" Lord Sigurd asked, turning towards me. Lord Quan sighed behind him, shook his head, and then gave both of us his full attention. "The civilians..."

"They have received the first of their treatments and should be resting in the rooms the knights showed them. Lady Ethlyn is in her own room, no doubt asleep given how tired she was earlier." I shrugged, careful to keep neutral. "I am not quite as tired, however, so I thought I would find the infirmary and see what must be done." Lying was easy, but it was even easier when no one could read your expressions.

"If you would like, I can escort you there. It was one of the places I checked for Edain."

"I believe I shall take you up on the offer." While I'd wander aimlessly if I had to, I'd be a fool to insist on it. "Thank you."

"While you're doing that, I'll arrange for a messenger to King Azmur for you," Lord Quan offered. The look he gave Lord Sigurd all but screamed 'I am not done with you yet', but he let it go for now. "You may have his blessings, but outright invasion does require official nonsense. It'll be a good excuse to rest and gather our strength for the coming days."

"Yes, you're quite right," Lord Sigurd agreed. His 'response' to Lord Quan's look was an innocent smile, and I swore that if I were not present, Lord Quan would've rolled his eyes at it. "This way, Miss Alicia." He led me down one of the numerous hallways that branched off the main hall. "It's fairly easy to get to, once you know the way. I worry about the defensibility for that reason."

"It is more important that the wounded can find it easily," I chided, glancing back briefly at Lord Quan. He looked very thoroughly exasperated, in the split-second I had before he turned away. "He worries terribly for you."

"Quan is always worrying." Lord Sigurd looked down briefly before forcing a smile. At least, I thought it was forced. It did not look much different from his usual smiles, yet... "Besides, as Ethlyn adores reminding me, if I do something reckless, she's here to guilt me into behaving."

"I suppose I should hope you do not give me extraneous work?" Almost immediately, I regretted the words. They were too casual, too dry, for a healer. "Then again, that is why I'm here."

"I fear we'll give you enough work just by what is 'expected'."

"As any healer can tell you, unexpected things are expected in this line of work." I frowned slightly at him, studying his forced smile and thinking of what I just overheard. No matter how Arvis described him, I knew how easily 'masks' could be donned. I knew how trying it could be to wear them. I also knew... I also know, from experience, that sometimes you wore them not to hide from others, but from your own mind. "...Do you hide your anger in the hopes it shall also bury your fears?" He had to be terrified for Lady Edain. She was a prisoner to a ruthless man, one who clearly took what he wanted with violence. Who wouldn't be afraid? Who wouldn't be angry? The two emotions were tied together, so if one was hidden, then perhaps the other would as well? That… was at least how my mind reasoned it.

"Huh?" Lord Sigurd was so caught off-guard by my blurted question that he stumbled. "I..."

"You do not have to answer if you do not wish." It certainly wasn't my business one way or the other. In fact, it was rude I had even asked at all, even if I quickly found a 'justification' for it. "However, stress can have a negative effect on your health. So, if there is a chance I am right, I insist on making you some medicinal tea."

"I..." Lord Sigurd was silent for a long while, and did not speak until he opened the door to the infirmary down the way. The inside appeared neat and tidy on the surface, but we would see if that was truly the case when I thoroughly inspected it later. "I won't say 'no' to the tea. The last cup you made me was very good."

"In that case, let's see if there's a kettle here. If not, we'll have to borrow from the kitchens."

I didn't press Lord Sigurd further on my question, nor did he bring it up again. Instead, we talked over tea about the coming days, particularly the volunteer soldiers he'd have to accept and the health checks I would have to do. I made sure his tea had herbs that helped calm the heart and support one's immunity, but I drew no attention to them. It was better this way.

Sigurd

Class: Paladin

Skills: Pursuit

Holy Blood: Baldr Major

The 22-year-old heir to the Chalphy Dukedom, he is described by many as the typical 'knight in shining armor' with a demeanor as bright as the sun itself. He's very well known for his reckless loyalty, especially to those dear in his heart, as well as his kindness and empathy.

His Mark is on his back, stretching across the entire left side in an arrangement that almost appears as a wing. Due to inheriting the blessings of Neit, the God of Death and the Dead, he has enhanced strength and skill. Those of this blood are also known for their uncanny luck, though this is sometimes forgotten due to the infamous 'Ulir Luck'.

While his kindness and empathy lead to a great number of allies, it can also make things difficult for him. He finds it hard to lie and can be overcome by both his own emotions and others', particularly when someone is hurting. It can also blind him to someone's true intentions and make him tragically easy to manipulate.

Author's note: While I think 'Jun River' does come from official sources (can't tell you where atm), the mountain range was never named so I made something up. Made up the details about the river as well and added a bit to… well, in game, the bridge is 'destroyed' during the intro scene and then 'repaired' after you capture the Yngvi castle. Here, I just had a blockade and then them leaving to go raiding for unknown reasons (with the group speculating on plausible ones).

The attack on the church is because it's… well, it can be very easy for one of the enemy to slip behind you if you're not paying attention. So, yeah. Thought it fit in nicely.

Chapter Text

Interlude - Evans

Fate certainly enjoyed toying with mortals. Though most of those captured from Yngvi were in Evans Castle, Lady Edain was not among them. Instead, Prince Munnir dragged her deeper into the forests of Verdane and Lord Sigurd plans to rescue her, even if it means invading another country. But invasions require soldiers, and there is no refusing the volunteers now. Those who did not join the knights and main army in Isaach now join us, eager to assist however they can. So few of them seem to acknowledge the very real threat of death and debilitating injuries, boasting of how many 'savages' they will slay.

I wonder if such boasts will hold once the graves start being dug. No one can save everyone, after all, and I know no matter how hard I tried, many of these volunteers would die. Some would die before they even reached me; others would die under my hands. That was the fate of a healer, after all. I simply had to do my best.

"So, Arvis is sending us some extra soldiers," Lord Sigurd murmured around his teacup, reading the missive from Belhalla. Somehow or another, our days started like this. I would make him tea in the room he had set up for his office, and we would discuss the condition of the army while he read through reports and letters. "I really hope he's not forgoing sleep to give us this help. They will be quite the boon, of course, but the last thing anyone needs is the Duke of Velthomer collapsing from exhaustion."

"Sadly, I fear all we can do from here is hope," I replied, pouring him a little more tea. While he sat at his desk, I stood nearby, going through my own lists. It felt strange to sit, but I couldn't just stand around and do nothing. "I shall want to give them a full health check-up upon their arrival." I wished I could do the same for Arvis, but he truly was too far away. I might have to try and sneak a letter to Aida and plead for her to keep a closer eye on him. "Shall I assume we also received official permission to continue on?"

"Aye." Lord Sigurd briefly set his tea down to hold up the letter with the broken wax seal of the royal family. "Once the soldiers arrive, we'll march."

"I see." I made myself keep calm. "How shall we arrange the infirmary, then? We have two healers." Lady Ethlyn preferred to be mounted on the battlefield, while I… "Would you like me to set up a field infirmary?"

"Truthfully, I would feel better if you remained here at the castle with guards, since it is far more defensible. After all, we go to battle with soldiers so green we could plant them." He said the words like they were an old saying. Perhaps it was among knights. "We also fight an enemy who knows the terrain far better than we ever could."

"I understand that." At least, I thought I understood enough. The chances of them slipping past were simply too great, especially given our relatively limited numbers. "Still, it will be difficult on the wounded to travel a great distance."

"I know. Yet, sadly, all the warp and rescue staves in both Chalphy and Yngvi are currently being used on the Isaachian front. It would take too long to obtain any staves from Leonster, assuming they can spare any." Lord Sigurd set down the missive from Arvis and sat back in his chair to simply sip his tea. I was glad he liked this kind; it had many herbs good for calming the heart and boosting one's immunity. "Most likely, I'll have Ethlyn set up a field infirmary. It means less quick fixes in the field itself, but I believe it will ease the burden overall."

"Does she know how?" I tried not to think of how the badly wounded would die. It was no slight on Lady Ethlyn's abilities. Rather, I knew triage would have to take into account those who would survive the trek. The badly wounded wouldn't. "I can assist her in making an inventory and basic diagram."

"That'll be good. Thank you." Lord Sigurd frowned slightly and looked to the door. I did as well, though I neither heard nor saw anything amiss. "Why would someone be running-?"

"Miss Alicia!" The door suddenly burst open then to reveal a beaming Lord Oifey carrying a small, bloodied cloth. "Here!" he blurted, holding it out. While Lord Sigurd blinked slowly to try and comprehend the sudden intrusion, I unwrapped the cloth to see two small spheres with a pale yellow liquid swirling within. Based on the blood, I would guess these were not fruit or seeds, but some sort of organ... "Ygg venom glands!" ...Pardon?

"To mildly explain…" Sir Alec appeared in the doorway, with exasperation dripping from his words. The slight smile and gentle eyes, however, made it 'fond, if incredulous, exasperation'. "While training, we discovered a ygg had slithered into the yard. Probably curious about all the recent activity. Sadly, panic led to the poor thing being killed. Then, while we were disposing of it, Lord Oifey insisted on dissecting it for its venom glands. And carrying them here." Sir Alec leaned against the doorframe, raising an eyebrow to give Lord Oifey a droll look. "You know… most people give their crushes flowers. Not the organs of a snake."

"I-it's not like that, Alec!" Lord Oifey flushed bright pink from embarrassment, which was only heightened by his scowl. "Miss Alicia knows how to use alchemy to transform a ygg's venom into the antidote we buy from the apothecaries and promised to show me!"

"...I think she was pulling your leg there, Lord Oifey."

"No, it is, in fact, a key ingredient to the common, broad-spectrum antidote sold in apothecaries," I gently corrected, trying to keep my amusement in check. Embarrassingly, I only just succeeded in appearing calm and serene, as I should. Father Eirik would've scolded me severely if he knew... "I do not believe we have all the ingredients, however. I had planned to visit the apothecaries here in Evans to add to our stock. Perhaps I should make that a priority for the day."

"Here, I'll escort you," Lord Sigurd offered, already standing. He made sure to finish the last of his tea before setting his cup down on the table. His slight smile was the only betrayal of his amusement at the situation. "I want to get my own feel for the town. Alec?"

"Midir and I took a lovely stroll that I shall be delighted to gossip about later, my lord," Sir Alec replied, bowing. It took me a second to realize he and Midir had been scouting for things Lord Sigurd might miss. It took me another to figure out that Sir Alec had anticipated that order. "For now, what should we do with the... organs?"

"You may hand them to me," I answered, wrapping them back up. I supposed this would save us some funds; these two alone would provide enough for a very large batch. "The initial process requires time to set, so I can begin that before leaving." Lord Oifey's eyes brightened, and I knew what he'd ask before he even opened his mouth. "Yes, Lord Oifey, you may watch."

The two of us left with barely a polite farewell, and headed down the hall towards the infirmary. It was a path I knew well by now, well enough that I did not have to keep my attention on navigating. Instead, I could let my mind wander to what all I would need to do to prepare the venom for medicine-making. I had half-expected Lord Oifey to ask me while we walked, but instead, he kept silent. The only sound at all were my steady steps on the stone floor, and his 'quick-quick-slow-slow' steps as he tried to walk his usual brisk pace, but then fell back to stay even with me.

"...Miss Alicia?" Lord Oifey sounded strangely hesitant as he broke the silence. "How is your arm?" he asked quietly. I wondered why he asked, and remembered the conversation we had in the church, before the attack. Then I wondered why he would ask again. "Does it hurt?"

"Lord Oifey, I told you already," I gently chided, even as I tried to think of why he would ask. Did Lord Sigurd or one of his knights have scars that ached? I vaguely remembered reading something about that being fairly common for warriors; I should research and ensure I had medicine on hand for it. "The bandages simply cover a scar."

"No, I meant your wound. You were hurt protecting me because I…" He looked down, doing his best to hide his face. It didn't matter, of course. The guilt radiating off him was practically palpable. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I froze. I'm sorry I made you get hurt and made Midir's wound worse."

"...Sir Midir's wound did not worsen. It may take longer to heal, but considering the size and placement of the wound, his recovery would be lengthy anyway. A day or two more means little in that light." I stopped walking and rested my free hand on his shoulder. When he refused to look at me, I crouched down to better see his face. "As for my own, it is infinitely preferable for me to suffer a minor injury than for you to suffer a major one. The minor injury was easily tended to. A major injury might not have been." In truth, I had forgotten all about it. It had been healed the next morning. Lady Ethlyn had insisted, to my surprise. I had assumed she'd forget about it.

"But you were still hurt on my account." He spoke more to the floor than me. "If I hadn't frozen…"

"Do not forget that it was me who sent us crashing to the ground instead of safely running." I moved my free hand to his cheek and tried to get him to look up. When that failed, I nudged his chin to force it. "You cannot drown in what-ifs and apologies. They take away time better spent bettering yourself. The past is unchanging, but the future is not." I smiled serenely at him, and thankfully, he did finally look me in the eye. "Mistakes happen. Weaknesses are abundant. But you cannot let them stop you. You will never grow if you do."

"...But Midir…"

"Sir Midir made his choice." His wound reopening was my mistake. I was the one who first stitched it, and I was the one who made them too weak. "Now, you must make your own." Still, he looked so morose… how did I fix this? How did I help him? How did I help him heal? The only thing I could think of was… "Perhaps you might learn how to make medicines? That would help me dearly, and it would help the army as well."

"...You'll teach me?" He didn't quite perk up at the thought, but his mood did lighten. "Really?"

"Yes, I shall. We can also continue your sewing lessons." I stood up finally and nudged him down the hall. We were not far from the infirmary. "For now, however, I must prep these glands. Do you still want to watch?"

"Yes, please!" Finally, he smiled. "Thank you, Miss Alicia."

"You're welcome, Lord Oifey."

When we first moved into Castle Evans, I had assumed I would handle cleaning the infirmary alone. I had always been the only one to scour the infirmary areas back at the church, after all, not content with 'good enough'. Yet during our first morning, I found both Sir Alec and Sir Naoise in the doorway of the infirmary, declaring that they had been assigned 'cleaning the infirmary' for their early morning chores. While at first, I had thought they had simply made excuses for being bored, I learned later that they truly had been assigned that. Lady Ethlyn herself had informed me, when she arrived later to assist in setting up the infirmary, and she also told me it was part of the daily chore rotation. It was something I couldn't seem to get used to. No one had ever helped me before...

"Miss Alicia, do you want this blanket to soak?" Some, like Mister Finn, even went beyond what the chore suggested. 'Cleaning the infirmary' typically meant things such as sweeping and mopping the floors. In my overzealousness, it also meant scrubbing and wiping down the bedframes and tables and windows, and dusting the shelves and corners of the wall. "It has a large stain, but I think it can be scrubbed out." Mister Finn, however, insisted on not only doing all of that, but the laundry as well. "Miss Alicia?"

"I need to see the stain in question, Mister Finn," I gently chided, looking up from my book but not pausing in my sewing. I had quickly learned that when Mister Finn worked, it was much better for me to focus on my mending and my studying. Any attempts to assist would result in a very frantic squire apologizing profusely for 'not doing it right'. Strange as I found it, I did like the extra time to go through my books. "You have it hidden by the bucket."

"Oh, whoops," Mister Finn mumbled, flushing a faint pink. He carefully walked around his 'laundry area' to make sure he didn't knock over any buckets or soaps and dutifully presented the blanket, and stain, in question. "This one here... what even is it? It doesn't look like blood."

"Hmm... based on the color, I would guess a medicine." I set the blanket I was mending in my lap, my needle on the table by my book, and took the blanket from him to hold it up to the light. By doing so, I saw this was not 'one stain', but rather multiple smaller stains that had bled together. "Yes, I am almost certain it was one." Based on its placement from the edge, I would guess it had spilled while administering it to a patient. "In which case, it should come out with a wash." Why the healers before hadn't already done so was beyond me. "Soak it in warmer water, will you? Let's see if I'm correct."

"Very well." Mister Finn smiled, pleased, and returned to his laundry area to soak it, and other items he'd deemed needed it. Once he had it all in place, he went back to his mopping and I made sure to tuck my legs up under me in my chair while I returned to my mending and studying. I knew from experience Mister Finn would rather try to awkwardly work around me instead of asking me to move. "Oh..." However, in the middle of the mopping, Mister Finn stopped to look out the window. From here, there was a clear view of the practice yards, where the 'soldiers' were running their drills. "...When the songs of war ring out, the winds shall be heavy..."

"Pardon?" Noticing how high in the sky the sun was, I set aside my studying and began reading through my various notes on the... on our soldiers. I'd given each one an extensive check-up upon their recruitment to establish baselines and to look for underlying health problems. It also gave me the opportunity to nip potential illnesses and infestations in the bud.

"Huh? Oh, that was aloud..." Mister Finn mumbled something under his breath, once again flushing from embarrassment. "It's a saying in Leonster, taken from the Tale of Diarmuid."

"I have not heard that story before."

"It's a tale that predates even the Loptyrian Empire, detailing how the hero Diarmuid saved the lands from the terror-filled reign of the giants...!" Though Mister Finn did his best to appear nonchalant about the story, even returning to his mopping to support it, there was no disguising his sparkling eyes and breathless wonder. "Do you know about giants, Miss Alicia? Lord Quan told me that Grannvale does not have tales of them."

"No, we do not." Given that Grannvale was once the center of the Loptyrian Empire, a lot of the 'older tales' had been lost, unlike the other lands where the Empire's grip had been looser. Later, the Church of the Twelve Gods spread their own stories to fill in the gap and very few even among scholars sought to bring back the old. "Were they monstrous?"

"Not all, of course. Some were quite kind. But these ones were wicked creatures who delighted in mayhem. Even now, sealed away beneath the earth as they are, their attempts at escape make the ground quake!" Mister Finn did his best to stay on task, but his eagerness to explain the story had him gesturing. At least he hadn't slung water yet. "Though at first, they were easily defeated by the sun's rays, they cast the realm into eternal night by making the mountains erupt with molten rock and smoke."

"Yet, the hero Diarmuid managed to slay and seal them away?"

"Yes!" He was just one or two steps away from bouncing in excitement. "Despite the monsters they crafted and loosed, despite their weapons and fierce skill of arms, the hero Diarmuid slayed their king, sealed the giants below, and brought light back to the world!" Only then, however, did he realize just how excited he was getting, and he abruptly tried to pull himself together to act like a professional squire. It didn't work, but I pretended for his sake. "Regardless, the saying comes from a speech Diarmuid gives to his soldiers on the eve of the final battle as a means of steeling his resolve and steadying the nerves of his comrades."

"I see." That sort of story did seem to suit Mister Finn well. "Do you like the story?"

"It's... my favorite, truthfully." He smiled shyly, ducking his head. "I would read it constantly, to the point that Father Gregor joked I'd wear it out."

"Father Gregor?"

"Like Grannvale, orphans are primarily raised by the church in Leonster." Ah. "I lost my parents when I was very young, before I could remember them. Though, that's not an uncommon tale in Leonster, given our... skirmishes with Thracia." He paused and dutifully returned to mopping. "What were your parents like, Miss Alicia?"

"I never had any. Like you, I am an orphan raised by the church." The story came easily, all the more so because it wasn't a lie. Few could call my father a 'parent' of anything but disaster and pain, and my mother threw me away as soon as I became an inconvenience. Then she was killed protecting Cigyun, and he killed himself to throw a tantrum. "Mister Finn, who is charge of drafting the training for the soldiers again?"

"Hmm? Ah, Lord Quan is." Mister Finn straightened, holding the mop to his side as if it was a lance. "Do you have a message for him?"

"There are a few soldiers I wish for him to keep an eye on. If I give you a list, can you deliver it to him when you're done here?"

"Of course. He asked to see me once I was done with my chores."

"Thank you."

Distressingly, Mister Finn seemed to sense my ill mood and finished his duties in silence. When he left with my missive, I spared a moment to rest my head on the table, mortified that I'd let my calm slip so much. My issues with my parents were no excuse. A healer always needed to be calm and serene, a reliable beacon even in the most chaotic of situations. Father Eirik would have snapped at me ten times over if he'd somehow learn. 'Blood will always tell', he would mutter at the end, just as he always did, and then he would ignore me until I behaved properly again. But time I spent moping was time I could spend working, so I pushed myself up and went back through my notes on the soldiers, intent on ensuring they were as concise and informative as possible. Though, I did end up distracted just a few minutes later...

"Ah, hello?" After all, Azelle shyly peeked into the infirmary, glancing around worriedly. Upon seeing only me, however, he relaxed and quickly darted inside. "Um… here," he mumbled, pushing a warm mug into my free hand. The smell of apples wafted with the steam, and I couldn't help but smile a little. "I remember Arvis saying you liked apple cider, and Arden warmed up a bunch with some spices in the kitchen. So…"

"Thank you," I whispered, smiling up at him. It touched me that he remembered. Truthfully, I liked apples in general, but apple cider itself conjured up pleasant memories. Arvis had bought me some during our first meeting all those years ago, and since Velthomer had apple groves that grew year round, he always made sure to bring me some when he visited. Apples themselves were delicious, but 'apple cider' was a reminder of family. It was a reminder that despite everything, there were people who loved me. It was a reminder of my overworking and fretful older brother and my adorable younger brother. It was also tasty, particularly with the cinnamon brewed with it. "I'm glad you thought of me."

"W-well… um…" Azelle smiled, soft yet bright, even as he looked away in embarrassment. "Ah… anyway, is there anything I can do to help? I know Finn handled the cleaning this morning, but… um…"

"Hmm… well, will you go back over the inventory for me?" I flipped through my notes and produced where I had written down all the current medicines and herbs we had in stock. I had planned on doing it myself later, but another pair of eyes would only be a boon. It would be good for ensuring everything was properly labeled and easily found. "Everything should be close to what is written, within one or two. If it's more, then make a note for me, please."

"I will!" Azelle's smile brightened, visibly elated, and he dashed into the side room where I had everything stored. "Wow, this is super organized. I'm not sure even Aida could find fault with it."
"Neatness is important for healing." I settled back into my chair and took up my mending again, practicing while I studied. I would have to hunt for the library later today to ferret out any medical books that might be on hand. I was curious about local remedies. "Letting my work area become as messy as Arvis's could lead to me harming a patient."

"I don't see how he finds anything and turns everything in on time when his desk looks like someone dropped some spells on it." Azelle hummed quietly as he worked, a nonsensical string of notes that sounded cheerful. "Actually, it would look neater if it did. Tailtiu accidentally cast a thunder spell on his desk once."

"I believe you wrote to me about that, actually." The incident felt familiar enough. "Was this because Tailtiu wanted to see if she could cast a spell while throwing her tome in the air?"

"Yes, that's the one!" Azelle laughed at the memory. "Lex still won't let her hear the end of it."

"I'm sure." Footsteps caught my ear, and I brought up my hand in silent warning to let Azelle know we had people approaching. It was fortunate that we did, for Lady Ethlyn bounded into the infirmary not long afterwards. "Good morning, Lady Ethlyn."

"Good morning, Miss Alicia!" she chirped, skipping over to the table where I sat. She peered inside the side room where Azelle was, and cheerily waved. "Good morning, Azelle!" Azelle mumbled some sort of greeting in return, focused more on the inventory now. "So, I was thinking we should visit the castle town together, Miss Alicia. If you don't mind, that is. People are willing to babble different things to someone patching them up, after all, and I'm hoping that by tending to them, we can show we are not simply invaders bent on conquest."

"I believe it is a good idea, as illnesses will run rampant through both town and castle," I replied, tying off my thread. I then moved to a different spot on the blanket to mend the tear there. "I wish to wait until after Azelle has finished checking the inventory, however."

"Right, that makes sense." Lady Ethlyn pushed herself up to sit on the table, letting her feet dangle so she could idly kick them. "So far, it seems the townsfolk are amicable towards us. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad."

"Yes, because whyever would they not be amicable to the armed people who took two castles while severely outnumbered?" Lord Lex's dry voice announced his arrival into what had been the quiet infirmary. Now, however, it had people who were not here for treatment or to work. At least, I assumed Lex wasn't here to work, considering the tray of fruit he carried. "Midir claims that we need to gobble all this up before it goes bad," he 'explained', setting the tray down between Lady Ethlyn and me. "So, I figured I'd make sure some got to our head healer got some, since she eats at irregular hours." ...When did I last eat again? I vaguely remembered nibbling on something around midnight while I was making more medicines…

"Well, who can refuse delicious fruit?" Lady Ethlyn laughed, promptly picking up something to pop into her mouth. Noticing there were apple slices, I snuck a few closer to me to eat while studying. I couldn't mend while eating, nor did I want to risk dirtying up my notes, but I could read and learn. "Oh, Lex, did you find out anything about the arena here?"

"Seems like its the same rules as everywhere else!" Lord Lex scrutinized each of the fruits available before shrugging and grabbing a handful of berries. While he did so, he nudged a few more apple slices closer to me, a hint that Azelle had shared my liking of them. "Figured we'd let the townsfolk get used to us a little more and then we can have some fun, but I'll make sure Quan knows."

"You have to promise to not get your head bashed open."

"I make no promises about anything, much less things that happen in a fight. Though…" Lord Lex became thoughtful as he carefully ate the berries one by one. From what I could see, I thought they were blackberries. "If someone can bash my hard head in, should we give them a medal? Recruit them? Thanks to the Neir blood and all…"

"Lex! Don't joke about that!" Azelle immediately snapped, leaning out of the side room to scowl at him. Lord Lex groaned, apparently only realizing now he was here. "Especially in the infirmary and in front of the healers who'd have to somehow put your head back together!"

Lord Lex tried to defend himself; Azelle kept scolding. Lady Ethlyn laughed and teased in equal measure. I let the noise wash away and focused on my apple slices and my studies. There was no excuse to shirk, after all.

"There we go…" I murmured, finishing up on my most current patient. She was a little girl with a terrible eye infection, but thankfully, the treatment took well. "I would like to see her again in a couple days to ensure the eye is healing properly." Though I spoke to her mother, I focused on the little girl, stroking her hair and studying her eye one more time. When she had arrived, the eye had been nearly sealed shut from crust and seeping yellow 'tears' from the pus. Now, though, it was reddened and clearly irritated, but otherwise clear and, even more importantly, moved and focused in time with her non-infected eye. "At this moment, however, I believe her eye will make a full recovery. Clean it with a warm, wet cloth and let a second one rest on her eye for about twenty minutes or so. If you can, I'd recommend also replacing whatever pillows and blankets she's used. If you cannot, then make sure you wash them very thoroughly every day."

"Understood," her mother whispered, smiling in relief. She looked like a proper mother, one who didn't throw away her child at the first excuse and who cared about what happened to them, so it made sense. "Ah, how much do I owe…?"

"You owe me nothing, mistress." I turned my calm smile her way, in time to see her surprise. "I only ask that you follow my instructions as best as you are able."

"I… yes, of course!" She looked ready to cry, but she continued to smile instead. "In a few days, then?"

"Yes, but if it looks like it is becoming worse, send for me immediately." I checked the girl's eye one more time, and then nudged her over to her mother. "If there are other children she's played with recently, I would like to check them as well. Eye infections are notoriously contagious."

"I'll let their parents know. Thank you." She bowed to me before leaving to make room for the next patient. I spared an errant thought wondering why she thanked me before moving on. There were others to treat, and I was here alone this afternoon.

Typically, Lady Ethlyn would be treating the townsfolk with me. After all, she was the one who first brought it up. However, she had duties to the army aside from healing and, thus, some afternoons, she couldn't make it. I knew she would be disappointed, eager as she was to gossip and chatter with the people while she helped them, and I made mental notes of stories I thought she might like to hear later while I worked. Not all of the stories were necessarily from my patients. Set up near the town square as I was, by the boarded up remains of what once had been a tavern, I could hear all sorts of stories, each one more baffling than the last. The utter fixation gossipers had on other people's relationships confused me, even as I wondered just how they knew so much about their neighbors' sex lives.

Regardless, I let the stories wash over me while I worked through the line of people waiting to be treated. Every day, more and more arrived as the people here slowly came to trust us with their hurts. I made sure to treat each of them with a smile, listen to their complaints calmly, and reassured each one with gentle confidence that I would do all I could for them. One by one, I tended to them and, slowly, the crowd dwindled into nothing. No more crept closer once I finished with the last one, a sign that all who found the courage to trust today had come and gone. It was only then, as I packed up my things, that Lord Sigurd joined me by the broken table and chairs that had become my work area. His slight smile hinted he had been watching for a while.

"It seems like you're quickly gaining their good favor," he teased, offering a hand to help me up once I had finished packing. I hesitated, disguised said hesitation by checking my bag one more time, and then took it. "I'm glad." Lord Sigurd led the way back to the castle, careful to walk slowly so that I could keep up. A few people smiled when we passed; a couple of children even waved. "They look a lot brighter, and the mood of the town has gotten lighter."

"It can be difficult for the ill to be cheerful," I hedged, not sure how else to answer. Though, considering how many swollen joints I had treated this afternoon alone, I imagined quite a few were happy to simply not be in pain all the time. "Has there been word on what happened to the previous lord?" I knew that had been one of the many things Lord Sigurd had been investigating over the past few days.

"Plague apparently ripped through and took him, along with half of the town, a year or so ago." I wondered just what it had been. 'Plague' described many, many illnesses. I should research and keep some medicine on hand, just in case. "Officially, Evans is under the jurisdiction of Second Prince Cimbaeth, who rules over Genoa Castle to the south."

"...I see." I would never claim to know politics or governing, but even I could place the pieces from there. The people here paid taxes to an invisible lord who did nothing for them. "Were there knights stationed here?"

"The Guard was recruited for the attack on Yngvi." So, either they were deep in Verdane's forests or rotting in Yngvi's soil. "How are they?"

"How are whom?"

"The people here." Lord Sigurd nodded back towards the smiling, waving people. "How are they?"

"You are asking from a healer's perspective?" I did my best to think through the question, but I wasn't quite sure what else I could add, truthfully. He already knew their aches and pains. He already knew they had been abandoned. "They… are people." So, I just had to do my best and hopefully give some sort of answer that made sense and somehow didn't make him doubt my intelligence and work. "They have suffered and they are in pain. Yet, they heal and continue on as best as they can. Though no one would blame them for anger, they choose to live their lives to the best of their abilities. They are no different than those in Yngvi." That reminded me, however. "You told me the captured made it back safely, but have you learned why they were taken in the first place?"

"Ah, yes, actually." He blinked a couple of times, as if I had startled him. Perhaps it was due to my vague not-answer… "Alec managed to wriggle that information out finally, after a few drinks with the townsfolk to learn the gossip." Was that why Sir Alec had visited the infirmary first thing this morning for a hangover remedy? "Of course, in retrospect, it's incredible we didn't theorize it sooner. Hostages."

"...I suppose it fits everything else they inflicted." They truly did seem intent on acting like the stereotype. Was that coincidence or purposeful? It was hard to say and, worse, I could think of nothing to change the subject. I could not think of a reply. So, the two of us simply walked in silence across the bridge and to the castle itself.

"Ah, Lord Sigurd, there you are!" However, a change in subject came immediately as Sir Naoise greeted us at the gates, bowing formally to him. "Lord Quan thought the arena would be a fine way to help our newest recruits experience battle, and encourages you to at least watch," he relayed, before he had even straightened fully. I attempted to slip past him and head inside the castle proper, but alas, Sir Naoise had the way well and truly blocked. "He also thought it would boost morale if they saw you in the audience and, thus, bade me to fetch you."

"You agreed instead of asking to participate?" Lord Sigurd teased, laughing a little. Neither seemed to think there was anything wrong with people bashing each other to pieces, but then again, perhaps that described all their training. The gods knew just how many bruise balms I had gone through the past two days alone. I had to stay up late to try and replenish our stock. "Are you feeling well, my friend?"

"My lord, my duty to you and the army comes well before mere sport." Sir Naoise frowned, as if he was offended, but the sparkle of laughter in his eyes belied the attempt. "I also bear a report from Arden about the castle's defenses."

"He didn't come himself? Is he feeling well?"

"Lord Quan specifically asked him to participate in the arena to help the recruits learn how to fight against more defensive opponents. We know very little about Verdane's army."

"We know of their archers and axemen, but surely they do not make up all of their army…" Lord Sigurd nodded thoughtfully and gestured for Sir Naoise to follow him. "Yes, that makes sense. I am once again reminded of how blessed I am for knowing Quan. Grannvale has not dealt with anything more dangerous than bandits since the early days after the Holy War."

"While that is true, my lord, I trust you do not think our swords rusted and lances dulled." Sir Naoise drew himself up to stand with dignity and utmost seriousness. "We knights are your blades and shields, and it is our honor and pleasure to serve."

"As it is mine that you are here to make up for my shortcomings." Lord Sigurd smiled warmly at Sir Naoise and he relaxed enough to smile back. "Now, which way was the arena again?"

Finally, Sir Naoise stepped out of the way and I slipped past to return to the infirmary. I had no intentions of watching our soldiers hurt each other for 'sport'. I truly couldn't understand why they would even do such a thing in the first place. Then again, from my little experience, it seemed like it was part of a soldier's job to court death as a mistress and, thus, I had to get used to it. Otherwise, I'd never be able to do my job properly, and I'd once again prove to be nothing but a burden.

I had to be useful. I had to do my part. I had to...

Chapter Text

Chapter 3) Sanctuary

In the southwest of Jugdral lies Verdane. It is an unusual country by Jugdral's standards, as it was not founded by a Crusader. Instead, it was founded by people who chafed under the rule of the Crusaders, finding too many similarities to the Emperor Galles and Loptous for their comfort, though the stories of just how this founding occurred differ with every telling. Some say it is through the blessings of the elementals and fairies who lived within the Spirit Forest. Others claim they swept in with blades and fire, and forced the people to bend the knee. Still others insist it was only at the grace of the Crusaders themselves, as the people native to these forests adored and trusted them. You can guess which one is more common in Verdane itself, and which ones are spoken elsewhere.

Regardless of how, it is a country with a distinctly tense relationship with its neighbors. Once, long ago, Verdane's armies attempted to invade Agustria, only to find themselves annihilated by the Cross Knights of Nordion. Never again did they try, instead focusing their efforts on border 'skirmishes' that left it dangerous for Grannvale to build any villages within half-a-day's journey of Evans, and traumatized the survivors with nightmares that persist years later. No few people think King Azmur mad for accepting King Batu's plea for peace, yet in the twenty years since that treaty was drawn up and signed, there have been no raids. At least, there hadn't until now, and Prince Munnir's presence in said raid hints to something dark and darker. Had King Batu broken his word? Had he been slain and now, Munnir ruled?

Then there are the questions of the other two princes of Verdane. Second Prince Cimbaeth is said to be of a similar temperament to his older brother, but Third Prince Jamke is the people's favorite for being kind and wise like his father. Where is he in this mess? Has he been silenced or worse? The answers to that lies in the winding paths of Verdane's dense forests, and we can only hope they do not lead us through the infamous Spirit Forest, where the veil between worlds was said to be so thin, the unwary would find themselves captured by those who lived between and trapped forever amidst the branches.

Would these spirits spell our doom as well? I suppose part of my job was to mitigate the chances of that...

"Mister Finn, careful, you're mixing in too much oil," I chided, resting a hand on his shoulder. Immediately, he stopped mixing and looked up at me curiously. "You will make it much too soft like that, and it shall run. Add in some more beeswax."

"On it," Mister Finn replied, setting the vial of oil far away from his current work area before scooping and measuring a small amount of beeswax. I watched with a little smile, amused and gladdened at how seriously he took this. "Is this enough?"

"Yes, that should be fine."

"Good…" He breathed a sigh of relief, and added the wax into the small pot he was using before returning to his mixing. "What was in the oil? I'm assuming something is in it, at least. It doesn't smell like the usual."

"It smells different because I had infused it with some herbs first." Otherwise, this would be a simple lotion, not a medicinal balm. "Specifically, I used the petals of a odledil, the blooms of an ashraxis, and the leaves and stem of an ekipeet."

"I only know that last one. We use the sap from the leaves for sunburns in Leonster."

"Yes, and you're making a balm for minor burns." I smiled a little more when Mister Finn blinked at the mixture in his pot in clear, if subdued, surprise. "Keep mixing."

"Ah, right, sorry!"

Scenes like this had become part of my 'normal routine' in Evans. After my morning talk and tea with Lord Sigurd, I would return to the infirmary to find Lord Oifey and Mister Finn sitting at the table, chatting about their training and daily tasks while waiting for me to start their lessons. What lessons they were depended on what needed to be done most urgently. Yesterday had been sewing and weaving, as a hunt had turned our hunters into the hunted and left most with many wounds that needed bandaging and many holes in their clothes that needed mending. Today, however, was medicines. Truthfully, most of them were medicines.

"So, this is for 'minor' burns?" Mister Finn asked, frowning as he mixed the oil and wax in the pot on the table. It was a little more fanciful than most would use for their medicines, but it had been a gift from Arvis, supposedly given on 'orders' of Bishop Cowen. I still thought he'd used Bishop Cowen as an excuse, but I couldn't refuse the extensive and well-made medicine making supplies. It saved me coin and trips to the church. "Then what sort of thing would you use for major burns?"

"Aside from my healing magic, I'd use a liniment," I explained. Unfortunately, the attack in Yngvi used up most of the liniments I had for burn-treatment. I had some steeping in the window now, of course, but it would still be another week or so before they were ready for use. "They and tinctures are made with a water-alcohol mix." Though, they could be made with vinegar as well. I'd found they didn't store as long, but I could either use them on their own for those who avoided alcohol or as part of an oxymel, which was particularly useful for the more bitter-tasting herbs.

"I see." He nodded to where Lord Oifey was straining a decoction of dandelion roots and srebroil bark into a jar. "Then what is Lord Oifey making?"

"He's finishing up a hangover remedy." It surprised me just how much alcohol everyone went through, though perhaps it was just because I had always avoided drinking it. My father had… "I'm afraid the soldiers used my last bit.." They and headache remedies disappeared as quickly as a flash of lightning. I'd need to stay up late the next few days to prep some batches in advance.

"That looks less suspicious than the hangover remedies in Leonster." Mister Finn smiled as he got the oil and wax fully mixed and removed the pot from the small fire to pour into a container. I smiled at how quickly he took to the lessons, even as I wondered why he'd wanted them. He'd given no explanation; he'd simply shown up with Lord Oifey just two days after the lessons began. "Those ones look far too much like the drainage from an abscess." Did he mean the pus? What sort of herbs would result in that color…?

"Good morrow to you all!" Sadly I had no time to ask. Sir Alec swept into the room as if he were a broom and held out a bouquet of flowers with all the grandioseness of a child playing at theater. "A little bit of color for the infirmary," he 'explained', trying to give me the flowers. Instead, I took one and ducked into the back corner where all my notes and books were. Just a few days ago, I had interrogated the local apothecary about the local herbs and their variety of uses. I was curious if this flower was among them. "Aw, really?"

"Where did you get the flowers, Alec?" Lord Oifey asked, carefully squeezing out the last of the decoction into the jar. Then he set the cheesecloth he'd used as a strainer down on a nearby towel and got up to take the flowers himself. "This is too many to pick, and you rarely spend your money on anything more than a single flower."

"Well, yes, since that's less I can spend on weapon maintenance." Sir Alec sighed and shook his head, but smiled at Lord Oifey. "These, however, were a gift!"

"From one of your lady friends? Again?"

"She wished to show her appreciation for my help the other day!" Sir Alec shrugged, feigning innocence. Lord Oifey rolled his eyes and found an empty jar to use as a vase for the flowers. Sadly, I couldn't find a description of them in my notes… I'd have to learn their name later and research from there in the books I 'borrowed' from the library. Though, there were also the notes from the previous doctors/healers in Evans I could look through… "Nothing so scandalous."

"Right. For once." Lord Oifey set the vases in the middle of the table where he and Mister Finn worked-learned. "Is this one of the two you were with last night? The ones where you said something like 'I am thoroughly enjoying the company of these lovely ladies and, gods willing, I shall be continuing to do so come sunrise'?"

"No, no, this is a different one."

"Sir Alec, did you become a knight simply to flirt?" Mister Finn asked, his tone dry and flat. I had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't very impressed by the possibility. "It seems like you've always got someone to charm."

"Many knights swear their oaths for many reasons," Sir Alec replied with great dignity. Though he wore a teasing, joking smile, the way he said the words made it seem like… to me, it sounded like he had different reasons. Not only that, I remembered how he had anticipated Lord Sigurd's request to get a feel for the town, and how we had learned of Prince Munnir's plans for the captives through him. "Why, Midir signed on due to being madly in love with Lady Edain!"

"...What."

"Alec, you mustn't gossip like that," Sir Naoise chided as he walked in suddenly. I tucked my flower back into the vase with the others and went to get my medicinal bag, certain he was injured. Yet he didn't appear to be… so, why was he here? "Particularly when it's a lie. Midir didn't train as a knight for Lady Edain. The madly in love part came later."

"Spoil my fun, why don't you?" Sir Alec complained, stretching his arms up above his head. He then made a point to ruffle Mister Finn's hair, purposely messing it up. "Would it not have been hilarious to see our too-serious squire here ask pointed questions of Midir?"

"I fear Midir would yelp and jump before flailing as he tried to protest the matter and, thus, worsen his wound." The light way Sir Naoise said the words hinted something like that had actually occurred before. "Let us not give Miss Alicia even more work, shall we? Midir's injury is almost healed."

"Do you ever get tired of being right?" Sir Alec's grin showed no shred of annoyance. "So, what brought you here? Our favorite squires are taking lessons, and I'm here to see if I can tease a smile onto our healer's beauteous visage." Pardon? "Did you get overzealous in training again? You don't look it, but I distinctly remember when-"

"No, nothing of the sort." Sir Naoise bowed very formally then, as if to hide how he'd interrupted Sir Alec. Sir Alec simply snickered. "We have visitors. Lady Ethlyn has already gone to greet them."

"Ah, but Lord Sigurd and Lord Quan are out on a ride…" Lord Oifey murmured. He immediately headed over to the sink to roll up his sleeves and wash his hands. "I'll go fetch them!"

"Thank you, Lord Oifey, since Alec and I have other duties," Sir Naoise murmured, straightening. To my surprise, he focused on me. "I shall escort you to the visitors, Miss Alicia. I am certain Lord Sigurd would wish for you to meet them."

"...Very well," I whispered, keeping calm despite my confusion. While it wouldn't do for them to see, I also could not fathom just why he'd want me to meet anyone. It would be one thing if they were more soldiers, but the ones Arvis had promised arrived just yesterday. "Mister Finn, would you mind cleaning? We shall continue the lesson at another time."

Thankfully, he did not mind in the slightest, so before long, Sir Naoise had shown me to wherever our guests were waiting. Perhaps he expected me to step up from there, since he left as soon as I entered the room, but I lingered back to access the situation. Of course, there was not much to 'access'. The visitors were only two people, a man around Lord Sigurd's age and a woman around Lady Ethlyn's. Both of them had hair of gold and eyes to match; between that and the similar features, I guessed they were siblings. Given how they both greeted Lady Ethlyn with hugs, the man even lifting her up to spin her around, I also guessed they were friends of the family. It made no sense why I would need to meet them. Perhaps I should simply return, yet Sir Naoise had been so sure...

"Eldigan!" Right about then, Lord Sigurd strode into the room with a bright smile and brighter laugh, Lord Quan trailing after him like a shadow. "It's been far too long!" he greeted, hugging the gold-haired man with casual ease. The man was quick to return it as well, with a quiet laugh of his own. "Was it your coronation…? No, it was Quan and Ethlyn's wedding, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but my coronation was but a couple months prior to the wedding," the man confirmed, stepping back. Though he smiled just as warmly, there was something searching to his gaze. Lord Sigurd noticed and tilted his head curiously, like a puppy, but the man gave no answer. Instead, his smile simply became even warmer. "I imagine much of that time was spent in chaos for you."

"Aye, for reasons that do not in any way involve spoiling my picky baby sister." Lord Sigurd looked confused for a moment more before shrugging and making room for Lord Quan to join them. I glanced at Lady Ethlyn to see her response, but she was engrossed in whatever conversation she was having with the blonde girl, the two even moving away from the trio so that they would not be overheard. "Still, that's… a year ago? No, it's been a little longer than that."

"It has, as Ethlyn and I celebrated our first anniversary just before we heard about Darna," Lord Quan added, smiling softly at both the man and Lord Sigurd. Clearly, whoever this was, he was a good friend to Lord Quan as well. "I cannot believe it has been so long since we've seen each other, though. Life just seemed to catch up with all of us, what with our various duties."

"It is unfortunate how true that is," the man agreed, sighing in what seemed to be annoyance at first. But his smile faded with the sigh, as if he was 'breathing out' his good cheer. "Speaking of duties, I must ask. Sigurd, Quan, why have you suddenly occupied Evans Castle? The reports from my scouts provided no answers."

"Ah, that's right, Nordion is but a stone's throw from here…" Lord Quan grimaced before smiling sheepishly. "In retrospect, we should've remembered that and sent you a message. It must've been a shock."

"You can imagine how dumbfounded I was, particularly when I heard Sigurd was here." The man focused completely on Lord Sigurd, his eyes searching again. "What happened? Grannvale already wars on Isaach. Surely, it is not warring on two fronts?"

"Er… I suppose… sort of…" Lord Sigurd mumbled, looking away in chagrin. The man's mouth twitched into a smile, like he was desperately trying not to do so, but simply could not help it. "I am here with permission, but I swear it was only in retaliation, Eldigan. Verdanite soldiers breached the border and brutally attacked Yngvi. The fires and corpses…" Lord Sigurd winced and looked down. His hands clenched at his side. "What could I do but ride out to assist how ever I was able? Then, once we recaptured the castle, we learned Crown Prince Munnir and his forces had captured many civilians, of all ages, and Edain. While, thankfully, most of the captured were found here in… relatively good health, Edain is still prisoner and if rumors are true, Prince Munnir plans to force her into marriage."

"...Meaning that, of course, you press on," the man sighed, shaking his head in clear exasperation. But his smile returned, along with a chuckle. "That is far too much like you. Your devotion to chivalry and personal loyalty demand you do no less."

"I don't need to hear about 'devotion to chivalry' from you, Eldigan." Lord Sigurd looked back to the man, almost but not quite scowling. "You are far worse than I am."

"No, you just see things with such straightforward honesty that both of you land into trouble more often than not," Lord Quan sighed, clicking his tongue as if in disappointment. However, his grin belied any sort of attempt to appear stern. "Thankfully, I'm a little more pragmatic than you both. I'm guessing that's why you're not surprised to see me here, Eldigan?"

"Once I learned Sigurd was here, I half-expected you to not be far behind, since you were always quick to pull us out of trouble," the man agreed. His own smile became a teasing grin. "I must say that most of the time it was 'pull Sigurd out of trouble', however."

"True, true."

"Must you two mock me so?" Lord Sigurd groaned. He definitely scowled when the other two laughed. "I'm not always causing trouble. Just… most of the time."

"Aye, because of your good heart, Sigurd," the man laughed. I noticed him relax, even as he attempted to become serious again. "To return to serious matters briefly, a word of caution. You cannot afford to leave Evans unguarded."

"I take it, then, Agustria has not looked kindly on recent events?" Lord Quan murmured, his own cheer disappearing. Lord Sigurd winced and looked down once more. "Word has reached us in Leonster of King Imca's illness… has that stirred up the in-fighting further?"

"Sadly, that is correct. With King Imca ill, they are content to do as they wish with no regard to anything but their own egoes."

"Ah." There was a very long pause. "So, has Lachesis punched Elidiot in the face again?"

"...Quan…" The man fought to keep the smile off his face, and he fought harder to keep from laughing. He lost both battles miserably. "Gods damn it, why must you bring out that stupid nickname?"

"Perhaps I didn't want a repeat of the 'hello, we're neighbors and I was playing a harmless prank on the people who were sneering at you for being a foreigner except somehow it turned into the hall flooding and we need to run'." Lord Quan rattled off the words without taking a single breath, and Lord Sigurd's sigh hinted it was for 'perfect' recollection. "We have to encourage our squires to come up with new ways to cause mayhem, not repeat our escapades. Or, rather, Sigurd's."

"You two were laughing before long," Lord Sigurd countered, confirming that truly had been for 'perfect recollection'. Part of me feared just how a 'simple prank' had spiraled so far out of control like that. "It also stopped the sneering, though I do feel bad about giving the servants extra work."

"Which is why, of course, you subsequently dragged us to the market to buy them apology gifts," Lord Quan pointed out, laughing. "Poor Eldigan was so bewildered!"

"And now we're all friends, so I fail to see the problem." Lord Sigurd grinned, unrepentant. However, worry soon crept into his eyes. "Still, it seems I am causing you more trouble than usual, Eldigan. Agustria…"

"Fear not, Sigurd. I shall never become your enemy," the man instantly reassured. He didn't hesitate for a single second, not even enough to imply he had to think of the words to say. "I merely wished to warn you of my fellows. I had planned on writing a letter, but it is far more pertinent now. I fear they may use this as an excuse to justify their whimsical greed." He sighed, this time aggravated. His eyes even sparked with quiet anger. "As nobles, it is our duty to protect the people. We are not the ones who suffer when war comes; the people are."

"You never change, Eldigan," Lord Quan murmured, bringing his hand up. The other two immediately grasped it, like it was part of a pledge. Perhaps it was. "And neither has our friendship. I doubt anything will change that."

"Quite true." The man softened and smiled warmly. "I shall assume you do not have many forces, so let me lend you mine. I cannot do more, due to Agustria's internal turmoils, but know that I shall guard your backs."

"Then we have little to fear," Lord Sigurd murmured, smiling softly. After a second, it became an outright grin. "When this is over, we should sit in front of the fire and catch up properly. There's a few bottles of wine back in Chalphy that I know you'd like."

"Pray, do not tempt me," the man joked, laughing. I did vaguely remember hearing that wine was one of Chalphy's chief exports. "On the subject of catching up, though, neither of you have met Ares, have you?"

"No, I have not met my 'nephew', nor have I met my niece." Lord Sigurd grinned at Lord Quan. "I can already hear the gossips about those two."

"I'm not handing over my precious baby girl to anyone," Lord Quan immediately retorted, sparking more laughter from the other two. Perhaps it was how playfully stubborn he pretended to be. "Not even to Ares!"

"If you boys are done with your bonding moment, perhaps you might instead be polite?" The blonde girl's dry voice cut through the warmth, and the three turned to where she and Lady Ethlyn were standing near the wall. "That lady over there has been standing in the shadows since before you guys started yammering on," the girl continued, tossing her hair over her shoulder before settling her hands on her hips. It took me a second to realize she was talking about me. "So…?"

"You must have only just noticed her yourself, Lachesis, if you apparently waited this long to bring it up," Lord Sigurd noted in an equally dry tone, before turning towards me. Immediately, he smiled warmly. "Ah, Miss Alicia! Did you need something?"

"Sir Naoise told me we had visitors you wished for me to meet," I explained, hesitantly stepping forward. I hoped it didn't show, of course, but I felt like an intruder. I shouldn't be here; I should be in the infirmary where I could be of use! "If he was mistaken, I can take my leave."

"No, no, please, come here!" Lord Sigurd came over to offer his hand, and I let him pull me to the others. "Miss Alicia, this is Eldigan, one of my dearest friends, and his younger sister, Lachesis." The man bowed, while the girl curtseyed. Knowing that any attempt to do the same would only make me look like a clumsy fool, I simply nodded my head in greeting. "Eldigan, Lachesis, this is Miss Alicia. She kindly agreed to serve as our Chief Healer for this campaign."

"I had wondered who you had in that position," Lord Eldigan murmured, crossing his arms. Lady Lachesis, meanwhile, focused sharply on me. "Ethlyn is skilled to be sure, but I did not think she had enough experience."

"That is precisely why I asked Miss Alicia!" Lady Ethlyn explained with a bright smile. Already, I felt awkward. "Well, that and how skilled she is. She healed Midir and gods, you should have seen his injury! I'm amazed he still breathed when they found him!"

"Truly? How bad was it?"

"Well, it…"

The conversation quickly turned to the attack on Yngvi, and the subsequent battles, no doubt to give Lord Eldigan a clearer picture of just what had happened. While they talked amongst themselves, I slipped away to return to the infirmary. I'd introduced myself and that was all I needed. Now they could gossip and catch up, and I could go back to work. That was all I needed. Healers… didn't need anything else.

The notes left behind by the previous healers provided a great deal of insight into the 'plague' that had ripped through Evans, and proved to be a good source of what local herbs and medicines were used for the more general symptoms of illnesses, such as 'fever' and 'headache'. After all, whatever this plague had been, the typical manifestations had both. There was also myalgia, sore throats, vomiting, and a terribly itchy rash. Those who ended up perishing developed respiratory issues and 'severe joint pain, to the point the patients swore their bones were shattering inside them'.

"It seems best to assume this disease has returned if we see a sudden rise in illnesses," I whispered to myself, carefully reading through while I mended some of the soldiers' shirts. It would be difficult, of course, as some of the milder symptoms were generic and far too easy to ignore. Yet, for the safety of the troops and the townspeople, I… "There must be a way to ease the more severe cases and lessen the death rate, though." The notetaker, whoever they had been, had helpfully listed out things they'd tried and the results. Of course, most of them simply had 'no effect noticed' scrawled out in spidery lines. "Mmm… I won't be able to determine anything unless I see it, which I dearly hope I don't…" It was best to keep it in mind, and move on to other things to study, like the books from the library.

Tying off my thread, I moved the notes to the side and opened up one of the books to the last bookmark I had labeled. While I didn't bookmark everything that seemed important, as otherwise every page would have one, I did mark things I might have trouble remembering or that were noticeably more serious. So, it was a good place to start with studying again as I picked up another shirt from my basket and mended the first of the three holes it had. After all, there were no patients in the infirmary for the time being, so I saw no reason why I shouldn't sit at my table and do what I could. Anything else would be a waste of time, and I couldn't do that. If I wasted time, then I'd just be a burden. I couldn't be one, not to these people who depended on me. I wouldn't be a parasite like my father was. I…

A flash of gold hair caught my attention, and I glanced to the doorway, where I could see Lady Lachesis peeking inside. As I had the previous times she'd done this, I chose to ignore her and continue with my work. If she needed something, she would approach me. If she didn't, she'd keep her distance. That was how it always was. I saw no reason to try and hasten the process along. Though, I supposed that didn't mean others wouldn't give it a little 'shove'.

"Lady Lachesis, what are you doing?" Mister Finn's confused question was 'punctuated' by Lady Lachesis's startled squeak. "I promise there is no barrier that prevents entry unless you're bleeding," he continued, his tone so sincere it was difficult to tell if he truly meant the words or if he was attempt to joke.

"W-well, what are you doing here?" Lady Lachesis retorted, very firmly not answering the original question. When I glanced up to look at them, I saw Mister Finn with a quizzical look on his face, and Lady Lachesis with a scowl that did nothing to hide her blush. My eyes then fell to the covered basket Mister Finn carried. "You don't look injured!"

"I'm delivering something. Miss Alicia?" Mister Finn walked into the infirmary, and I looked up properly to smile faintly at him. "Here, these are from the townsfolk. They bade me to deliver it to you once I had finished my patrol."

"Is that so?" I asked, carefully setting my mending on the table. I didn't want to accidentally prick my finger on a hidden needle again. "I wonder why…" Once everything was settled, I directed Mister Finn to set the basket on the table by everything and lifted the cover to peer inside to find a plethora of baked goods, each carefully wrapped to keep from getting crushed. "Well then." I picked one up, a loaf of herbal bread, and found a small note tucked underneath. A quick read of it provided the answer to 'why'. "Goodness, I told them I didn't need payment…" Yet it seemed they insisted, giving me food and treats in lieu of the normal gold. Though, the gesture baffled me still; no one before had gifted me anything instead of paying. Most just accepted it, or took it as given…

"From what I've picked up, returning favors seems to be very important to them," Mister Finn explained, with a small smile. He helped me unpack the basket, though I had to move my books and notes to make room for everything. "The one who gave it to me said 'a kindness given is a kindness earned', as if it were a saying."

"I truly haven't done much." All I did was treat them. I was glad to help people.

"It doesn't have to be. We've gotten gifts from the townsfolk just for playing with the children when they rush up." Mister Finn shrugged, and turned back to the door, where Lady Lachesis still lingered. "You can come in, you know."

"I should set up some tea for these…" Well, ignoring her would be more awkward than acknowledging her, now. "Come over here, Lady Lachesis, and join us for a snack."

"Miss Alicia, I only meant to deliver the basket…" Right then, though, Mister Finn's stomach growled. He immediately blushed a bright pink. "Um…"

"You're a growing boy. I insist you help us eat this." I smiled serenely at him, and he sheepishly smiled back. "Let's see… what will pair well with this?"

It did not take me long to make the tea, and it took even less time to set out the treats. With all in place, the three of us sat down for the meal, with Mister Finn carefully balancing 'gorging' with 'manners' and Lady Lachesis nibbling on her chosen pastry. None of us said anything. I had my studying, after all, and Mister Finn was too polite to talk while chewing. Lady Lachesis herself simply watched me, her gaze sometimes flicking to my books before settling back on me. I'd never had anyone stare so much; I almost wanted to check and ensure she wasn't suffering from some sort of head trauma or anything that would lead to shock.

"This tea is very good, Miss Alicia," Mister Finn murmured, breaking the silence. I supposed most held conversation while sharing tea, but I had little experience with such things. Before now, I only shared tea with Arvis when he visited and we were content with the silence. "I wouldn't expect mint to suit these, but they do."

"...Mint?" Lady Lachesis repeated, frowning slightly. She looked at her teacup and took a rather large gulp before looking back at him. "I... don't taste mint?"

"Truly?" Mister Finn frowned now. "Strange, as it is very distinct. There are some other ingredients, of course, but it stands out."

"I've something with citrus and apple?"

"I…" Mister Finn's frown deepened, and he scrunched up his face slightly in confusion. "Apple, I think I taste, there is a sweetness to the mint, but citrus?"

"Yeah, I want to say 'lemon', truthfully."

"Mister Finn has a different tea," I explained, drinking my own tea and flipping the page of my book. Noticing it was about hemorrhaging and internal stitches, I set my cup down and used some extra paper to make a quick bookmark before reading the words closely. "You have the same tea as me, Lady Lachesis, but Mister Finn does not seem to be fond of lemon, so I made him something else." As for the mint itself… I noticed Mister Finn always drank more mint tea when I served it, and drank it faster. So, I guessed he liked it. "That's all."

"Oh?" Lady Lachesis replied. It was all she said, and she went right back to staring at me in silence. Mister Finn smiled a little awkwardly, but I saw no reason to acknowledge it. I had my books to study. At least, that was my plan.

Shouting from down the hall, however, stopped that plan cold. I tensed instantly, bracing myself for a lecture, before I realizing the shouts had panic to them. There was an edge of fear among the panic as well, and that let me guess what had happened just before the yells condensed from simple 'noise' to something coherent: "Enemy raid! Armed forces marching from the south!"

"Well, it seems someone was impatient," I murmured, standing. Careful to keep everything from my tone to my movements even and calm, I cleared the table and took stock of everything. The infirmary was as ready as it could be. Now, I had to hope it would be enough. "Mister Finn, might you let Lord Sigurd know all is ready here?" Mister Finn nodded sharply, and strode off without another word. I had assumed Lady Lachesis wouldn't be far behind, if only to check on her brother, but…

"Miss Alicia?" However, she didn't leave. Instead, when she stood, it was to grasp my sleeve to catch my attention. "Might I assist you?" she requested softly. I met her gaze calmly, masking my own surprise. Why would she want to help? "I do have training. Minimal, yes, but even that can be helpful, right? And I'm a Hezul Minor, so I'm stronger than I look."

"...I shall take all the help I can get." After all, she was correct. With healing, even a little could buy enough time and the strength could be useful for many things. "Here, let me show you where everything is."

How many graves would be dug? How many dead would I count? How many would I fail? It didn't matter; I'd find out soon enough.

Truthfully, I expected Lady Lachesis to balk when the first of the injured arrived. I wasn't certain as to why; I had no reason to assume she didn't help in the infirmaries in Nordion. I suppose it was the nervousness with which she held herself while pretending to be strong, much like a kitten bristles and hisses at a threat it cannot hope to match. To be fair to myself, she did blanch at all the blood. But when I asked her to hold down a soldier screaming and flailing in pain, she did so without hesitation and barely flinched when blood hit her face. Once they were stable, she ducked into the back to vomit, rinsed her mouth out with water, and returned immediately to my side. Then she worked and kept working until we'd done all we could for all the injured and she could sit down at the table and rest.

"Here, sip on this," I whispered, setting mug of ginger-infused water on the table in front of her. It wasn't warmed, of course; anything that could be used to boil water was appropriated for sterilizing or medicines. But it would still be effective enough. "It should ease your stomach."

"Thank you…" Lady Lachesis mumbled. Her hands shook when she picked it up, and a little bit of water dribbled down her chin when she drank. I called attention to neither. "...Some of them…" She glanced over at our patients, who thankfully were asleep. Otherwise, I would've had her rest in a different room; it wouldn't do for the patients to see their caretakers as anything but confident and calm. "They're my age…"

"If you are sixteen, then yes, they are." Truthfully, I suspected more than a few were younger, but I had no proof. "That is, of course, the age of majority in Grannvale."

"I'm fifteen, so…" She sipped a little more of her water. I frowned slightly, though. I had thought her a little older… "I turn sixteen later this year, mind. I…" She made a face and knocked back the last of the water. Studying her complexion, I decided to pour her a little more. "Thank you…"

"It's fine." Noticing she had some blood in her hair, I wetted a small cloth and carefully wiped-washed away the worst of it. She mumbled some sort of thanks again. "Would you like to move to the sideroom?" I could easily find something else for her to do there.

"No, if I'm not in the way, I'd like to continue helping." She tilted her head back to look at me, with a painfully sincere gaze. "I… learned healing to help the Cross Knights. To help Eldigan. This is the sort of situation I need to be prepared for. Agustria is no stranger to conflict. While Nordion may have avoided the worst of it in recent years, it would be foolish and irresponsible to simply assume that shall continue."

"Yet, as I tell you, Lachesis, there is no need to push yourself…" The words announced the arrival of Lord Eldigan in the infirmary, and I quickly took stock of his condition. His clothes were torn, and there were definitely bloodstains, but I did not see any injuries. I did, however, note he still wore his sword on his hip, the gold and black hilt strangely immaculate given his state. "You already help Grahnye with running the castle," he gently chided, smiling at Lady Lachesis. "That is more than enough."

"Eldigan, I am not a child. I know we cannot expect Jarl to forever spare us. War spares no one," Lady Lachesis snapped, scowling at him. Lord Eldigan sighed, and shook his head. "I would like very much to not lose family. Running the castle helps you, of course, but knowing how to organize and budget the treasury will do nothing from keeping someone from bleeding out." Her scowl only deepened. "Your Cross Knights are family as well, you know. Death has to fight me for them, and I intend on fighting hard. After all, I have War in my blood."

"Times like this remind me why I had to carry you around when we were children to keep you from bloodying people's noses when they upset you." Lord Eldigan sighed again, but this time he shrugged. "Well, I know better than to dissuade you. It just makes you dig your heels more." Based on how Lady Lachesis's scowl slowly morphed into an outright glare, I gathered she didn't find the words reassuring. "Regardless, the battle outside is won. It was a simple, easy one."

"Simple?" Lady Lachesis choked on a yelp and coughed almost violently. Immediately, I got her more water, and passed her a spoonful of cough syrup to ease her throat. She hesitated at the syrup before taking the spoon and quickly putting it in her mouth. "Oh, that's… spicy. Yet sweet. Very sweet, actually." She looked at the spoon in wonder; Lord Eldigan, meanwhile, bit back a laugh. "It actually tasted good. But spicy. Very spicy."

"It has ground ginger and alezess pepper, as well as honey," I explained. It was an old medicinal recipe in Yngvi; I was still in the process of making and trying some of the local cough remedies. "Now then, Lord Eldigan…" I turned my attention to him, and he blinked a couple of times in confusion. "Since you are already here, I shall go ahead and give you a check-up."

"Oh, I'm fine, Miss Alicia," Lord Eldigan immediately replied, one hand dropping to the hilt of his sword. I almost thought it pulsed with a dark light. "I wield Mystletainn, the Demon Blade. For every strike I land, it heals my injuries." There were stories detailing how Hezul, the King of Knights, had been considered 'immortal' once blessed by Jarl of War. I also knew from Arvis the Holy Weapons lived up to their reputation. Still…

"Are you certain?" Still, it felt foolish to simply rely on the blessing. All power had its price. Everything did. However, I couldn't force him into accepting healing. A patient, or potential patient, had the right to refuse treatment. If he chose to not enter my care, then I had to listen. I couldn't force, not like my father...

"Eldigan, stop being stubborn," Lady Lachesis grumbled, downing the rest of her water in one gulp. Then she leapt to her feet, picked up Lord Eldigan with all the ease of picking up a piece of paper, and dumped him onto one of the few empty beds. Lord Eldigan blinked a couple of times, no doubt confused by the sudden turn of events. "No protesting, either. You might wake up the other patients." Personally, I was surprised they had not awakened already.

I waited briefly, to see what Lord Eldigan would do, but he rolled his eyes and nodded, resigned to it all, so I grabbed my staff and went to work. "Hmm… while your injuries are closed, there is definitely underlying inflammation and bruising…" I murmured, thinking aloud and taking mental notes. There were also signs he had not been sleeping well, and he may or may not have skipped meals recently. "'Tis nothing that shall require a stay in the infirmary, but I will give you a medicine to take." Things like this truthfully required rest, but I could still do what I could. "I will write down the instructions for them, so please, follow them."

"Eldigan, are you ill?" Ah, so now Lord Sigurd decided to grace the infirmary with his presence, no doubt to check on Lord Eldigan and Lady Lachesis. Unlike Lord Eldigan, Lord Sigurd bore visible injuries, but his were also bandaged. Likely, he had seen Lady Ethlyn prior to coming here. "You're always been bad about overworking," Lord Sigurd continued, with worry radiating off him from his tone to his knit brows. Lord Eldigan flinched slightly, and immediately smiled reassuringly. It… reminded me of Arvis when I caught onto something he wanted to hide. "Are…?"

"I would call it more of a 'preventative' than a true illness." So, I found myself skirting the edge of the truth when answering the question. I glanced briefly at Lord Sigurd, just long enough to see the worry morph to relief, and then ducked into the sideroom to prepare that medicine and instructions. "I would like it if he rested more, of course. However, this is more to ensure he does not have a true illness later."

"I see…" There were still threads of worry amidst the relief in his tone, but he did sound placated. "You must take better care of yourself, Eldigan…" I wasn't sure Lord Sigurd, with his recklessness, should be saying that. "Who else will scold me when I charge into danger?" At least he was self-aware. "While also keeping up."

"I was about to list every single person who has ever met you," Lord Eldigan replied, with a tone dry enough to spark fire. When I peeked out briefly, I saw Lady Lachesis had her arms crossed and she nodded vigorously in agreement. "But I suppose I am the one who goes chasing first."

"You 'suppose' that, but I remember when a certain brother of mine went chasing after Sigurd without hesitation when he ran into a burning building," Lady Lachesis teased with a smile. Lord Eldigan rolled his eyes; Lord Sigurd shrugged. "Of course, that was because Ethlyn was trapped inside, but that is neither here nor there, yes?"

"Will you ever let that die?"

"Oh, maybe when we're old and gray."

Shaking my head, I returned to what I was doing, carefully measuring out how much he'd need into a spare jar and writing down the instructions. I hesitated for a moment before adding an extra message to it, one that had nothing to do with the dosage: 'Get rest and remember to eat well and regularly. Otherwise, you will grow worse and I will not be able to hedge your condition to Lord Sigurd.' Perhaps I should not have written anything at all; it did pertain to his health, of course, yet…

"Miss Alicia?" Yet Lord Sigurd apparently had business with me, and not Lord Eldigan, as he stepped into the storeroom to stand next to me. I flipped over the instructions (and message) and sealed the jar shut. "We will be marching out in the morning," he informed me, once I was done. I nodded, mentally calculating how much we used for this first wave. There wouldn't be time to completely replenish our medicines, but I could prioritize… "Second Prince Cimbaeth is dead. He was among the attackers. Ideally, this means Genoa will be undermanned, but I shan't hope for that."

"Will there be any changes to the original set up, or shall we continue with it?"

"For the moment, we shall stay the course." So, I would remain here to maintain a 'full infirmary' while Lady Ethlyn made a field one. I would need to meet with her about what medicines she'd take with her… ah, we should have done this much sooner… it was completely irresponsible of me to… "If there is an attack here, evacuate to Nordion. Eldigan will keep everyone safe." That made sense, though I didn't know where…

"Hey, Sigurd?" Lady Lachesis poked her head in the room and, at his nod, entered with her hands clasped behind her back. "Might I remain here to continue assisting Miss Alicia?" she asked. I didn't know who was more surprised by the request, myself or Lord Sigurd. I could only confirm that he showed it more than I did. "I know I can help, even if it is only a little, and if worst comes to worst and the people here need to escape, I can easily lead them to Nordion. After all, the only other person here that will know both the path and secret ways in will be Arden, and I think we both know he would be the last to leave."

"I suppose that is true…" Lord Sigurd conceded slowly. He looked to something behind her, and I stepped a little closer to him to see it was Lord Eldigan, looking fondly exasperated and apologetic at the same time, somehow. "With that said, that decision is not mine to make."

"Hmm? But you lead…?"

"I lead the army. The infirmary is in Miss Alicia's care. Thus, the decision is hers." He gestured to me, and Lady Lachesis ducked her head, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "Miss Alicia? What do you think?"

"Would there be trouble in Agustria because of this?" I asked instead, remembering what Lord Eldigan had said when he and his sister first arrived. Agustria's inner turmoils prevented him from outright marching with Lord Sigurd, and I had little doubts he wished to do so, if only to help his friends.

"If she remains only until you capture Genoa, then I believe we can make excuses," Lord Eldigan replied softly, stepping up to join the rest of us. Lady Lachesis immediately beamed up at him and he smiled back. "Assuming it does not turn into a long siege, of course. But considering today, it likely won't."

"I see." I debated a moment more before nodding. "In that case, I shall gladly accept her help." I couldn't refuse, truthfully. She had been helpful earlier, and another pair of hands went a long way when people were dying. If it increased my patients' chances even a little, I had to take it. "I take it you shall be leaving soon."

"Sadly, yes. I've been away too long as it is."

"Very well." Quietly, I handed the jar of medicine to Lord Eldigan, along with my written instructions. He glanced over the words, paused to read them again, and looked up at me. I met his gaze as calm as I could and, after a moment, he smiled slightly and nodded. I could only hope that meant he'd listen. "Then, Lady Lachesis, we must check on our patients. There might be things missed in the initial check."

Another battle was upon us. Another long series of battles was here. I had to do my best. It would never be enough, of course. Yet I had to anyway.

When I was very little, long before I devoted myself to my studies with the foolish and childish hope it would earn me a smile from Father Eirik and the other priests and priestesses in the church, I'd read a story set in the ocean. It described it as a terribly cold place, filled with salty water and creatures one could only describe as 'monstrous'. As such, I would not describe the infirmary as an 'ocean of wounded'. Blood was warm and tasted of iron and the 'denizens' were not monstrous, only people. They were only people, no matter how mangled they appeared. They were only people, no matter how much they screamed and cursed in pain. They… were only people.

"Miss Alicia?" Mister Finn's call was quiet and tired. I could not blame him; he had been assisting me for the past however many hours and he had volunteered for a particularly gruesome duty. "I fear we are out of numbing balms," he informed me. I glanced up from cutting an arrow out of a soldier's eye, but quickly returned to my work. This patient still breathed; if I worked quickly enough, I could still save him. If I was good enough, skilled enough, then… "Should we use sleeping medicines instead?"

"Only if Lady Lachesis cannot hold them down," I answered, reaching into the patient's eye socket. With a wiggle and a yank, I plucked the arrow out, along with the remains of their eye, and immediately set to work to minimize the blood loss. I was glad I didn't have to reach in again for the eye, as I had the last one. "There is no time to calculate the proper dosage nor is there anyone to spare to watch them for signs of potential overdose." They also took longer to take effect, time the patients may not have.

"Very well."

Without another word, he left to inform Lady Lachesis. I cursed myself for my lack of foresight even as I stopped my current patient's bleeding and got to work stitching the socket shut. It was my fault there wasn't enough; I should've made more. I should've woven more bandages. There were a thousand and one things I should've done, but hadn't and now, others paid the price. The number of dead rose by the second and, now, those who required amputations would be stuck screaming as Lady Lachesis held them down for Mister Finn to remove the limb.

So much had been used in so short a time. It had been three days since Lord Sigurd led the march to Genoa Castle. Lord Oifey wasn't here; he had traveled with the army. Lord Quan had intended for Mister Finn to also accompany them, but Mister Finn requested to remain behind and assist Sir Arden and Sir Midir with the castle's defenses. I didn't hear why; I thought it might have to do with his previous (now scarred) injury. Truthfully, I couldn't care. When he wasn't patroling or reporting to Sir Midir and Sir Arden, Mister Finn helped Lady Lachesis and me in the infirmary, and the extra pair of hands had saved many lives. Though with the dead piling up, it was almost hard to remember.

The worst, however, was how strict our triage system had to be. In light of our depleting stock, it would have to be even stricter. Still, we did what we could. We saved who we could. No one could save everyone, but I'd try my hardest anyway.

Eventually, no more wounded passed through the infirmary's doors. Our focus could shift from 'maximizing lives saved' to 'maximizing the chances of the survivors'. At least, my focus could. Once I had confirmed there were no more amputations needed for the moment, Lady Lachesis and Mister Finn all but collapsed in a corner to rest. Both swore it would only be for 'a few seconds', but in those few seconds, sleep firmly claimed them and refused to release them. Smiling slightly, I draped one of the few clean blankets we had left over them and had to muffle a little laugh when both curled into the warmth. It resulted in Lady Lachesis resting her head on Mister Finn's shoulder, and his head resting against hers, and the sight was somehow adorable, despite them being caked in sweat and blood.

Reminded of the grim duty they'd taken upon themselves, I stepped into the side room they'd used. Blood was… everywhere. Some was on the walls, some on the ceiling. My steps squelched in crimson puddles as I crossed the room and retrieved the container of limbs. Inside, there were fingers and hands, legs and toes. Some had the threads of a makeshift tourniquet still attached; others showed splintering bone. All were mangled in some way, of course. Some had been torn apart by weapons, others reeked of pus-filled gangrene. All were proof of what we had to do to try and save a life, and a testament to just how many bodies might be lining the road between here and Genoa.

"To get that much blood on even the ceiling, a tourniquet must have slipped during the cutting," I whispered, looking up again. A droplet fell onto my cheek, but I paid it little mind. It was just one more drop. "We should have a lesson on good ways to secure them." I dreaded to think of how many died because I hadn't made sure. How many died for my mistake…?

It didn't matter. I made the mistake; I had to learn from it to save the next ones. There was always someone to save. There was always another to heal. Right now, I had a room filled with them, and if I didn't give my all, I'd have a room full of the dead.

When I stepped out into the infirmary proper, my grip on the box of limbs slipped and I almost dropped it on my foot. Thankfully, however, Sir Arden had apparently been waiting to speak with me and he caught it before it made a terribly loud noise that woke my patients. They needed their rest, and too many already slept fitfully. If I disturbed them, I...

"Where should I take this?" Sir Arden asked, easily hefting the box up onto his shoulder. Of course, given how broad he was, the box looked almost small. "Buried? Burned?"

"Traditionally, we burn the limbs twice," I answered softly, only giving him half of my attention. The rest was on a nearby patient whose chest did not rise and fall as much as I'd expect. When I went over to check, I discovered he had died. I grabbed my staff to check him over, to see what I might have missed, and found I hadn't missed an injury. He had simply bled too much for the medicines and healing to take effect in time. "Let us do that for now. We can adjust depending on volume and needs."

"All right." Sir Arden looked at the patient, no doubt realizing just why I lingered. "I'll send some of the soldiers to carry the dead."

"Thank you."

"Midir is out on patrol to check for any others. Ones that might've gotten lost or…" It was too easy to fill in the blank.

"Very well." How many dead? How many? How many were lost before I even saw them? "Might he report directly to me, no matter the number?"

"I'll let him know."

"Thank you."

What felt like both seconds and hours later, Sir Midir returned with only one soldier, carrying them on his back. "I know there might be nothing to be done," he whispered as I helped him get my newest patient onto a bed. It was all too clear why they'd been left behind; the gaping hole in his abdomen was barely covered by filthy, stained bandages. I thought their armor might be all that kept them from evisceration. "Yet he still breathed and I could not leave him."

"He still breathes now," I replied, for that was the only answer. He made it to me alive. Now, my duty was to try and ensure he left me alive. "My helpers slumber and I would not wake them. Might you assist me in their stead?"

"Gladly."

That soldier survived the night. Some of his fellows were not so lucky. Twelve died in the initial rush, and seven more expired before the dawn broke. Nineteen dead, for now. The number would only grow higher.

More injured arrived. Some died; others didn't. Worried about space, I talked extensively with Sir Arden and Sir Midir, and eventually we set up two more rooms as makeshift infirmaries. We wouldn't always have such a luxury, but for now, I wanted each patient to have enough space to breathe. Being crammed together like fish in a barrel would not make their recoveries any easier.

"I'm sorry I brought you more work, Alicia," Azelle mumbled behind me. Just the other day, he had returned to Evans with another batch of wounded. I had to admit that, at first, I had been worried he was injured himself, but he quickly reassured me he had only minor injuries. He had just overextended during the fighting and Lord Sigurd requested he return to rest and lessen the chances of an accidental Final Strike. It was kind of him to consider it. "There's so many…"

"A healer's work is never done," I reassured, more focused on my task than the conversation. It was terribly rude, especially to him, but I absolutely had to get these medicines made. We had already bought all of what the local apothecary had stocked, and thus, the only way to replenish our own was to make them. Out of those in the castle, only Mister Finn knew anything about medicine making, thanks to the lessons, but I had ordered him to rest today. He and Lady Lachesis both needed it. "You needn't fret."

"Still, have you slept?" Azelle, however, had wished to help me however he could and, thus, we were in a sideroom, where I could sit down and make medicines and he took care of a task I didn't want to waste time on: brushing my hair. I would have just tied it back or braided it to keep it 'neat' otherwise. "Eaten?"

"I have."

"Quick naps in the corner does not count as 'sleep'. No more than nibbling on whatever you manage to grab counts as 'eating'." He grumbled something else I didn't catch under his breath, yet despite the exasperation, he handled my hair with great care and a surprising amount of gentleness. It was certainly more than I did; I was fairly sure he brushed each section of my hair until it shone in the candlelight. "I think you're worse than Arvis. Which is a bad thing."

"I have not resorted to taking stimulants in order to work." The 'strongest' thing I ever took was a energy boosting teas, and I made sure to keep it that way.

"I knew he'd used those!" Though I could not look back at him, I had a feeling he was scowling. "When we were younger, at least."

"He better not still use them. I gave him quite the lecture when I found some among his things." I would dare say it was the first and only time I had ever been angry at him. "Now I'm worried. Perhaps one of us should write Aida about it?"

"I will. I'm in the middle of writing one to her anyway." That would be best. It would be more difficult for me to sneak one out. "Okay, so you're not worse than Arvis. But I'm not sure you're better."

"I promise I get sufficient rest." I had to. Tired healers made mistakes. I was fine. "Though, it warms the heart you fuss anyway."

"Well, of course. You're…" Though we were safely away from people, Azelle still paused to double-check before continuing. "You're my sister."

"I love you too, little brother."

"Miss Alicia?" Sir Arden's voice startled both of us, though I was quick to get on my feet and into the main part of the infirmary, certain another wave had come. However, Sir Arden was not a grim shadow in the doorway, simply calm. "Scouts spotted enemy soldiers chasing after two figures, one of whom is limping," he explained. I nodded, anticipating the next words. "Midir rode out to intercept and direct them here. Which room should we use?"

"Let us use the one across the hall for the initial examination," I suggested. If they could run, then I guessed they were not badly wounded. Then again, the body could push itself through the most remarkable of circumstances… "I shall want to check Sir Midir as soon as he returns as well." His wound had healed, but that was no excuse to shirk.

"Very well. Is Lord Azelle still here? I'd like him on the battlements."

"He is…" I glanced over my shoulder just as Azelle stepped out to join me. He smiled bravely, and I smiled back slightly. "I shall set up the room, then. Stay safe."

It was easy to ensure the room was ready. It had already been half-prepped in anticipation for more injured, and it took time to rescue people. I was even able to get a pot of chamomile tea ready. Eventually, though, one of the guards led our two newest patients to the room, and I turned to greet them. My words caught in my throat, however, because… because one of them was Lady Edain.

"Um… hello…" she mumbled, smiling sheepishly. If not for the circumstances, and how her dress was stained with a dreadfully tattered hem, you would think she was greeting me after a jaunt through the market led to being soaked in the rain. "Arden said you were the healer in charge, miss…?"

"Alicia," I supplied, ushering her to one of the chairs. I noticed the small spots of blood left in her wake, and glanced down to see her feet were bruised and bleeding. She had no shoes; she must've lost them. "I made some chamomile tea. Would you like a cup?"

"Oh, yes, please!"

"Alicia seems like a weird name," Lady Edain's companion commented, reminding me there were two patients. Though the young boy, likely around Lord Oifey's age, did not look injured, I led him to another chair. "Well, not like I can talk, I guess. The name's Dew, miss. Can I have something to drink, too? Throat's all scratchy."

"Of course," I reassured, immediately pouring them both cups and passing them. Lady Edain sipped hers with a smile and a sigh; Mister Dew downed his in one gulp. "Goodness, you are quite thirsty."

"Oh, uh… guess I'm supposed to drink it slow, huh? Used to being quick." He shrugged, and did drink the next one more slowly. "So, that great armor fellow said Sigurd is south?"

"He is. The army marched on Genoa after we weathered an assault. I maintain a full infirmary here for the injured." I fetched my staff and first stepped towards Lady Edain. However, she nodded subtly to Dew, so instead, I started my examination on him. I feared he might have worse injuries than his demeanor conveyed. Thankfully, however, that wasn't the case. "You have some bruises. I'll give you a balm for them."

"No need to waste it. Bruises are just bruises."

"If it is used to treat you, then it is not wasted." I ignored his surprised look to fetch a jar. "I can apply it, if you would like."

"...N-no, I can put it on myself." He took the jar from me and blinked at it a couple of times before ducking his head. "Um…"

"You can head next door, if you would like."

"Thanks." He bolted out of the room, returned briefly for his cup of tea, and bolted again.

"Goodness…" Lady Edain breathed after a moment of starting. She finally finished her cup, and I refilled it before starting her checkup. "I hope he hadn't been hiding too much pain."

"His bruises were not serious, merely something to be treated," I reassured, more focused on tending to her. She had some bruises as well, yet it seemed her feet had been the worse off. "May I ask what happened to your shoes?"

"I got stuck in some mud, and rather than risk our pursuers catching up, I decided to forgo them entirely." Lady Edain smiled wryly at me. "There is debris, isn't there?"

"Yes." I knelt down to visually confirm what my magic had found, and saw a rock had embedded itself into her heel. "I fear I do not have numbing balms, yet we must remove these at once."

"Oh, they already went numb ages ago." She smiled at me, and it almost hid her dread. Even if they were 'numb', neither of us truly believed she wouldn't be in terrible pain. Still, she knew the dangers of leaving foreign objects in wounds. "Go on ahead."

"If you are certain, then I shall." I did give her time to brace herself. After all, I had to gather my materials first. "Try to not kick me."

"I'll do my best." She looked down at me curiously as I sat down on the floor and wiped away the worst of the blood and mud on her feet. It was a miracle she did not already have an infection. "I've… seen you before, haven't I? One of Father Eirik's healers?"

"You might have seen me once or twice, when I was called in to assist. I normally worked outside of the church." I didn't… want to talk about that right now. I had to be the calm one, particularly now. "I'm starting now."

Even with that warning, and her reassurances, Lady Edain jerked reflexively and kicked my side. I ignored it to keep working, alternating between picking out rocks and pieces of leaves and sticks and washing her feet to remove the blood. My skirt was soon stained and I thought she might have apologized for it in between whimpers, but I paid it little heed. I had work to do, after all, and the sooner I was done, the sooner she could heal.

I had just finished picking the debris out of Lady Edain's feet when someone knocked on the door and opened it. "Miss Alicia, Arden said you…" Sir Midir began as he stepped inside. However, he trailed off and froze when he saw just who my current patient was. "Lady Edain…?"

"Midir…!" Lady Edain breathed, automatically trying to get to her feet. I freed a hand and rested it on her knees as a silent reminder why she shouldn't. For one thing, I needed to triple-check her wounds. "You're alive!"

"Aye, my lady." Sir Midir smiled sweetly and kneeled next to the chair before bowing his head. "I must apologize, however. Because of my mistakes and weaknesses, you had to suffer a terrible ordeal."

"No, no, Midir, if I had listened to you from the start and fled to Chalphy…" Lady Edain's smile faltered briefly and her hand shook as she reached out to touch his cheek. "I am… so glad to see you survived. The wound… the blood… I was so sure that…"

"I will not deny the wound's severity; I have only recently recovered from it." Sir Midir hesitated for a moment before looking up at her. Her fingers still lingered on his cheek. "However, it seems Laima decided it was not my fate to die, and sent Miss Alicia to tend to my wounds. It is thanks to her care I did not fall into Neit's realm."

"It seems my debt to her grows by the second!"

"I simply did my job," I corrected, bandaging her feet now. Both of them jumped a little, as if they had forgotten I was there. Perhaps they had. "Speaking of his injuries, though, Sir Midir, I would like to check the wound on your chest. We must be sure you stay recovered, after all."

Sir Midir was quick to agree, of course, though he was embarrassed when Lady Edain insisted on staying to see the scarring for herself. After confirming there was no lingering damage, however, I urged them both to leave and rest, even allowing Sir Midir to carry Lady Edain to her room. While I was cleaning up, though, I had one last visitor: Azelle. He smiled at me, a painfully resigned smile, and that told me he had seen Sir Midir and Lady Edain. I smiled back faintly and urged him to rest against me under the pretense of helping me clean.

Sadly, broken hearts were not something a healer could tend to. But, perhaps this would be enough. I hoped, at least.

I sent a messenger to Lord Sigurd within the hour. I knew he'd like to know as soon as possible that Lady Edain was safe, and perhaps it might change their current strategy in the field. With that in mind, it was a surprise when Sir Arden told me the next day that a message had arrived from Lord Sigurd, since unless the messenger I had sent could bend the laws of reality and space, they should not have arrived yet. The message itself, however, clarified matters; it was not a reply. Instead, it was Lord Sigurd relaying that the battle was at Genoa's gates and if all proceeded to plan, it would not be long before the castle fell. As such, he asked if it might be possible for me to leave ahead of the others to be on hand for infirmary preparations. Though I was initially hesitant, since I had my current patients, Lady Edain's presence made mine less needed, particularly with Lady Lachesis and Mister Finn assisting her. The thought of how being 'on hand' might save more lives was what ultimately made me agree, though, and by the end of that day, I had left Evans for Genoa, with a small escort of soldiers handpicked by Sir Arden.

When I arrived at the castle, the hustle and bustle hinted the battle had recently been won. I couldn't confirm that, however. As soon as one of the soldiers helped me dismount, Lord Oifey seized me by the hand and all but yanked me into the castle proper.

"Lord Oifey, might I ask where we are heading?" I asked when it became clear he was not leading me to where Lady Ethlyn had set up a temporary infirmary. I frowned when Lord Oifey did not answer immediately. "Lord Oifey?"

"A moment, please, Miss Alicia," he whispered, tightening his grip on my hand. Immediately, I wondered if Lord Sigurd himself was injured and they wished to hide it. "We are almost… there!" All at once, he stopped at a door and pushed it open. Inside was a dank, damp staircase barely lit by torches on the wall. "I… there's a civilian, Miss Alicia. In the dungeons here."

"Oh?" I waited for more of an explanation, since I failed to see why that would warrant such actions. Yet Lord Oifey did not elaborate. "Is Lord Sigurd down here?"

"Yes." He bowed formally to me, and did not straighten. I guessed he had no intentions of leading me below.

So, I nodded and carefully descended the staircase. The steps were cold; I could feel that even through my shoes. They were also barely clean, with dirt encrusted in the cracks and edges. Assuming this would be indicative of the state of the dungeons themselves, I triple-checked my medicine bag and kept a tight grip on my staff. With each step, the air grew colder and heavier. It grew stale, thick with the smell of mold and grime. There was no wind down here, no light. Each breath felt wet, and coated my throat until it choked me. At the bottom of the stairs themselves, the sharp smell of 'old death', the scent that lingered even after the flesh sloughed away and all that was left was bones, mingled with the rest. That told me what I would find even before I saw the muddied bones wrapped in cloth behind metal bars that shone dully in the torchlight. Lord Oifey had said these were the dungeons, but I never expected to see one, much less one that was so stereotypical.

"Miss Alicia?" It didn't matter, of course. Lord Oifey had sent me down here, and now, Lord Sigurd stood in front of me. "I didn't… did you just arrive?" he asked, frowning slightly. It only enhanced the worry in his eyes. "It feels like it wasn't long ago we got your message about Edain."

"Your own messenger arrived soon afterwards, and I left that very day," I explained, focusing entirely on him. There were no injuries I could see. "Lord Oifey brought me here, and only told me there was a civilian."

"Ah, yes." Strangely, Lord Sigurd did not elaborate further. He simply stared at me… no, that was the wrong word. He studied me, measuring something. I held his gaze, wondering just what he looked for. If there was someone injured down here, then would I not need to see them immediately? "He's back this way." Whatever he searched for, he must have found it as he offered me his hand and helped me through the winding paths of the dungeon. "We found him when one of the soldiers tried to escape down here. I suppose they thought a hostage would buy them the time to escape."

"I see." I looked around, noticing just how empty it was. "Why was he here?"

"Why, indeed." Lord Sigurd looked down briefly before stopping at a particular cell. It took a couple of blinks and Lord Sigurd moving a torch closer for me to see the small child huddled in the back corner. "He… heard we are from Grannvale, and could not get away fast enough."

"Oh?" I frowned slightly, wondering why, but I decided it didn't matter. None of it did. Even from here, I could see the thin trickle of blood seeping from the grimy ropes that bound his wrists. There was someone who needed help, and I was here. That was what mattered. "Might you open the cell for me?"

Lord Sigurd did just that, and it opened with a rusty groan that made the boy flinch back and desperately try to make himself smaller. I made sure my steps were sure and noticeable as I approached, specifically so that he could hear when I stopped. I set my medicine bag down, again just loud enough for him to hear, and I sat on my knees to study him. Dark hair was the first thing I noticed. He had dark hair, and I could just barely make out white specks I feared might be lice. Given the conditions, it would not surprise me. His clothes might have been well made, once, but the stains made it clear he had not changed them for some time. Their looseness hinted he had lost a substantial amount of weight at some point. Said looseness also let me see the bruises mottling his skin, dark and swollen even through the dirt.

While I studied him, he remained in his corner, shivering and coughing. However, as the silence stretched out, he hesitantly looked up at me. His eyes were as dark as his hair, with enough sorrow and fear to make my heart ache. Based on his face, I would guess he was no older than ten, and likely was younger. Blood trinkled from his lip, a sign of how chapped they were. More joined when he bit his lip, desperately trying to stem back tears as he stared. He stared and stared and stared. I smiled slightly at him, and waited. Even as my knees ached and my legs went numb, even as my back keened in protest, I waited. I waited until he leaned forward and reached out and, even then, I only moved when it became clear the ropes were limiting his own movements. Still, I was surprised when he grasped the hair that had fallen over my shoulder. I made sure not to show it, of course, but…

"Oh, it's cold. I thought it would be warm, because it's so red," the boy rasped. He blinked slowly at me, and I saw his gaze was slightly out of focus. Was it from fever? He did radiate heat. "I…"

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but it is simply my hair," I gently teased, making sure to keep smiling. Now that I was closer, I was all but certain he had lice. I could see how irritated his skin was, and worried he might have some infection. "My name is Alicia, little one. I am a healer. May I tend to you?"

"A healer?" The boy frowned, his hand shaking on my hair. "There shouldn't… are you from Grannvale…?"

"I am." I leaned down slightly so that I could look the boy in the eye. "However, as I said, I am a healer, first and foremost. I wish to help you. Will you let me?"

"I…" He stared at me for a long moment, his hand still shaking and his gaze wavering. But, after a moment, he nodded. "Please?"

"Of course." I smiled and he relaxed slightly, letting go of my hair. "Let's start with these ropes." However, I found a problem immediately. Namely, the ropes were tied very tightly, too tight for me to pick apart. While I did have a dagger, I did not want to ruin the edge on the rope. I did not know if I would need it for him, and... "Little one, these will have to be cut. Will you let…" How was I supposed to describe Lord Sigurd? "Do you see the man outside the cell?"

"Yes…?" He tilted his head and nodded. "He seems… to be staying away…?" He would. "Why?"

"Will you let him cut the ropes?" I waited for an answer; the boy shrunk back. "I worry about hurting you, but if you would be more comfortable with me doing it, then I shall."

"..." The boy looked back to where Lord Sigurd was. "He's been there this whole time."

"Yes."

"Even when I was scared. Even when I screamed and he figured out who…"

"Yes." Who…? Ah, it did not matter. "He is also the one who brought me to you."

"...Will... you stay too?"

"Yes."

"...O-okay…" The boy shook, but nodded firmly. "He can…"

"Okay." I cradled the boy's hands in mine and looked over my shoulder. "Lord Sigurd, come here, please. These ropes are too tight for me."

"How freaking tight did they tie them?" Lord Sigurd grumbled, carefully stepping in. He paused when the boy flinched, and waited until he nodded to continue approaching. "Hey, there. I'm Sigurd. Let's get these ropes off of you." He moved slowly, to not startle the boy, and even let him inspect his dagger before cutting the ropes. "There we are…" He smiled kindly at the boy, who tentatively smiled back. "Are his clothes wet?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," I murmured, already moving to pull the shirt off. Normally I would ask, but given the boy's condition, I needed a better look. As soon as I did, however, many pieces fell together. There, wrapped around his torso, was a very large Holy Mark. Black as the night, the lines twisted from shoulder to hip, resembling either a very large beast or, perhaps, a whole group of them. It didn't matter, of course, because it was the size that held my attention. Only one who inherited Major Holy Blood would bear a Mark so large. Given his hesitancy and fear of Grannvale, I could take a guess of just which one and what it meant about the boy's identity. I supposed that was why Lord Sigurd had been hesitant before. "Yes, this shirt is soaked. I doubt it is suitable even for rags."

"We can't leave him in those, then, but it's so damned cold…" In a fit of inspiration, Lord Sigurd yanked off his cape and draped it around the boy. "I doubt that will help much, but…"

"It certainly will be better than what he wears now." I helped the boy out of his pants, which were very soaked. I thought there was some mold. "Might I ask about the lord of this castle again?"

"The Second Prince? He's very dead." Ah, yes, that was right. He'd died at Evans. "Though, he did leave guards, including one very talented swordswoman." Lord Sigurd focused on the boy, specifically his hair. "Is she a relative of yours, by chance?" Hesitantly, the boy nodded and shrunk back. "Last that I saw, she is well. Injured, but nothing fatal. Alec noticed the other guards were watching her more than us, and Lex took it upon himself to goad her away and keep her occupied. When the castle fell, she was captured."

"So, my aunt is okay?" the boy asked, blinking slowly. When Lord Sigurd nodded, he smiled very slightly. It was a shaky smile, as if it were teetering on the edge of a cliff, but there was something sweet about it anyway. "She didn't want to fight. But since I was here, she had…" A coughing fit interrupted him briefly. "She had to." He looked down briefly before focusing on Lord Sigurd. I did my best to treat the worst of his injuries, enough that I felt it was safe to move him. "My name is Shanan. Shanan, of Isaach. As I'm sure you've both figured out." That shaky, sweet smile disappeared in a blink. "You're from Grannvale."

"I am, as you learned earlier," Lord Sigurd confirmed. Though he still smiled, his gaze was serious. "I am Sigurd, knight of Grannvale, heir to Chalphy, and bearer of Major Baldr." He gestured to me. "Miss Alicia introduced herself earlier. She is a healer from Yngvi, and serves as the Chief Healer of this campaign."

"I see." Prince Shanan did his best to meet Lord Sigurd's gaze calmly, but it was all too easy to see his trembling. "What are you going to do with me? I'm sure… I don't know everything that's going on, but I know enough. I think. I also heard what that boy said."

"Our lands are at war, yes, and I will not say Oifey is necessarily wrong in that I should inform His Majesty." Lord Sigurd's smile turned a little wry. "With that said, I have no intentions of doing so." He made to ruffle Prince Shanan's hair, but at my look, he instead rested his hand on Prince Shanan's back. "The war should not involve you. You are a child, who should be running around getting scraped knees, not worrying about whether or not he will die. Yet, thanks to us adults, you have been forced to suffer much. I know I cannot make up for that. I cannot recover all that was lost, or erase your experiences. But I can give you shelter. I can keep you safe. That is what I plan to do." He grinned suddenly, and Prince Shanan blinked a couple of times in shock. "Though, I'm not sure when Miss Alicia will let you run around. I have a sneaking suspicion she's going to have you on bedrest."

"That will be the least of what I'll need to do," I replied, shifting the cape higher on Prince Shanan to better cover him. Unfortunately, I had done all I could for now. "Might you carry him, Lord Sigurd? I want him out of this mold-infested hole as soon as possible."

"Of course," he agreed at once. I had a feeling he would. "Let's…" However, he soon trailed off and looked behind us at something. "Someone else is here." Was there? Now that he mentioned it, I thought I heard the sound of someone running…?

"Shanan!" Yes, someone had indeed been running. The same someone swung into the cell, their armor clanging harshly on the metal bars. Seeing them lurch straight for Prince Shanan, I interposed myself between them to block the way, keeping Prince Shanan firmly behind me. "You…!" the person hissed, snarling at me. They did not look like one of our soldiers, none among us wore their hair so long, and their face had enough similarities to Prince Shanan's for me to take a guess as to who this was. "Don't you dare…!" However, that only hardened my resolve.

"He is injured and he is ill, and you will not worsen his condition," I told her firmly, careful to met her gaze calmly. It was all the more important that I keep calm. She was angry and scared; a healer's job was to reassure. "I would also prefer you not catch his illness, though it is possible you have already. Sit down so that I may check you over."

"I… what?" All of their anger bled out, leaving only confusion and fear. "You…" She blinked at me a couple of times, blinked at Prince Shanan, and then turned her attention to Lord Sigurd. I focused on Prince Shanan again, adjusting the cape and helping him stay up when he coughed harshly. "You're of Grannvale."

"We are, yes," Lord Sigurd replied, bowing respectfully. Her stanced stiffened and her hand dropped to her empty sheathe. I imagined the weapon itself had been lost, or removed, during her capture. "I am Sigurd of Chalphy, your highness. The one tending to your nephew is Miss Alicia, our Chief Healer." Her eyes darted to me again, but I pretended to not notice. "I apologize for any fright we gave you."

"'Fright'?" Prince Shanan's Aunt repeated with a scoff. I supposed given the current war, 'fright' was an understatement. "It seems you know our identities already, so I will not waste my breath with posturing. I am Ayra, Shanan's aunt, and princess of Isaach." She unbuckled her vambrace to reveal the black Holy Mark underneath. I noted with some surprise that it was the same size as my own, stretching from the heel of her palm to the inner part of her elbow. "So, what do you plan to do?"

"As I told Prince Shanan, I plan to provide shelter and safety."

"Really, now?" Lady Ayra raised a skeptical brow, and rolled her eyes. "I'd hoped my disregard for lies would have prompted the same."

"I tell no lies. I am absolutely rubbish at lying, actually."

"Hmph…" She buckled her vambrace again, and might have said more. But Prince Shanan's cough reminded her this was not just her confronting a potential enemy. "...He is injured and he is ill. That's what you said, yes?" I nodded, still mostly focused on Prince Shanan. "A kind way to put it, as I'm sure there's more. It's a hard journey, but I thought it was the only place safe. The furthest place from the fighting. So we bartered with merchants and kept off the roads and…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. She held it for a moment before letting it out slowly. "I'm the one my brother entrusted. I can't… my only family, and I can't..." Her fists clenched at her side and she bowed her head. "Please, treat him? I know Gran-"

"He is my patient, so of course I will treat him," I interrupted, a little annoyed. I could only hope it did not bleed through my calm; Father Eirik would have 'words' if it did. "I am a healer, Lady Ayra. I leave warring to the warriors, and politics to the politicians. My duty is to heal, no more and no less, and I treat all who come to me for aid." I looked up at Lord Sigurd, ignoring Lady Ayra's baffled expression. "If that has been firmly established, we are leaving this forsaken place immediately. Lord Sigurd, to ask again, might you carry Prince Shanan? I don't want him exerting himself, and Lady Ayra needs a full checkup before I allow her to bear such a weight."

Well, my day just got a little busier. Oh well.

Between the lesser number of enemies and careful planning, there were very few among the injured who specifically needed my attention. That let me focus solely on Prince… on Lord Shanan, which was well. A more thorough examination showed he was worse than I'd originally suspected, and if I wanted to prevent a lice infestation, then he needed scrubbing. Immediately.

"Are you going to make me take another bath, Miss Alicia?" Lord Shanan mumbled, looking up at me pitifully from his chair. I tilted his head down so that I could continue to comb his hair and pick out the nits and dead lice. "That's two already."

"The first one was for the medicine," I explained, sparing a moment to tuck the towel around him better. Truthfully, it would be good for him to be in clothes, but for now, this had to suffice as I refused to let him wear his old clothes. He did not shiver, at least, even if there was a small puddle under the chair and soaking into my shoe. It took a bit to convince him to sit down with his back to me, no doubt wary given the war and his subsequent capture. "The second was for the dirt. I shan't make you take another today, however, unless you wish it." Lord Shanan immediately made a face and I couldn't fight back my smile. "I promise your next bath shall be more relaxing and less scrubbing."

"Okay." He looked up at me again, no doubt to ask something else, but his cough forced him to double-over. "Ugh..."

"Here." I stopped combing and quickly measured out a spoonful of cough syrup. "This is spicy, but it should help." With his fever, though, I worried he had some sort of pneumonia. I'd read of mold causing that. Now, what was the best treatment? I would have to check my notes and books to be certain. "I have some tea for you to sip afterwards."

"Can I have warm milk with honey?" Lord Shanan eyed the spoon suspiciously, but dutifully took it from me. He refrained from actually putting it in his mouth. "Please?"

"Given your current physical stomach, I would need to double-check that it would not irritate your stomach, among other things." What a strange request… I'd never had someone ask for milk before, certainly not with honey. Still, he looked crestfallen at the refusal, so I knew it was important for him. Thus, I crouched down and smiled at him. "However, as soon as I am certain you can drink it without making yourself sick, you may certainly have some."

"Promise?"

"I promise." I straightened and returned to combing his hair. "That does mean taking your medicine, though."

"Right…" He scrunched up his face, but shoved the spoon into his mouth. After a moment, he blinked a couple of times and pulled out the spoon to stare at the remains of the syrup. "Sweet. And barely spicy." 'Barely' spicy, was it? Isaachian dishes must use quite a bit. "I never had a medicine didn't taste like moldy dirt."

"I try to make my medicines palatable. They do not all taste good, of course, but I keep tea on hand to help wash it down and remove the taste." I paused in my combing to step to the side and look at him. "Speaking of which, would you still like the tea?"

"Yes, please."

I gave him the tea and continued with my combing, going over every area twice to ensure I didn't miss anything. Lord Shanan, meanwhile, sipped his tea and remained quiet, letting me work. All was quiet, truthfully. Though this would become the 'main infirmary' of Genoa, Lady Ethlyn had the injured resting in another area until I was certain the room suited my standards. It had the benefit of keeping Lord Shanan's presence here quiet, as I was fairly certain few knew about that quite yet.

"Miss Alicia?" Not long after I finished combing Lord Shanan's hair, Lord Sigurd knocked on the door before cracking it open. He waited to step inside until I checked with Lord Shanan, and Lord Shanan nodded. We didn't want to scare him. "I brought some clothes for him to change into," he explained, holding up the small bundle of clothes. He shut the door behind him and approached Lord Shanan slowly before kneeling and smiling at him. "They'll be a bit big, these are Oifey's, but they should be more comfortable enough until we can find you clothes that fit." He looked up at me. "I also have a change of clothes for Ayra. Where is she?"

"She's taking a bath next door," I answered, pointing so that he knew which 'next door' I meant. She'd originally planned on being here to scrub Lord Shanan herself, but I overruled her for his health. "I see you listened and changed. I trust you used the medicated shampoo i gave you?"

"Yes, and I have my previous clothes, and my cape, bundled in their own pile and wrapped to keep them separated." That was surprisingly. I was thankful, certainly, but few would think to do that without being told. "We had a bad lice infestation once at the Academy. It was a veritable nightmare and the itching was terrible. Some of the others contemplated setting themselves on fire."

"I would have expected something more along the lines of 'slathering themselves in lard'." Of course, that could lead to other issues. "In that case, why don't you deliver the clothes to Lady Ayra? I need to clean this comb, and Lord Shanan needs to finish his tea."

"I'll do that. Where should I leave his clothes?"

"The bed will be fine."

I washed the comb under warm running water and left it to soak in a bucket while I cleaned the container I used to drop the dead lice and nits. Lord Shanan remained quiet, even after finishing his tea, and I worried he'd been overwhelmed. When I returned to his side with a fresh towel, however, I saw the reason was much more mundane; he was half-asleep. He scrunched up his face when I dried his hair one more time, but did not protest as I helped him into the clothes. In fact, by that point, he could barely stay upright, so I picked him up and set him on the bed. He was asleep before I had even finished tucking him in and after cleaning up, I decided to check on Lady Ayra to let her know. However, I ended up lingering awkwardly in the doorway of her bathing room for two reasons. One, she was still bathing. Two, she was talking to Lord Sigurd.

"And that, Princess Ayra, is how our campaign ended up here," Lord Sigurd was explaining, no doubt in answer to a question she had asked. On the surface, he seemed perfectly at ease with the conversation, despite Lady Ayra's lack of clothing and the absence of a convenient curtain for privacy. I noticed, however, that he was careful to keep his back to her and he kept fiddling with the hem of his cuff. "With Edain safe, however, our objectives have been fulfilled and, ideally, we can negotiate some sort of peace."

"I seriously wonder if you were dropped on your head as a child to be so idealistic," Lady Ayra retorted tartly. To add more heat to the words, she scrubbed her arm roughly, uncaring of the water sloshing over the edge of her basin or the angry red marks left behind on her skin. "And I told you before, there's no need for a title. We both know that if Isaach has not already fallen, then it will soon. I am the princess of a dead or dying country." When had she said that? Had that been what prompted conversation in the first place?

"Grannvale may kill Isaach's army and may claim the lands, but if your people are even half as determined as you are, Princess Ayra, then I doubt Isaach will ever truly fall." Lord Sigurd closed his eyes and smiled faintly, as if amused. Lady Ayra, for her part, stopped her scrubbing and twisted to frown at him. "Though I suppose it also depends on your definition of 'country'. To me, a country is made up of its people, not the land. So long as the people's spirits still burn, then I believe the country survives no matter what happens. It may be battered and broken, but it can still rise." Lord Sigurd laughed suddenly. "That almost sounded wise. Or foolish. Ah, but if you want me to stop with the title for safety reasons, I'll gladly do so. Comfort takes priority over propriety."

"...You are completely unlike any Grannvelian I have met or seen, and I'm not sure how much I like that." Lady Ayra scowled, but when she went back to bathing, I noticed she was not so harsh with her scrubbing. "Do you truly mean to give us sanctuary?"

"Yes. Though, I understand it is difficult to believe, given how mad the world is." Lord Sigurd opened his eyes again, perhaps to try and make an excuse to leave, and his gaze fell on me. "Oh, Miss Alicia?"

"I wanted to make sure Lady Ayra did not fall asleep in her bath," I jested, smiling faintly. Lord Sigurd smiled back, while Lady Ayra leaned over the side of her basin to better watch me. "Lord Shanan is fast asleep. I shall want him to remain in the infirmary for now. He has quite a bit of recovering to do." I caught Lady Ayra's wince, but pretended to not notice. "Lady Ayra, I would ask for you to spend tonight in the infirmary as well, just in case."

"Gladly," Lady Ayra replied, the word sharp. Her inability to meet my eyes softened it, though. "I think I will soak for a while longer, if you don't mind. My muscles ache from the earlier battle."

"Of course." I caught Lord Sigurd's eye and nodded to the hallway behind me. "If you would follow me, Lord Sigurd? I wish to check for any dead lice in your hair." I had not actually planned on that, since he had so little contact and lice were not known for 'jumping' from head to head. I had only given him the medicated shampoo as a precaution.

Still, it provided a convenient enough excuse for us to leave Lady Ayra to her bath. When we entered the infirmary, though, it was no longer silent. Though he had slept peacefully when I left, nightmares had quickly clawed into Lord Shanan's dreams and now, he groaned and mumbled in his sleep, tossing and turning to try and escape. Immediately, Lord Sigurd bolted for the bed and reached for him. At first, I thought he might try to wake him, but he hesitated before gently taking Lord Shanan's hand in his. Immediately, Lord Shanan rolled to be closer and latched onto his hand, desperate for comfort even in sleep. Seeing that, I grabbed one of the chairs and brought it over to him for him to sit.

"Thank you…" Lord Sigurd murmured, barely glancing up at me. I nodded anyway and returned to the sink to check the comb and container. "I fear what he might have seen and heard during his flight from Isaach. It isn't fair for a child to suffer so."

"Life isn't fair," I pointed out, drying the comb and bucket. Once I had it dry enough, I joined him by Lord Shanan's bed. "It is no excuse, of course. What's wrong is wrong, and we should always strive for the ideal of fairness. But like all ideals, it is simply a lovely little dream and can never truly become reality."

"It might be a reality for him if we adults didn't…" He sighed and let me tilt his head down. "I swear; everything about the attack of Darna is strange. But I suppose we shan't learn the truth until long after the blood of the fallen has soaked into the mud. Even then, it won't erase the past or the wounds." He cradled Lord Shanan's hand between his, almost like he was praying. Perhaps he was. "He will get better?"

"I must consult my notes, but in terms of his physical health, I do not believe he will suffer permanent damage." The wounds to his spirit, though… those would be much harder to 'heal'. There was no true medicine for that. All I could do was support and reassure. "I believe the best thing for his mind shall be safety and some form of stability." Ah, there was that request. Perhaps it would help too. "He'd like warm milk with honey as soon as I deem it safe for him to drink."

"Milk?" Lord Sigurd frowned in confusion, but shrugged. "Then he shall have it. It seems like a simple thing, especially if it soothes him."

We fell silent after that, with me combing his hair to ensure there were no lice and him holding Lord Shanan's hand while he slept. Even after I finished, he stayed, unwilling to pull away until Lord Shanan was awake. I certainly had no quarrel with it, and the two of us discussed how to best move the injured from Evans to Genoa and how to maximize our space. Once or twice, Lord Quan and Lady Ethlyn peeked in, no doubt worried for Lord Sigurd, but neither disturbed us. In truth, the only 'disturbance' was Lady Ayra finally stumbling in and, even then, it was easy to nudge her into the bed beside Lord Shanan's for her to pass out.

Things may be complicated later. I knew enough of politics to know that much. But I knew I would have no regrets, and I knew Lord Sigurd wouldn't either. After all, if you could help someone, you should. Some things in life were truly that simple.

Naoise

Class: Cavalier

Skills: Critical, Charge

Holy Blood: None

The son of a farmer and a weaver, a chance encounter with Sigurd when they were both young led him to his path of knighthood, as he was impressed and moved by Sigurd's kindness and compassion. It was difficult, especially since he did not have many resources to train with, but he persevered and managed to earn his spurs through his hard work and dedication.

Unlike many knights, he is self-taught, having only received proper training after being accepted as a squire of Chalphy. Though he continues to train hard to compensate, it does show in how he is not as swift as his fellows. He also has a liking for fighting, which can lead him to charging the enemy… even when it might be detrimental to do so.

He's actually the eldest of four children, and the only one to leave the farm to pursue his personal goals. Unfortunately, doing so strained his relationship with his family considerably and though he sends money back to 'make up' for the loss of labor, he has not seen any of them since becoming a squire and knight. It is the only regret he has in becoming a knight, but he would not give up the chance to serve Sigurd for anything.

Chapter Text

Interlude - Cracks

The campaign moves forward, from Evans to Genoa. On a map, it looks like a simple distance, but each sliver of ground was paid for in blood and corpses. I worry about losing track of the number of dead. I couldn't. Each one was a testament of my incompetence, and each one was another reason to study more. Yes, losing patients was inevitable, but I could not take that as an excuse to shirk. I would not.

Though, I suppose such things are the least complicated parts of my life now. Despite Grannvale's campaign against Isaach, Lord Sigurd has granted sanctuary to two of their royal family, Crown Prince Shanan and his aunt, Princess Ayra. Many are aghast by it, while others worry Grannvale will retaliate for the potential 'betrayal'. Lord Sigurd ignores them all, however, and truthfully, I do as well. I was a healer, and Lord Shanan was my patient. I would tend to him, no matter what wars and politics dared dictate.

"Yes, it seems as if the last of the irritation has faded," I murmured, gently running my fingers through Lord Shanan's hair to check his scalp. He held still while I worked, only a little tense from me leaning over him as I was. "Certainly, the last of the lice and nits are gone. I believe one more bath with the medicated shampoo will be enough to ensure it." Carefully, I tilted his head down so I could examine behind his ears and the back of his neck for any signs of a lingering rash. Thankfully, there were none, though I could see the fading but still swollen bruises from where he'd attempted to scratch the lice and rash with the wall down in the dungeons. It had been his only reprieve, given how his hand had been bound. "I am going to apply some bruise balm again."

"The nice smelling kind, right?" Lord Shanan asked, almost tilting his head back to look at me. I nudged him to keep his head down, and left his side briefly to fetch the balm and to check on how his tea was steeping. It was… almost done. "The one that smells like rain?"

"That is the only kind I have for now." I returned and helped him sit up in his chair. He was startling to slump and teeter forward. "Are you tired? I can apply this while you rest in bed."

"No, I don't want to go back yet…" He frowned, sulking even, and I couldn't help but smile sympathetically. His ordeals had taken quite the toll on him, and it became more apparent by the day now that he no longer had to focus so much on surviving. Lady Ayra had blunted the worst of it, of course, but all that meant was that Lord Shanan had a chance to make a full recovery. As it was, he spent most of his waking hours, few as they were, abed. "Please?"

"So long as you do not push yourself, then we can continue." I crouched down to look him in the eye. I had to wait for him to meet my gaze. "However, if you push, then you will only injure yourself further. So, you must promise to tell me as soon as you are tired."

"I promise."

"I shall hold you to it." I smiled and stood behind him to set the jar on the table and pop it open. Lord Shanan flinched at the noise. "Are you ready?"

"I…" He took a deep breath, held it, and breathed it out shakily. "Yes. I'm sorry…"

"There's no need to apologize." As gently as I could, I applied the balm to the bruising. I would have to add more to the ones on the rest of his body later, but I did not want him to feel pushed. He still had a lot of adapting to do, sadly. "Is it too cold?"

"No, you're really warm." That did not necessarily mean the balm was warm, but I would not correct him. "It smells nice too, much better than the ones used back home. What makes it smell nice?"

"That would be the vlisis blossoms. They commonly grow in the more southern and southwestern parts of Jugdral, where it is warmer. They fare poorly in the cold."

"That'll explain why they're not used in Isaach then. It gets very cold there."

"Does it?" The conversation was becoming more stilted. I had never talked to so many people for so long before. How did I…?

"May I come in?" It didn't matter, thankfully. Lord Sigurd arrived in Shanan's room for his daily check-in. He could handle any continued conversations. "Good morning, Shanan," he greeted, smiling warmly. Lord Shanan hesitantly smiled back, and visibly relaxed with Lord Sigurd knelt in front of him and, thus, was not looming over. I finished applying the balm and returned to the table to set the jar down and finish making up the tea. "How did you sleep? Did the nightmare monsters return?"

"No, not last night," Lord Shanan answered, smile softening with shyness. Apparently in Isaach, nightmares were attributed to malicious spirits. Two nights ago, Lord Shanan's nightmares had been particularly bad and he absolutely refused to return to sleep. Since I had not wanted to force him to take sleeping medicine, Lord Sigurd had offered to 'fight' any spirits who tried to hurt him, an offer Lord Shanan had tentatively accepted. In actuality, Lord Sigurd had simply stayed up through the night and held his hand, but perhaps that was enough. I knew little of spirits, after all. "Um… thank you."

"It was no trouble at all."

"Lord Shanan, here," I murmured, handing Lord Shanan the teacup. His hands shook, but I knew he desperately wanted to drink it on his own, so I casually turned his chair towards the table so that he could use it as a 'crutch'. "Sip on that. It should ease your throat." His cough was much better, thankfully, but it was still there and still strained his throat. "Let me know if it needs to be sweetened more."

Lord Shanan mumbled some sort of assent and leaned forward to make it less obvious he was using the table to support the mug. I pretended to not notice, as did Lord Sigurd. That is, until Lord Shanan was firmly distracted by the tea. Then Lord Sigurd stepped closer to me and whispered, "Is he truly improving?"

"Slowly, he is." Though I could not blame him for questioning. Lord Shanan was still far too thin, especially for a child his age, and he lacked the strength to even dress himself. "Lady Ayra is as well." She, too, was more or less confined to bed for the time being, though her discomfort at her current circumstances and her lingering hyper-awareness led to her resting in the room next Lord Shanan's, instead of sharing. She simply would not sleep enough, and her body desperately needed the rest to have any chance of recovering. "I am surprised she was able to fight at all in her condition."

"I think my soldiers are lucky she wasn't fighting fit." He said the words lightly, as if they were a joke, but there was a thread of seriousness to it. There was also worry, no doubt for just how much Lady Ayra and Lord Shanan had suffered in their mad escape from Isaach. "She insists on fighting for us. To repay us for sanctuary."

"I know. She has said as much to me." Truthfully, she more 'snapped' it at me, while she was protesting the bedrest. "The former owner of the castle ensured she was in better conditions than Lord Shanan, so her recovery should be much shorter. Yet, she still suffered from lack of rest and food, among other things, so it shall be some time before I would safely say she can fight at full strength."

"If we are ambushed, mayhaps we can have her guard you as a compromise? As we did with Midir?"

"Yes, I think that would suffice." I smiled slightly. "Given how Lord Shanan would also be with me, I imagine she'd prefer it."

"I'll bring up the topic when I next speak with her then." He watched Lord Shanan struggle to drink his tea on his own. I was torn between letting him continue on his own for his peace of mind or helping him so that he could actually drink it. "I know the answer is obvious, but can he not go outside? Get out of the castle for a little while?"

"I will not deny it would be good for his mental health, if nothing else." However, he was more than correct; the answer was obvious. "Sadly, he does not have the physical strength yet to walk on his own."

"Right, of course." Lord Sigurd frowned, fussing with his cufflinks while he thought. I ducked my head to hide my sudden little smile; Arvis had the same habit. "What about… if I carried him? Would that be enough?"

"I think you would need a destination, if only for his pride." Still, Lord Shanan had been stuck inside these four walls since we brought him up from the dungeons. While the conditions were much better, I had little doubts he felt just as trapped. No doubt Lord Sigurd thought the same. Why else would he bring it up? "Ah, I do need to visit the apothecary here and it is my understanding that I will need an escort."

"While the townsfolk appear to welcome us, it's better for none to venture alone. No matter how much they may or may not have hated their prince, we are technically an invading force." He smiled brightly, and it almost hid the pain in his eyes. He disliked this sort of circumstances, and he knew as well as I did that the soldiers our own had killed… they had been the loved ones of the people here. Neither of us would say it, though. "If you do not mind the company, then I believe it would be our honor to escort you, Miss Alicia."

"I suppose I could do worse." The teasing words were spoken before I could bite my tongue, and mortification flooded me at being so unprofessional to him. His easy grin hinted he did not mind, but I shouldn't shirk like that. "Let me wash my hands and gather my things. That should buy him some time to finish his tea."

Lord Shanan looked quite confused when Lord Sigurd explained we were heading into the market and would like it if he came with us, but he cautiously agreed to let Lord Sigurd carry him. Once we were certain he was secure, and was not too nervous, Lord Sigurd led the way out of the castle, stopping only to borrow a basket to carry any purchases we would make. Once in the market proper, Lord Shanan openly stared at everything from the wares to the merchants, his head turning this way and that with such speed I worried he might hurt himself. I also worried the noise, and the accompanying crowd, might overwhelm him with how pale he turned. But Lord Sigurd whispered reassuringly to him, and did not complain about Lord Shanan's tight grip around his shoulders and neck. So, I simply kept close, walking nearer to Lord Sigurd than I would otherwise, and absently looked about the market square for the apothecary.

"Um… Lord Sigurd?" Lord Shanan hesitantly began at some point during the walk. He bit his lip, clearly uncertain about continuing. "Um…"

"Yes?" Lord Sigurd, however, was perfectly patient and smiled at him, gently and warmly. "I fear Miss Alicia will have my head if I let you walk," he teased. "However, was there something in particular which caught your eye?"

"Oh, no, not yet. Everything is so… everything." That was certainly one way to describe it. "I just… I heard you invaded to rescue your friend."

"I crossed the border to rescue Edain, yes." It was a slight correction, spoken with the same gentle warmth as his smile. I could see the discomfort in his eyes, though. Lord Shanan was not wrong to say they invaded. "I had hoped to catch them prior, but alas… fate was not on my side then."

"Right, but Edain is with us now, isn't she?"

"She is. It seems the legendary luck the Goddess of Fate blessed Ulir with protected her once more."

"...Luck?" Lord Shanan frowned. "Tiamat, Guardian of Beasts, blessed Od with divine skill, which was further augmented by her attendants in later generations." What did he mean by 'augmented'? "Why give someone luck?"

"Luck has just as much importance in battle as strength and skill, and unlike those, it is completely and utterly unpredictable." Lord Sigurd chuckled. "Trust me on that one. Ah, memories…"

"I see." Lord Shanan frowned more, clearly still confused. However, he decided not to pursue the question and, instead, continue his original point. "She's with us, so what… is the army going to do?"

"That is a good question." Lord Sigurd readjusted his grip on Lord Shanan to hold him more securely; Lord Shanan stiffened at first, but slowly relaxed. "I cannot simply retreat, despite securing Edain's safety. This began due to Verdane violating the peace treaty it signed with Grannvale and it will be difficult to push it aside as an outlier, since their crown prince led the assault on Yngvi."

"So, are you… going to keep fighting?"

"Ideally, no." He laughed softly at Lord Shanan's openly confused and skeptical look. "As I said, the primary objectives of this campaign have been fulfilled. We rescued all those who were captured. While I have no doubts there are many who wish to burn Verdane to the ground for its betrayal, I believe such actions will only lead to a false 'peace'. So, instead, I have sent messengers to Crown Prince Munnir in the hopes of negotiating a surrender."

"Such a thing might be rebuffed," I warned without thinking about it. Thankfully, I found an excuse for the words quickly enough to make them seem professional. "Should I prepare for wounded messengers?"

"It might be a good idea, though I shall hope otherwise," Lord Sigurd sighed, smiling bitterly. At least he was aware. "I wish to avoid more war. Eldigan is right in that it is the people who bear the brunt of it, and in this particular instance, it is Verdane's people who suffer the most. I also wish to provide a more peaceful environment for the injured to recover, and it can be difficult to have proper services for the dead when the threat of battle looms. So, I must try. I owe it to those who risk and sacrifice their lives for my decisions."

"...Well, I support it." I wasn't sure if I had a right to say that, but his smile brightened, so I hoped he at least did not mind. "Speaking of services, however, we should purchase some incense. I believe our stocks are low."

"Incense?" Lord Shanan repeated, resting his head on Lord Sigurd's shoulder. He looked tired, yet not to the point he was actively fighting to stay awake. "Why incense?"

"In Grannvale, we burn incense for the dead," I explained, wondering if this was too morbid of a topic for him, considering everything. Yet he looked so attentive and curious; I could not help but explain. "Traditionally, it is done for three reasons. The first is as a physical representation of prayers, rising to the heavens where the gods watch over us." Supposedly. "The second is to help guide any lost souls who may be lingering near, again because smoke rises."

"What's the third?"

"The third is due to a very old belief. It is said the spirits of the dead are able to recognize scents they experienced during life. So, the third is for 'remembrance', for the dead are never forgotten." Though, some truly should be, such as my father.

"Oh." Lord Shanan yawned, and curled a little into Lord Sigurd. Lord Sigurd adjusted his grip to keep his hold secure. "We should get some ribbons, too…"

"Is that what they use in Isaach?"

"Yeah…" He yawned once more, this time with a little squeak at the end. "They represent bonds… the ties between us, which even death cannot server..."

"Incense and ribbons, then," Lord Sigurd decided, with a smile. He glanced at me, silently asking if we should wait, but I smiled and shook my head. Though he was clearly tired, I did not think it detrimental for him to remain outside a little longer. "Let's ask the locals where to grab both."

Lord Shanan remained awake just long enough to pick out the ribbons from a merchant, but fell asleep while we lingered over the incense. He did not wake even when we finally visited the apothecary, so when we returned to the castle at last, Lord Sigurd tucked him into bed, and I prepared his next dose of medicines for when he woke while keeping watch in case of nightmares. Surprisingly (yet thankfully), he had none and I thought it might be because of how deeply he slept, tired as he was from the walk. Perhaps we should make them a regular thing; I would discuss it with Lord Sigurd later.

Lord Shanan was not my only patient. Though I was his only healer for now (as he simply could not relax around Lady Ethlyn or Lady Edain yet), there were others in my care. There were many, many others. Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain both assisted me in the infirmaries (as there were still so many wounded that a single room simply could not comfortably fit all of them), yet some days, it felt as if nothing we did was enough.

"I just can't figure it out!" Lady Ethlyn snapped, frustrated tears gathering in her eyes. She held them back through sheer will and stubbornness, and perhaps all her flailing. She gestured sharply with each word, adding more weight to the words. I glanced at the door to the side room, worried the patients in the main part could hear her. The one she had been tending to earlier couldn't, at least; he'd been in a coma for the past two days. "I can't determine what's wrong!"

"The issue is that he's dying," I answered, unhelpfully. Worse, the words were far drier than I wanted, more bitter. It was completely and reprehensibly improper for a healer. Caring for so many patients constantly when I was not used to it grated my nerves and wore on my spirit, but that was no excuse. I had to be calm. "To be more specific, however, it is the sepsis. It's devouring him more quickly than we can clear the infection and replenish the lost blood."

"Then what am I doing wrong?!" Lady Ethlyn whirled to face me, the tears making her eyes as glassy as a corpse's. Again, I glanced to the door, glad Lady Edain could watch over our patients while I spoke with Lady Ethlyn. "What do I…?!"

"As far as I am aware, you are not doing anything incorrectly." The problem was as I said. The infection progressed faster than we could heal. It hurt. Despite the magic which flowed through my veins, despite the one positive trait of heritage (aside from it tying me to Arvis and Azelle) being the power I could use to heal, it was too fast. I was too weak. All of us were, and no combination of medicines had thus far made up for our lack of strength. "There are more potent medicines we can try, though we must be cautious." Powerful the medicines may be, the potential side effects were terrible. When you considered this patient already had his organs failing due to the sepsis…

"...Miss Alicia?" Lady Edain stepped into the room then, with that told me one of the patients had taken a turn for the worst, again. "One of the soldiers just vomited blood," she explained. I closed my eyes, gathering my strength. I felt shaky, but the patients needed me. "It was… quite a bit."

"How much?" I asked, even as I followed her into the main part of the infirmary. The answer was 'enough to form a large puddle underneath their bed'. "Does he have an upper gastrointestinal bleed?" I strode to their side and noticed blood trickling from their nose. Prying open their mouth revealed bleeding gums. No, this was so much worse. If there was a gastrointestinal bleed, then it had been worsened by an underlying condition. "Lady Edain, take over Lady Ethlyn's patient and inform her she must tend to the rest while you and I focus. Her patient needs our strongest medicines to have a chance of surviving."

"Understood."

The patient ended up dying. Based on my magic, I found they suffered from cirrhosis of the liver, which explained the bleeding. One of the soldiers bore the body away to the church for proper services, and I had to task Lady Ethlyn to check on the other infirmaries to ensure she would not crack under the weight of yet another death. Lady Edain also left, but in her case, it was because it was time for her break and we knew from experience that if she did not take it, Sir Midir would come to check on her. Thankfully, there was not much to do once that patient passed. Lady Edain had administered the more potent medicines to Lady Ethlyn's former patient, so all we could do was watch and wait, and the others in the room were stable. I simply… had to clean. There had been a lot of blood. Even the mattress was soaked.

"Well, someone wasn't having a good day." With those strangely blithe words, Mister Dew slipped into the main infirmary, staring right at the puddle of blood under the bed. I had not yet had the time to mop the floor; I'd barely stripped the bed of the blankets and sheets. "Or maybe they're not having any sort of day anymore," he continued, surprisingly blase about the idea of someone being dead for his age. I had not heard an exact number yet, but overheard a mention that he was younger than Lord Oifey. "Want help cleaning up or is someone already assigned to it?"

"I shall not refuse the assistance," I answered slowly, looking him over. I saw no sign of injury; even the bruises he'd had when he first arrived in Evans had healed. "However, may I ask what brought you here?"

"Uh… well…" For some reason, he seemed hesitant, and he glanced to the side. Then he stiffened, eyes widening in horror as he stared at a particular patient. "Is… is he growing mold? In his arm?"

"Yes, he developed a fungal infection." An axe's blow had removed a large portion of his skin, and unfortunately, the fertile lands of Verdane also led to copious amounts of fungal spores in the air and soil. He was far from the only patient who suffered from such, though his was perhaps the most visually dramatic. "Mister Dew, are you unwell?"

"From seeing mold in a person? It's a new one, to be sure, but… oh, wait, you mean for why I'm here." He tore his eyes away from that patient, and looked to the floor. "I… uh… I found these!" He held out a sack I had not noticed him carrying; inside were various medical kits. "They were just… um… sitting around! Yeah, that's it."

"They were?" Tired as I was, I almost took him at his word. However, when I reached inside to pull one of the kits out, I noticed the faint bloodstain in the corner. When I opened one of the jars within, the scent was similar to the local blend for numbing balms. A glance at the scrawled letters on the jar itself confirmed it was exactly that. No one would simply leave anything like this. "Mister Dew."

"Yeeeees?" He smiled innocently, though I saw him fidget with his hands. "What is it?"

"..." I looked at the medicine again. While I was in the process of replenishing the medicines used during the march on Genoa, it would still be some time before they were ready. This, however, could be used now. "You do not think someone will miss these?"

"Nope." It was a quick answer, but there was weight to the word. My eyes were drawn to the faint bloodstain on the kit. If that was the case...

"Well, we're rather lucky then, aren't we?" I wouldn't ask. So long as these were not taken from those who needed them, I would not ask. While the possibility of these being taken from the dead left me uncomfortable, I could not refuse something that would help my patients.

"I've always been on the luckier side!" He grinned now, and finally looked me in the eye. I hoped he caught my unspoken request. I rather thought he had. "Oh, while I'm thinking about it, I've always been good at finding and getting bargains in the market. I know there's no budget and all for everything you need, but do you want me to handle buying those things? I convinced Lord Sigurd to let me handle things like getting our supplies repaired and whatnot."

"That's kind of you, Mister Dew, but unless you have an encyclopedic knowledge of the medicinal uses for various flora and fauna, I think it's best for someone with training to handle that portion of the shopping." I was surprised he offered at all. I always took care of it personally.

"Mmm… yeah, that sounds like a better idea. I mean; if I could read, I could learn. I'm not bad with learning." He shrugged, and smiled. "Okay. I'll keep an eye out for more medicines that happen to be laying about. Those weird cane things you use too!"

"You mean my staves?" I supposed someone of a smaller stature like Mister Dew might be able to use one as a cane, but I certainly couldn't! "Be certain no one will miss them, please." I hesitated briefly, but the next words came before I could truly think them over. "Also, if you wish to learn how to read, I do not mind giving you lessons."

"With everything else you do?" Mister Dew frowned skeptically, but after a moment, he nodded. "Well, I'll think about it. Might be hard while this campaign is still going and all." He had a point there. "I'll see you later, Miss Alicia!" He dashed off, delivery complete, and part of me was amused he left without helping. Yet I had no time to be amused for long.

"Miss Alicia?" Sir Naoise appeared, lingering in the doorway, and beckoned me to join him in the hall once he had my attention. Confused, I set the sack on the table and followed him out. "Forgive me, but I did not wish for those recovering to hear," he explained quietly. I clasped my hands in front of me, waiting for him to continue. "There has been…" He glanced at the patients who rested closest to the door, attempting to discern whether or not they could still hear him. "There is a soldier who has not… taken well to surviving the recent battles when those around him did not. He sought to… change that."

"Is that so?" I asked, exhaustion once again making my thoughts slow. The pieces thunked into place eventually. "Let me fetch my things. Might you tell me more about his method?"

"I fear I know little, but gladly will I share what pieces I know." When he followed me back inside the infirmary, his gaze immediately fell on the puddle of blood. "I'll handle mopping this too."

"Thank you."

Thankfully, due to the haste of his fellows and Naoise's quickness in fetching me, that soldier survived. The next one didn't.

I knew I would regret giving Lady Ayra permission to leave her room. It had been on the condition that she'd return at a specific time for a check-up and now, she was late. She was very late. Normally, I would simply wait patiently; it would not be the first time I had been kept waiting after requesting (or being requested) to check on someone. However, given Lady Ayra's condition and pride, I worried she might be curled up somewhere, unable to walk and unwilling to request assistance. There was also… I did not care about politics, particularly when it came to those I treated, and Lord Sigurd was clearly the same. However, no matter how much respect the soldiers had for Lord Sigurd, they no doubt would define Lady Ayra as the 'Princess of Isaach' first and foremost. Given the bloodthirsty fury the slaughter in Darna had stirred, it was all too likely for one or more to vent their anger on her directly. I knew well how people would leap for the first scapegoat they could find when their emotions ran high. I knew that very, very well.

Thus, I went looking for her, though I ran into a complication immediately. I had little idea of just where she might be. I would hope she had not gone to train or, worse, spar in the arena. I thought she might have wanted to check on Lord Shanan, but there were no signs of her there, only Lord Shanan talking shyly with Lord Oifey and Mister Finn. The kitchens proved equally devoid of the stubborn princess, and if she was in the courtyard gardens, I missed her completely. With no other ideas, I slowly returned to the infirmary, checking the nearby rooms to see if she had dragged herself in there. To my surprise, I did find her in one, though I could not confront her on missing her check-up.

"Princess Ayra, I apologize for my bluntness." After all, she and Lord Quan were in the middle of a conversation or, rather, what appeared to be an interrogation. "Yet I feel it is best to simply cut to the heart of the matter," he continued, sitting very straight and proper. If not for the impassive, almost cold expression on his face, and the small room with an equally small table, one might think he were sitting for a banquet. "If I may?"

"You didn't give me much of a choice," Lady Ayra replied dryly. In contrast to Lord Quan's cold poise, she sat stiffly with her eyes darting everywhere at once. Without thinking, I flinched away, barely peeking inside to try and determine if it was safe to pass. However, both Lord Quan and Lady Ayra kept an eye on the door; I could not move without being seen. "Get to the point."

"Darna." Well, that was blunt. "I wish to know about the massacre there."

"...Is that so?" Lady Ayra scowled. I worried she'd take it as a threat and would try to strike, but thankfully, she remained seated. "Why badger me now with this?"

"Sigurd is busy." The words held a strange weight to them and rang with an even stranger tone. There was nonchalance, exasperation, and genuine fondness all stitched together. "As such, he is not here to protest an interrogation, as he has the previous times it has come up." Lord Quan smiled wryly, more of a quirk to his mouth than a true smile, at Lady Ayra's surprise. "Did you think us uninterested? No, there are some very interested parties. However, you are under Sigurd's protection. Politically speaking, as the heir to a Crusader, he wields a lot of power in Grannvale. He rarely uses it, of course, as he has little patience for such a thing and, really, his inability to lie makes him terribly ill-suited for Grannvale's intricate manipulations. When he does choose to utilize it, however, then none but his father and the king himself may overrule him."

"And…" Lady Ayra's voice shook slightly; her fists clenched in her lap. "And he has chosen to use it. For Shanan."

"For both of you. Shanan's youth provides some protection, but as the princess of Isaach, you normally wouldn't have such." Lord Quan sighed gustily. "'Political suicide' is an understatement, but Sigurd has always done what he thought was right, regardless of what politics dictated."

"Yet you question me. Behind his back."

"I do. Because Sigurd is my dear friend, and I am more pragmatic than him." Lord Quan rested his arms on the table and leaned forward. "So, in the interest of dampening the storm that brews on the horizon, I ask again. Why attack Darna?"

"..." Lady Ayra was silent for a long while before she slowly sighed. "If Miss Alicia is angered by my being late for my check-up, I will pin the blame entirely on you. I should do so anyway, to see how you fare when the fire in her eyes blazes." Lord Quan barely bit back a quiet laugh. "To answer your question, the former ruler of Rivough acted independently of the Crown."

"As I understand it, Lord-"

"We gave his name to the Spirits." Lady Ayra's words were clipped. "We do not speak it. We do not acknowledge any ties. For such an atrocity, his body is left unburied, so that his ghost may forever remain trapped between the realms." She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply before exhaling. "But, in the interest of addressing that concern, yes, he was married to Neira, my sister. Yes, he was connected to the royal family. No, that does not change the fact that he was unauthorized. The connection only made it easier for people to believe the 'barbaric' Isaachians showed their true selves."

"I see." Lord Quan sat back in his chair, closing his eyes. "That… does make more sense. King Mananan and Prince Mariccle were not the sort of men to condone such an atrocity, let alone order one."

"You…" Lady Ayra frowned. "You speak as if you met them."

"I had that pleasure, a couple of times. And before you say anything, yes, I am well aware of Leonster's isolationistic tendencies and how they make such meetings sound implausible." He briefly made a face, and Lady Ayra actually relaxed a little. "However, as I'm sure you know, they would make trips to Darna to ensure relations between it and Isaach were well. Sometimes, those trips intersected with my journeys to Grannvale. There is safety in numbers."

"Yes, Mariccle would always insist on accompanying Father. He said it would be good for the future, but he also delighted in having that time with Father. That time where they did not necessarily have to be king and heir, but simply father and son. He cherished such times…" Lady Ayra closed her eyes to will back tears. It did nothing to hide how her voice cracked and broke around the lump in her throat. "When we heard what had happened, we immediately marched out with our full forces to Rivough. From there, Father… he left for Grannvale, knowing they would be the first to hear. He wanted to explain what had happened, show justice had been done, so that we could all focus on helping Darna heal."

"...Strange." Lord Quan opened his eyes and frowned, but not from disbelief. No, it was merely thoughtful. "There are no reports of King Mananan riding anywhere, much less to the border. I know well that Prince Kurth would have heard him out, at the very least."

"Yes, we thought so too. No, more than that. We knew it, from previous interactions. So, Mariccle and I did not think twice about letting him leave. We did not think twice about not going with him. We should've, though. We should've." Her voice cracked again. My heart keened at the raw pain that saturated her words. "All that remained of him when he returned was a blackened corpse!"

"He… what…?" Lord Quan's jaw went slack, though he quickly regained his poise. "He was killed?"

"Assassinated on the road. His guards remembered thunder magic, though there were no mages among the forces who fell on us in Rivough. Only axe wielders who killed without mercy or regrets." Lady Ayra's head dropped, her hair falling over one shoulder as if to hide her face. It did nothing to hide her trembling. "Once word reached our people, they demanded retaliation. They would not accept anything less for such a betrayal. To try and reason with them would only turn their anger on us, and while Mariccle and I could defend ourselves, we worried for Shanan. He worried for Shanan. So, he took up the crown and answer the call with war."

"He had to have known it was a losing fight. Grannvale is home to the most Crusader heirs, and though power is won mostly through political manipulations, none shirk their perceived duty in maintaining an active force. It's the largest army on the continent."

"He did. Yet he knew Grannvale's army was marching, or would be soon. He did not believe any would hear him, and with our people's fury rising, he believed the only way forward was in battle. While he fought, I could escape with Shanan. I could escape with his hope."

"...So, go to war, bleed both sides enough for the anger to abate, and then ideally, talks can open…" Lord Quan frowned. "A dangerous game to play…"

"He could see nothing else, and I could not come up with anything. So, I listened. I listened and ran. I took Shanan as far as I could from the fighting, only…" She fell silent, taking deep breaths to slowly calm down. "That's… the truth of it all. I know you have only my words to counter the evidence of corpses, but I swear it is the truth."

"..." Lord Quan did not respond immediately. Instead, he took the time to think through it all and process it before replying. "I believe I already know the answer, but to be certain… you have not told any of this to Sigurd, yes?" Lady Ayra shook her head. "Good. Don't." Lord Quan sighed and leaned back in his chair, relaxing at last. "I love him dearly, but if he heard, he'd be on the fastest horse to the other side of the continent to demand answers before anyone could stop him. Last thing the continent needs right now is a third official war, and good intentioned as he would be, I have no doubts he'd spark one with his insistence on doing the right thing."

"Right now…" Lady Ayra's voice caught, and she coughed to clear it. "Right now, the 'right thing' is… is to keep Shanan safe."

"It is. It is, so that the truth may become known. Yet though Sigurd's patience for people is far greater than it has any right to be, his patience on seeing justice through and protecting those who cannot protect themselves is… not nearly as vast." Lord Quan chuckled and Lady Ayra lifted her head hesitantly. "I believe you, though. For what it is worth, I believe you. One day, we will right this wrong and you may count on Leonster's assistance when it comes."

"I… thank you." Lady Ayra bowed her head again. "Thank you."

There was a few seconds of silence, and Lord Quan made to rise. Panic immediately flooded me when I realized why. He was about to leave. He was about to leave Lady Ayra to compose herself, and he would find me here and he'd be so, so angry at me eavesdropping. They both would be. I had to come up with a story. If I didn't, they'd…!

"Lady Ayra, are you in here?" Keeping my voice even and calm, I peered inside the room, pretending I had just passed. Both Lord Quan and Lady Ayra stiffened in their seats at first, before relaxing when they realized it was just me. "You were late for your check-up," I explained, weaving a truth into the act. It would make it far more believable. I knew this from Arvis. "I grew worried."

"My apologies, Miss Alicia," Lady Ayra mumbled, looking down. Her eyes were red, no doubt from holding back tears. "I…"

"Let's get you to the infirmary." I held out my hand to her, and after a brief moment of hesitation, she lurched out of her chair to take it. "Lord Quan, forgive us, but she is quite late and I fear she overexerted herself."

"There's nothing to forgive," Lord Quan reassured, relaxing a little more. I suppose he was relieved at his secret interrogation apparently remaining a secret. "Do you need assistance?"

"I believe we shall make it," I refused, shifting my weight as Lady Ayra leaned on me. I thought it might be more emotional exhaustion than physical which made her unable to stand up straight. I wished I could do more for her… "You have my thanks, however."

Slowly, we returned to Lady Ayra's room, and she sat heavily on the bed while I tended to her. She did not speak, and I let her have the silence, speaking only to ask if any balms were too cold. I thought it better for her, so that she could try to reprocess her grief and guilt. She would likely go through this many times, and I wish there was an easy medicine to ease the pain of the spirit. The best I could do was support her as much as possible while she physically healed, and give her less to worry about so that she had the time.

"There you two are!" Right around the time I'd finished Lady Ayra's check up, Lady Ethlyn crashed into Lady Ayra's room with all the manic energy of a tornado. "I swung by earlier, but neither of you were here!" she 'explained', huffing a little. Behind her Lady Edain stepped into the room with much more calm, yet with clear excitement in her sparkling eyes and silly smile. "Come on! Let's go shopping!" What would we shop for? Was inventory so low already? "A few merchants have followed in our wake to sell their wares to the people here at discounted prices! We should take advantage of that!"

"I'm sorry, but I fear I need a little more clarification," Lady Ayra began dryly, her expression flattening in unamusement. Neither Lady Ethlyn nor Lady Edain appeared deterred by it. I mentally debated whether it was a good thing or bad thing that she was able to react at all. "You wish to go to t he market?"

"Yes, Dew told us there's cute ribbons and pretty dresses and so much more~!" Lady Ethlyn squealed in delight; Lady Ayra almost looked horrified by the prospect. I glanced at Lady Edain, certain I was mishearing or misinterpreting, but she looked just as gleeful about all of this. "Come on! Edain was telling me about the apple fairy who comforted her while she was locked up in Marpha!"

Neither seemed to even consider Lady Ayra or I might refuse. They simply snagged us by the arms and dragged us out into the hallway, despite Lady Ayra's very vocal protests. I remained quiet until I could slip away, and did so as soon as the opportunity arose. I was here only for my skill as a healer. If the others saw me being frivolous, then they'd surely think me a burden. No, I had to work. I would not be like my father. I would not.

"But how did they escape?" Lord Shanan asked, eyes wide with curiosity. It was the seventh time, or more, he had interrupted the story. "Surely they did, right?"

"Yep, and it's all thanks to a little trained bird," Lord Lex explained, not minding the interruption in the slightest. To my surprise, Lord Lex was an animated and skilled storyteller, and with Lord Shanan still abed most of the day and not able to read long due to fatigue, Lord Lex had taken it upon himself to swing by every day to tell Lord Shanan at least one story, if not more. All of them were popular children's tales from all across Grannvale, and though I did not know many myself, I could not help but be impressed by how many he had memorized. "That's getting a little ahead of ourselves, though. First, we need to speak of the conversation our heroes had while in dungeons."

Lord Lex continued spinning the tale, gesturing at key points to emphasize the words. Briefly, I glanced up from measuring Lord Shanan's medicines to watch them and, more importantly, watch Lord Shanan lean forward eagerly, hanging on every word. Once, he almost fell off the bed entirely, but Lord Lex caught him and settled him back against the pillows before continuing on. I let the words wash over me, instead taking comfort at seeing Lord Shanan's liveliness. Given how many soldiers seemed to either remain 'stable yet wounded' or took a turn for the worse, it was heartening to see him improve, little by little.

Just around the time Lord Lex finished the story, Azelle swung by, bearing a tray ladened with steaming mugs. "By the sound of it, we should toast the heroes' victory and happy ending," he teased, setting the tray down on the table. He glanced at me worriedly, no doubt wondering if he should have waited to set the tray, but relaxed at my slight smile. "No alcohol is allowed in the infirmary, of course, but apple cider is better anyway."

"Well, I suppose if we must," Lex 'complained', making a face. Azelle simply rolled his eyes, and passed me the first mug, careful to set it away from the medicines. I gently touched his hand, worried, but relaxed at his smile and nod. I knew Azelle avoided alcohol at all cost, for the same reason I did. "Toasts are a good way to end a tale, though."

"Which one did you tell him today?"

"Robin and his vigilantes."

"Ah, of course. You always did particularly like that one." Azelle brought two mugs over, one for Lord Lex and one for Lord Shanan. He handed Lord Lex's to him first before helping Lord Shanan take his. "Here you go."

"...This doesn't look like apple cider?" Lord Shanan commented in confusion, looking down at it. He was right, of course, as it wasn't apple cider at all. "It looks like… milk?"

"Warm milk with honey," Azelle confirmed with a smile. Lord Shanan's confusion immediately dropped for the brightest smile I'd ever seen him wear. "Arden hopes he made it properly."

"I can have it? Really?" His eyes sparkled in delight, though he hesitantly glanced at me to be certain. "Super really?"

"I'm the one who asked if anyone could make it for you, so yes, 'super really'," I reassured with a smile. It was hard to not smile at him, especially like this. "You've waited very patiently, after all."

"Thank you!" Based on how he was all but vibrating in sheer delight, I half-expected him to down it all, burning his tongue in the process. However, he was careful to sip it slowly, to make it last, for which I was grateful. "Maybe I did end up in Hestia's Castle…"

"Hestia's Castle?" Lord Lex repeated, nursing his own cider. Azelle returned for his mug and then took a chair from the table to sit next to Lord Lex by Lord Shanan's bed. "Don't think I've heard of that one."

"It's a place you hear of in a lot of Isaachian legends," Lord Shanan explained, wrapping both hands around the mug. It almost hid their trembling; he was tired. "The concept of warm milk with honey comes from those stories, though."

"Really?"

"Yes." Lord Shanan nodded almost solemnly. The effect was ruined, however, when he took another sip of his milk, and gained a 'mustache'. "Even heroes get weary and feel lost. Often, when all seems lost, Hestia of the Hearth guides them to her abode in between the realms so that they may rest and recuperate. Always, she serves them warm milk with honey to ease their rattled nerves and shattered hearts."

"Is that so?" Azelle asked, leaning forward. His eyes sparkled, and I remembered his letters telling me of the stories he loved to read. "Grannvale does not have tales like that. Might I ask what fairies are?"

"Huh? Uh…" Lord Shanan began. He frowned in thought, taking a large gulp of his milk. "Fairies are… they were once people, according to the stories. People who lived, and died, and in death, were elevated by the gods to serve as their attendants. Each one has some worldly or elemental association because of that, and they are able to reach between realms because they are both divine and not."

"Elevated by the gods?" Azelle tilted his head curiously. Lord Lex attempted to steal his mug, his own already empty, but Azelle pulled away with practiced ease. "What for?"

"It depends on the god, and what duty they hold after becoming a fairy."

"Interesting… I wonder…" Azelle sipped his cider, and once again dodged Lord Lex's attempt to steal it. "Verdane has a lot of folklore about fairies and spirits as well. The most infamous is the Spirit Forest to the west, but there are many."

"Which you know because you've stolen basically every book in the library on the subject," Lord Lex teased, suddenly. When Azelle squawked in protest, Lord Lex took advantage of his surprise to successfully steal the mug. "Works every time. Shanan, if you ever need anything from him, tease him first."

"Don't teach him weird things!" Azelle snapped with a scowl. Lord Lex grinned and leaned back in his chair, holding the mug up like a trophy. "Urgh… anyway, Shanan, what sort of fairies are there? Lady Edain claims an 'apple fairy' cheered her up."

"An apple fairy? Really?" Lord Lex frowned, raising a brow skeptically. Lord Shanan simply looked intrigued. "Are we sure she wasn't just hungry or something?"

"I don't think even hunger would literally drop an apple into your lap, or tell you stories about knights and sorcerers."

"Wait, what now? I have to hear this, and Shanan looks up for another story." Indeed, Lord Shanan did. "Come on! Share the gossip!"

"It's not gossip!"

Their talk turned to what Lady Edain had told Azelle of her capture and imprisonment in Marpha. I let the sound drift over me, not paying attention to anything but the medicines and the door in case someone arrived. Eventually, someone did peek inside: Sir Alec. Once he was certain he had my attention, he waved me into the hallway, expression uncharacteristically serious. I finished the last of my measuring and stepped out, wondering if I would deal with another wave of those who tried to 'fix' their survival. "Sorry, I know you have a lot to do already," he whispered, stepping a little further from the door. Though I was uneasy, I followed. "I was gathering information in town and came across an older man who insists he's fine, but…"

"You think he is hiding an injury?" I prompted, already mentally running through all the medicines we had on hand. I would need to stay up late tonight to prep more, clearly. "What sort of symptoms are there?"

"There's a pain in his back and abdominal area, which wouldn't be enough for me to come directly to you, but…" He hesitated before continuing. "I might have imagined it, but when I helped him up, I thought I felt a pulse on his belly. Last time I saw someone experience that, some important blood vessel ruptured and they died fast."

"That… is not good." If he could feel a pulse in the abdominal area, then was it an aneurysm? That would… "Where is he?"

"Sadly, still in town. I tried to convince him to come up to the castle, but he said he couldn't. Had to watch his brother's kids, after…" Sir Alec hesitated once more, but this time it was only to lead me a little further down the hall. "Sorry, I don't want the kid to hear. He will in time, of course, but if we can pretend things are safe for a little longer." I nodded, my mind more focused on what surgery we might have to perform. "Crown Prince Munnir and Second Prince Whatever-His-Name-Was were not kind to the people here. I'm sure you already know that. What wasn't immediately apparent, though, were the conscriptions. Every able bodied man within four days travel of both Genoa and Marpha was snatched up."

"Thus, the only ones left are the women, children, elderly, and those with conditions that prevent them from fighting."

"Yeah, and they even grabbed some of them, laughing about how they'd be good enough 'shields'." Sir Alec leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "I was wondering why the people did not seem to mind our invasion, yet each day, the answer becomes clearer and clearer. Though, it leads to more questions besides."

"That… sounds outside of my knowledge." Perhaps it should be. I was not so foolish as to say politics did not affect people's lives. However… "For now, we should look into their health, specifically of the one you're worried about. Let me gather my things, and send for Lord Sigurd or Lady Ayra." Lord Shanan would not be able to relax without one of us three near.

"I'll get them, and meet you back here."

It was lucky Sir Alec decided to trust his instincts. The man did indeed have an aneurysm, one of the aorta, and worse, it was but seconds away from rupturing. Lady Edain and I had to work through the night to perform the proper surgery and healing, but thankfully, he lived.

Bright laughter drew my attention from my mending, and I looked up to smile at the source: Mister Finn, Lord Oifey, and Lord Shanan. The three were playing cards or, rather, Lord Oifey and Mister Finn were teaching Lord Shanan a popular card game played among the knights, and some comment from Mister Finn sparked the cheer. Lord Oifey's laugh was loud and bright, far more so than you would expect from a child who so often acted wise beyond his years, while Mister Finn's was quieter yet warm, fitting his more serious mien and kind heart. Lord Shanan's was the most surprising, not the least because it was the first time I had heard him laugh. His laugh itself seemed startled and confused, as if he had forgotten the sound, but it was still bright and accompanied by a matching smile.

"Ah, Miss Alicia!" Lord Oifey stepped away from the bed to join me at the table. Originally, he and Mister Finn had been here for lessons, but when we finished for the day, they had chosen to spend time with Lord Shanan. "Is something wrong?" he asked, peering at me curiously. "Is it time for his next dose?"

"No, that isn't it," I reassured, looking down to continue my mending. These would be more clothes for Lord Shanan, so I wanted to finish them quickly. "I was simply watching."

"We're doing our best to keep an eye on how tired Shanan is."

"I know." I glanced up briefly. "I am glad you two have taken to including him. He's blossoming under your care."

"Oh, that's more because of you and Lord Sigurd." Still, Lord Oifey flushed from the indirect praise. "Still, I am… part of it is that I want to make up for pointing out the more... politically wise choice."

"You are, by no means, the only one." I may spend most of my time in the infirmaries, but I knew of the grumblings. They were almost as loud as the grumblings from Lord Sigurd's attempts at negotiating a peaceful surrender with Crown Prince Munnir. "What is another part?"

"Oh, well…" Lord Oifey smiled softly and ducked his head. "When I was younger, my parents died to illness. I don't know what, exactly. It felt like one day they were fine and the next, they were gone." An illness that killed so quickly… I vaguely remembered hearing of such while studying a few years ago. The fatality rate ensured it remained 'localized', but it killed nearly all who contracted it. I probably still had my notes on it, actually. "My grandfather was the brother of Lord Sigurd's grandfather, so they came to the funeral to pay their respects. Everyone was arguing over my head about where I should go, since I was now an orphan."

"Did they decide on Lord Sigurd?"

"Yes, and no." He closed his eyes, his smile warming. "He was the only one who looked at me, truly looked at me, and saw how scared I was. How confused, and how desperately I wanted to cry but not around so many people. He knelt in front of me and ruffled my hair before asking me where I wanted to go. He was the only one to ask me, to take my feelings into account." That certainly sounded like him. "I didn't know, of course. When I told him that, he smiled and asked if I would like to come live with him."

"You, of course, agreed."

"Yes. In the middle of all the dark anxiety, he was a light. Even now, after I know of his copious flaws and irritating habits…" He suddenly made a face, clearly remembering something. I ducked my head to hide my smile. "He is… he is my inspiration. My lodestar." Ah, I understood now. He wished to make Lord Shanan comfortable amidst all the chaos of his current circumstances, just as Lord Sigurd had done for him. "R-regardless…" His cheeks pinkened, embarrassed no doubt by such an earnest admission. "Is he well? Shanan, I mean. Finn and I have been keeping an eye, but…"

"Hmm…" I looked up again to study Lord Shanan, noting the slight trembling in his hands when he picked up the cards, but otherwise… "It might be a good idea to at least finish this round of the game, but I don't see why you two can't..." I trailed off when Mister Finn suddenly looked to the door. "Is someone there?" I had not heard anything yet, but Mister Finn's hearing was keener than mine.

"My pardon, Miss Alicia." Indeed, Mister Finn's ears proved true. Sir Arden was here, and though he spoke calmly, his tone made his simple greeting fall heavily on my ears. When I saw him looming in the doorway with such a grim expression, fully armed and armored, I stood up, already anticipating the next words. "Crown Prince Munnir has refused peace negotiations," he explained. Both Lord Oifey and Mister Finn closed their eyes at the words. Lord Shanan tried his best to not shake, but failed miserably. "He is marching as we speak, and taking retribution on those who supported us."

"I had best prepare a new room to receive them," I murmured, thinking rapidly. What sort of 'retribution' were we talking about here? What would he do? "Where are Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain?"

"They felt they would serve best in the field. Lord Sigurd is leading rescue efforts, of course."

"Yes, Lady Ethlyn for certain would be best in the field, mounted as she is." Lady Edain… well, if she rode with Sir Midir, then she would best be there as well. The triage would be viciously strict; I had no doubts about that. "Sir Arden, inform Lady Ayra that she needs to remain as a guard and to assist the wounded." Her condition would not let her do anything more strenuous. "Mister Finn, you should assist the rescuers. I have some medicines you can carry." Mister Finn stood up and bowed to me, gracefully accepting the order despite how I truly did not have any authority. "Lord Shanan…" Though he would not be near the wounded, if I had anything to say about it, I was not sure he should be alone. Yet I…

"If Shanan doesn't mind, then he can stay with me," Lord Oifey offered. He smiled bitterly when I looked at him. "As much as I would like to assist, I believe I will only hinder your efforts. I'm better suited drafting strategies and tactics to face our foe, and assist in coordinating the rescue efforts. All of which will keep me far away from the wounded." That was… it only occurred to me after a moment of thought just why he thought he would be a hindrance; he remembered when he had frozen at the church. "I will not say it won't be chaotic, of course, but…"

"Very few places will have a moment's peace until all are accounted for." I crouched by Lord Shanan's bed and rested my hands on his. "Will that be all right with you? I would rather you not be alone, especially when your movements would be very limited."

"To keep from being underfoot, right?" Lord Shanan mumbled. He clenched his fists into the blankets, as if he could tear them and make some sense of the world again. "I…" His eyes wavered, and his fear was almost palpable. Without thinking about it, I gently slipped my fingers under his hands to pry them from the blankets and hold them properly. "Okay. I'll do that."

"I have just the room where you two can stay," Sir Arden noted, bowing slightly despite the heavy armor. He made no move to step closer. "Can you walk on your own or will you need to be carried?"

"If… it's not too far, I think I can walk?" Lord Shanan looked to me to confirm, and I nodded. He should have strength enough for that. "I'll rest once I'm there. Promise."

"This way, then."

I helped Lord Shanan out of bed, and saw him off along with Sir Arden and Lord Oifey before gathering those medicines for Mister Finn to take to the rescuers. When he left, I found an empty room to use nearby, tied a strip of cloth too threadbare to use as a bandage to the doorknob to help it stand out against the others, and quickly turned it into a triage-initial treatment room. I was glad Sir Arden had warned me; barely had I moved all the medicines I'd potentially need into the room when Lord Lex burst in with the first of the wounded: a child who had been gutted. That alone told me just what sort of injuries I would need to expect. It didn't make it easier.

Children made up the bulk of the initial waves. A toddler bled out under my fingertips while their twin clung to their arm and screamed in fright and pain as they bled from their own wounds. Another lost their arm, but kept their life. A different one technically lived, but remained in a coma no matter what I did. I wished I had more time to tend to them, but I couldn't. There were others to treat, others to tend, others to fail.

That wasn't to say all of the initial patients were children. I had teens and young adults, just barely too young to be conscripted, all bleeding copiously from so many wounds I could not even begin to guess how they were inflicted. One or two had their limbs crushed to pieces, as if trampled into the mud. Perhaps they had. With each new patient, it became clear just how Crown Prince Munnir 'retaliated': utter annihilation.

At some point during the triage and healing, Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain joined me, returned from the rescue efforts. Sadly, that did not mean more wounded did not arrive after them. Sadly, it did not mean the dead did not pile higher.

"Mama…" one patient mewled, only half-conscious. They were a child, perhaps ten or so, and had no less than seven stab wounds to the chest. "Mama… where…?" I struggled to save them, struggled to heal all the wounds as quickly as possible so that they might live. "Oh… there you are…" But it wasn't enough. They bled out despite my best efforts.

At the realization, I closed my eyes, added another to the count of the dead, and stepped back to move to the next. However, when I noticed we were in a rare moment of calm, I… I did something completely and utterly selfish. I shouldn't have. It was terrible of me. But I walked into one of the side rooms, shut the door behind me, and collapsed in tears. I made sure to cover my mouth so that I would not be heard, and bit back the worst of the sobs as I shook. There were just so many dead, so many I failed. Even though it was nothing but selfish, I could not hold back the tears any longer.

So, I stole a moment to cry. I stole a moment to fall apart. Then, I would be right back to it all, saving as many as I could. Then, I would be a proper healer again.

Alec

Class: Cavalier

Skills: Pursuit, Nihil

Holy Blood: None

The second son of a local baron who was 'born on the wrong side of the bed', most would be surprised by the good relationship he has with his family, particularly his stepmother, his father's legal wife. He regularly visits them whenever his duties permit, and delights in spoiling his niece and nephew.

While fast and skilled, his primary duties for Sigurd have him prioritize stealth and accuracy and neutralization of an opponent's techniques, meaning he is not as strong as his fellow knights. He hides this weakness well due to being mounted and always working in tandem with others, but that is more to cover his true duties than out of any sort of embarrassment.

While it was always expected he would be a knight, he had originally planned on being a knight for his family's house. However, his infrequent meetings with Sigurd over the years and seeing the sort of man he was led him instead to become Sigurd's knight instead. He admires his kindness and loyalty, and prides himself on doing his part to ensure his lord's safety.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5) Shine

Those were not the only wounded refugees we received. Every day, more tumbled and crawled through our gates, all with the same story. Crown Prince Munnir had turned his blade against them and now, their only hope for safety lied with those who invaded, with those whose hands were stained with the blood of their kin. It sounds like a poor joke or, worse, propaganda to justify a conquest, yet it is exactly the sort of situation we find ourselves in.

It's uncomfortable, but I do not let my unease show. It's all the more important to be calm when the world around is whirling into madness. At least, that was what Father Eirik always said…

I had minimal contact with anyone under the age of three. Newborns, infants, toddlers… everyone usually went straight to the church for health matters pertaining to the three and even when I lived and studied in the Church, Father Eirik would not allow me to assist. 'Fire scorches all, and the newly born are too fragile for your flames.' Those were the words he always said when I requested to help and he refused. They were words I remembered when I left to live in my little house, and thus, I never treated them. As such, I never studied what was typical or atypical about their health and I sorely regretted such laziness now. The influx of refugees led to a corresponding influx in newborns, infants, and toddlers. In fact, some of the 'newly born' were born within these very walls! Thankfully, Lady Ethlyn could, and did, handle all treatment during the birthings, but the newborns' health fell to me. This did not include the infants and newborns who were newly orphaned by the assaults, and now were entrusted to us as the civilians struggled to build some semblance of normality amidst the shards.

"Ah, so intraventricular hemorrhages are not uncommon for premature babies," I murmured, rapidly reading through one of many books I had stolen from the library here in Genoa. Several more were haphazardly spread across the table I sat at, all opened to sections I needed to study immediately. "Why would that… oh, their blood vessels aren't fully developed. This makes sense. So, the recommended treatment is… drat, is it truly to treat the symptoms?" It was distressing to read, and I already knew it would be equally distressing trying to explain to panicked mothers. Yet if that was what had to be done, it would be done. "I had best review the most efficient method for that, then." But first, there was one more thing I needed to research. "Where was the section on necrotizing enterocolitis again? It best matched the symptoms for that one baby…"

Thus I spent my early mornings, desperately studying all I could and hope it would be enough to last the day, as once the sun finally crested the horizon, I had to be back at work. In between tending to patients, I made medicines to replenish our stocks and triple-checked our inventories. I had to. Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain had enough worries, and it was my duty to manage the infirmaries. Just as it was my duty, and truthfully my pleasure as well, to tend to Lord Shanan, which I always made sure to do just after the morning runs. He still required multiple checkups per day, though his health improved by leaps and bounds since his stomach had recovered enough for a proper diet.

"Hey..." Lord Shanan quietly began during one such checkup. I 'hmm'ed to let him know I was listening, even as I continued to check him over. He still remained abed for most of the day, and as such, one thing I had to watch for was pressure ulcers. The last thing he needed was more health complications. "Why are there no elderly among the refugees?"

...It was only training which kept my hands moving. My mind froze at the innocent, and valid, question. For he was right; there were few one could call 'elderly' among the current batch of refugees. It was... purposeful, though not necessarily at the choice of our soldiers. As I mentally scrabbled for some sort of answer, memories came flooding back. I remembered so very clearly treating some of our sobbing soldiers, who told of how the elderly victims refused to be taken. Their stories of how they had smiled and shoved their would-be rescuers away, to focus on the young, lingered like parasite, and the soldiers had screamed of how they listened, but should not have. They had screamed, sobbed, wailed about the ones left behind, almost all old enough to be their parents or grandparents and left to die because there were just so many injured.

Only a handful made it to Genoa. Only a handful made it to me. All of that handful died, injuries too great and left too long to survive.

"They must've all died," Lord Shanan answered for himself when I remained silent too long. My heart ached at the easy way he said it. "Death comes fast, doesn't it?" My heart ached more when he looked up at me, and all I saw in his empty gaze was resignition. "Like that patient you had to rush for earlier. I saw him walking earlier, laughing down the hall despite his crutches. Then he was gone."

"...He had a pulmonary embolism," I explained without thinking about it. My mind had latched onto the patient Lord Shanan spoke of, a vibrant man in his thirties. While rescuing one of the civilians, he'd broken his femur. 'Shattered' was more accurate, technically speaking, and some fat from the marrow had slipped into the veins and arteries and... "It strained his heart too much."

"Embolism?" Lord Shanan frowned, and a little bit of light flickered in his eyes again. I was glad to see it. With both Lord Oifey and Mister Finn busy, he'd been by himself with his thoughts far too often these past few days. "What's that? What's a pulmonary? What does it have to do with the heart?"

"Hmm? Ah..." What should I do? Surely such a topic was too morbid for a child. Yet he looked so genuinely interested and I wanted to keep his eyes alight and brimming with curiosity... "Hold on a moment." I briefly left his side to peruse my books, picking one I had read as a child, and returned to sit by his side. "'Pulmonary' is a medical term used for the lungs."

"Lungs are what help you breathe, right?" Lord Shanan leaned into my side and a small smile crept onto his face as I flipped open the book. "But you said his heart?"

"Yes, that's due to the circulatory system." I found the diagram I wanted, and pointed to it. "They're what helps your blood flow through your body. Veins and arteries are part of it." Carefully, I took his hand and had him trace one 'path' through the body, to help him understand. "Now, an 'embolism' occurs when some sort of foreign material blocks an artery."

"Like a sword?"

"No, a sword cuts through. This is a blockage." Still, I had to bite back a little laugh at the mental image. "We can talk more about what can cause such a thing later. Do you see how close the lungs are to the heart in the diagram?"

"Hmm... oh, yeah, they're both right there! Is that why?"

"It's part, yes."

We had to arrange his pillows some to get comfortable while I explained both the circulatory system and the pressures which could build up within. From there, he asked other questions and I answered each one to the best of my abilities. At some point during the impromptu medical lesson, Lord Sigurd swung by. Yet he did not interrupt. Instead, he remained in the doorway, watching with a small, amused smile. Eventually, however, Lord Shanan's questions were interspersed with yawns and soon, he could keep his eyes open no longer. After promising to teach him more 'later', he nodded off for a late morning nap and I tucked the blankets around him as best as I could. Only then did I actually acknowledge Lord Sigurd's presence, though it was simply a look and a raised brow.

"He looked so enthralled; I couldn't bear to interrupt," Lord Sigurd joked, answering the unspoken question. He watched Lord Shanan sleep for a moment, no doubt seeing if he would have nightmares. Yet as Lord Shanan continued to slumber, he came to my side. "I wanted to ask about a couple of things, if you don't mind."

"What is it?" I asked in return, shutting my book and returning it to the shelf. Then I returned to my work area and began my next batch of medicines, while checking on those I left to steep. "Is it the soldiers I did not clear for combat?"

"No, your list was quite clear and I appreciate the list of reasons written next to them." Was it not normal to do that? It felt only proper. "I wanted to ask about the civilian who you declared brain dead yesterday morning. His funeral just ended." Ah, so it was that one then... "His widow wanted to know more."

"I see." I didn't blame her. From what she'd seen, her husband had been recovering nicely. Yet now, he was... "It was the head trauma he'd suffered. The fractured skull led to a weakening of the arteries, which led to..." I was about to list off more technical terms, simply out of habit, but I stopped myself in time. He would relay this to a very distraught widow. It was better to keep it simple. "It led to his blood vessels weakening and, unfortunately, they burst and resulted in a massive hemorrhage in his brain. The resulting pressure caused his brain to shift and distort within the skull, causing even more damage." Thus, while he'd technically been 'alive', he... wasn't. He couldn't even breathe on his own anymore. So, with permission from his family, we'd let him die in truth. "That's... it, truly."

"So that's why his condition suddenly deteriorated." Though he tried to smile, it was naught but a quirk of the lips. "I... think I'll avoid telling her about the distortion part, though."

"That might be a good idea, yes." Few liked to talk about such things. "His funeral was held quite quickly, wasn't it?"

"It's apparently traditional in Verdane to hold the funeral as soon as possible after the death." Lord Sigurd leaned against the wall by the door, crossing his arms over his chest. "It was interesting. The prayers mentioned 'returning to the earth which birthed him'." I supposed it was true; the corpse would eventually rot and become part of the soil. "Ah, but I'm getting distracted. Edain mentioned afterwards you two would perform a surgery later this evening? A…" Lord Sigurd frowned, trying to remember the word. "A fasciotomy?"

"Yes, we are." I was glad to move away from the talk of funerals. I didn't like them. I never had. "We're trying to relieve the pressure building up inside their arm, to reduce the chances of having to amputate it." It was far from the first, and likely would not be the last such surgery we performed. Just yesterday, we had to perform a similar surgery on a child who had been trapped inside a burning shed and suffered terrible burns, though that involved removing the eschar that had formed around their leg. "Before you ask, the pressure is building due to how their arm fractured."

"Well, that's more than what I got from Edain. All she said was 'compartment syndrome' and left me to try and figure out what she meant." He briefly made a face, and I couldn't help but smile a little in amusement. "So many injuries… this isn't going into the more 'typical' injuries…" He was right. No refugee made it to us unscathed. While most thankfully didn't suffer further complications from their lacerations and bruises, those who did suffered greatly in every sense of the word. "Will you be free after the surgery?"

"I… believe so?" I tilted my head, confused, and became more confused when he smiled. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I was simply thinking it might do Shanan some good to get some fresh air." Ah, I saw now. Due to everything, it had been a while since Lord Sigurd and I had taken Lord Shanan to the market. "I also thought it might be good to see what the apothecaries might have. A few merchants have braved the roads behind our lines as well, so they may have something interesting."

"That is true…" I mentally debated it for a moment, before nodding. "Yes, let's plan for it, then." After all, Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain would be here to treat the injured, and I would be near if something catastrophic occurred.

"Wonderful!" His smile grew and I smiled back. "Send word when you're finished and ready to head out."

"I shall."

Later, after Mister Finn swung by to keep Lord Shanan company, I made sure to inform Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain I would be out, just in case something happened. For some reason, both had been giggly over it. I wonder what had been so amusing.

Crown Prince Munnir's annihilation of his own people did not abate in the coming days. Instead, it grew worse, as we soon received refugees from villages on the other side of Marpha. The justification he'd screeched alongside his orders had been to 'prevent them from falling into enemy hands'. The true reason became clear within hours: bait.

"Damn him!" Lord Sigurd snapped, glaring at nothing as he paced the length of his office. I was reminded of those caged lions you'd sometimes see poachers drag down the road in cages, bristling and eagerly awaiting a chance to snap. "Damn him to the deepest part of the seventh hell!"

"Do you intend to keep shouting?" I asked, making some tea in the back corner. Though I truthfully should have been in the infirmary, Lady Ethlyn thought it best to inform her brother of just how the soldiers were injured this time. For some reason, she insisted I be the messenger. "You are more than welcome to, of course, but I'd want to add a different herb to this mix to ease the strain." Then I'd need to add another one to mask the flavor. He favored milder teas, the ones which tasted light and earthy no matter how long you steeped them.

"I... no." He sighed slowly and all but collapsed into a chair, resting his head in his hands. "No, I just... it's hard to comprehend. He's a prince. He should be protecting his people. Not using them as..." He groaned, somehow curling further into himself. "And I fell for the trap. Completely and utterly. And Quan..."

"Lord Quan's injuries are minor." Finished with the tea, I brought it over to him, though I had to nudge his leg to get him to sit up enough to take it. "He was complaining of Lady Ethlyn's fussing when I left." He had been one of the leaders of the rescue groups, and had been the first to notice the ambush. All of his group had ended up with minor injuries, thanks to that.

"Of course he was." Once more, he sighed, but at least he sipped his tea. "To use his own people simply to lure us into ambush... what sort of madman is Munnir? And, perhaps more importantly, why was he still the heir if his beliefs ran against his father's so?" There were no answers, of course, merely speculation. "How are they?"

"Lord Quan and the soldiers he had traveled with are stable. Sir Alec's group shall likely appear later, since they sought the furthest village from us." They had been the only groups, however. Crossing into enemy territory was a risk in of itself. Rescue missions were even more so. Even I knew this. "However, I believe one of the groups rescuing civilians from the nearby villages are due soon."

"No doubt with their own injuries, and more injured. Assuming, of course, there's any untouched village within a day's travel of here." Lord Sigurd tightened his grip on his mug, and, to my surprise, the handle suddenly cracked. "Ack!"

"Here." I helped him catch the mug before it fell and spilled scalding tea all over him, instead of just his hand, and set the handle-less mug on his desk before taking his hand. "Mild burns... bleeding..." I could see some ceramic chips within the wounds themselves. "Do you have a kit in here or should I rush to the infirmary?"

"I have basics here, simply out of habit." He made to stand, but refrained when I gave him a look. "Second left drawer in the desk."

"Habit?" I fetched the 'kit' (bandages, antiseptic, tweezers) and some cool water to tend to his hand. He made a face, but did not fight me as I picked out the small chips from the cuts. "I take it this has happened before?"

"I believe I have told you this, but Neit's blessing to Baldr included a boost to strength. So, it is not the first time I gripped something too hard in frustration and broke it. Nor is it the first time I had to pick things out of my hand." He still flinched slightly at the pain, but otherwise held perfectly still. "Hmm? Who's there?" I hadn't... heard anything?

"Your darling and adorable little sister, of course!" However, Lady Ethlyn cheerfully skipped inside, though her smile was quick to falter when she saw me bandaging Lord Sigurd's hand. "What happened?" she asked softly, drooping with the words. Lord Sigurd smiled reassuringly at her. "Please tell me you didn't break your hand somehow."

"Do our bones break? We're Holy Blooded, after all." Lord Sigurd asked rhetorically. He still smiled for her. "No, I stupidly splashed my tea. That's all." It seemed strange for him to describe it as such, but then I noticed him purposely shifting to conceal the broken mug from her. He wished to hide it. "What brings you here?"

"What? I need a reason to see my sweet and reckless older brother?" She feigned innocence for one full second before smiling awkwardly. "A group returned, though it seems they... didn't find survivors."

"...I see." Lord Sigurd closed his eyes. I had to look away myself. "I should speak with them, then."

"I figured you would, and unfortunately, I need to steal Miss Alicia away from you for the infirmary." ...That was... an odd way to put it. I glanced at Lord Sigurd for an answer, but he looked just as confused as I felt. "Sorry~?" It... was best to nod and move on.

Lady Ethlyn still left before me, of course. After all, I had to finish tending to Lord Sigurd's hand and we had to clean up the mess left behind by the broken mug. Then I found a new mug and made him a fresh pot. He insisted I didn't have to, but I did so anything. I... wanted to, and he certainly smiled at the tea. Once I was finished, though, I strode as briskly as I could down the hall, quietly running through the typical injuries our rescue groups returned with. Since this one found no survivors, then I had little doubts we'd have things such as muscle strain and splinters in hands from too forcfully moving wooden beams. No doubt there was mud in the scrapes as well, from digging graves, and no small few would have large bruises on their backs from where they ventured too far within and had a house collapse on them. Broken legs would also be an issue, as floors gave out from under their feet and-

A very loud 'slam' cut through my mental list, and, disoriented, I tried to place the sound. I thought... it might be someone hitting something, and followed the echoes as best as I could to track the source. It didn't take long. I simply had to round a corner to find Lord Lex snarling in an empty hallway, his fist still against the wall. I hesitated a moment before walking to his side and clasped my hands in front of me. "Lord Lex?" I called softly, mostly to ensure I had his attention. When he leaned away from the wall, I saw he had blood on his knuckles. Given Nal's blessing, just how hard did he...? "Here, we should-"

"I'm fine," he growled, turning his snarl my way. I kept my calm and held his gaze, and slowly, he made himself relax. "It'll heal." In fact, he looked away, somehow both sullen and apologetic. "I just... needed to punch something."

"Is that so?" I carefully took his hand, pausing whenever he flinched and moving slowly so he had time to adapt. "I do not think you broke bones. You will need to clean and bandage this, though. What has you so frustrated?"

"You mean besides everything?" His words were sharp with dryness, but I simply waited. "...Not sure if you knew, but I was part of the group that just came back. The one that brought back no one."

"I heard there were no survivors."

"No, there were." He tensed up again, and I busied myself with checking his knuckles one more time. Thankfully, they were just scraped. "It's just... they were on death's door. Neit had one hand on them. They wouldn't... they wouldn't survive the trip. We knew this. They knew this. So, we..." His breath caught, and his eyes shone with unshed tears. He was quick to duck his head, quick to hide, and I pretended to not see. "We left them. Left them to die. Just to try and find someone, anyone, who might make it."

"I see." Leaving someone in pain... that wasn't something... I liked doing. Yet it was a frustration I knew well, from triage. Sometimes, the wounds were simply too great. Some wounds could not heal. Trying to save them would simply lengthen their suffering, and lead you to lose another patient you could've saved. It was terrible, a cruel reminder of how 'saving everyone' was nothing but a childish ideal. Yet... yet I... "Before you leave again, come to me."

"Huh?"

"Come to me, and I... will give you sleep medicines." I disliked using them in a triage setting. Truthfully, I always hesitated to use them in general, particularly when there were so many patients. But perhaps... perhaps... "I ask you let it be their choice." It felt wrong. No, it felt more than 'wrong'. My stomach churned at the thought. Yet if it could bring some comfort to both the dying and the soldiers, then... "But I will give you them."

"...Thanks..." He managed a shaky smile, and I smiled back. "I'll... handle bandaging this on my own. You've work to do. I think Alec's group returned shortly after mine, and they got ambushed."

"Check with me later."

"All right, all right…"

Truthfully, I wished I could tend to it then and there, to be certain it was treated properly. However, Lady Ethlyn had already requested my presence in the infirmary, and if what Lord Lex had said was true, then I simply did not have the time. I had to return to my patients as soon as possible and, when I did arrive in the infirmary, it was all too obvious I should have arrived even sooner. Nevertheless, there was no time to despair. I had to simply dive right into the mess.

The work was fast and furious, filthy and bloody. The smells and groans were almost enough to drive one mad. No matter how many times I went through it, those observations lingered like maggots, wriggling through my brain. My hands kept steady, though. They needed to keep steady. People didn't stop dying just because someone else went through trauma.

"Ugh… why do they keep yanking arrows out of the wounds in the field?" Lady Ethlyn groaned, barely keeping his voice to a proper level. Yes, all of our current patients were either heavily sedated or unconscious, but that was no excuse. "I've nearly cut up this man's entire arm and still haven't found the damn arrowhead." She had to find it soon. Otherwise, we'd have yet another soldier taken off duty due to an abscess, and we'd no doubt have to deal with necrosis as well. Arrows were meant to kill and, left alone, they'd fulfill their purpose. "Oh, Miss Alicia, your dagger…"

"I had to put it down to feel," I replied, knowing what she'd say. After all, my dagger was set on the edge of my table in a place where it could too easily be jarred off. However, given how I had to lean awkwardly over my sedated patient to push the arrow through their back, it was the only place where I could easily reach it while doing what I needed. "I am almost done, however, so I can assist you soon." After a little more pushing, I felt and saw the bulge of the arrowhead under their skin, so I retrieved my dagger and cut a small hole to help it break through. My patient whimpered, but otherwise didn't react. "There we are…" From there, it was relatively easy to remove the arrow, and I could finally work on treating the wound itself. "Still, you have been looking for a while?"

"And yet, still nothing. With that said, I think Edain might need more help than me."

"I'm almost done!" Lady Edain protested, somewhere behind me. I spared a second to look at her, and saw she had braced a knee against her patient's bed to try and muster enough strength to pull the arrow out of her unconscious patient's arm. "It's just… deeper in the bone than I thought…" Despite her 'reassurances', given how much force she was using, I finished with my patient as quickly as I could to rush to her side. "Oh!" As such, I just managed to keep her from falling to the ground once the arrow finally dislodged and she tumbled backwards. "The arrow didn't fly, did it?" Even as she asked, she looked to the forceps-wire contraption we'd devised for this purpose, and the arrow remained precisely where it should, arrowhead in the loop of wire with the shaft perfectly intact. "Good, good… no fragments either…" Then it was just treating the bone and wound.

"…Switch with Lady Ethlyn," I instructed, taking the forceps from her. Lady Edain looked at me curiously. "Perhaps you'll have more luck finding the arrowhead."

"Is that a joke on my Holy Blood and the legendary luck associated with Ullr?" Lady Edain laughed as if it was, so I saw no reason to correct her. In truth, I was so exhausted I had actually forgotten. "Ethlyn, let's see if it holds true."

"I'm definitely not above abusing that luck, especially given the weird situations we've gotten into and out of in the past," Lady Ethlyn agreed, eagerly dashing over. I had to actually stop and silently remind her to clean her hands; she'd been digging through her first patient's wound. "I knew growing up arrows were dangerous, but I never realized just how annoying they were from a healer's perspective."

"Munnir's archers aren't even their best," Lady Edain murmured, washing her hands before reaching into her new patient's arm wound. It hadn't appeared bad when they'd arrived, a slit with a bruise, but because we absolutely had to find the arrowhead… well, Lady Ethlyn had not been exaggerating about 'cutting the arm up'. Now Lady Edain had to feel around for it. "Prince Jamke's are, though I hope we don't face them."

"If we did, we'd have many more deaths, wouldn't we?" As it was, we truthfully had no deaths. Though we had one particularly bad patient in the back corner, for now we simply had numerous arrow wounds and heavily sedated (or unconscious) soldiers. Those with more minor wounds, such as Sir Alec himself, had already left to rest in their own beds.

"I have little doubts that would be the case, but truthfully, I don't wish to face them because Prince Jamke is the one who saved Dew and me." Oh? Now, why would he do that?

"Oh, right, you'd mentioned that…" Lady Ethlyn brought up her staff to begin treatment, and I went to clean the forceps-wire tool. I had no doubts we'd need it again far too soon, and the current patients were stable enough for me to spare the time. "After, of course, you nearly cried your eyes out on Sigurd's shoulder!"

"Why shouldn't I have? Everything had been hectic and then he went and did a recklessly stupid thing!" Lady Edain scowled briefly before tilting her head and peering more closely at her patient's arm. "Oh, there's the arrowhead."

"Already?!"

"Yes, and it's barbed. Can someone fetch me quills? I don't want to risk moving my hand and losing it."

I left the forceps to soak in the sink and snagged the quills we kept on hand just for this purpose. To minimize all chances of losing the arrowhead, I guided the quills in for her and Lady Edain removed the arrowhead with a triumphant, and perhaps a tad smug, giggle. Of course, from there, we had to still tend to the patient's arm, and given their other injuries, I made sure to add their name to the list of soldiers who would be on medical leave for the next few weeks.

"Hey, hey! Brought clean things for you!" While I went through the list at my desk, and Lady Edain and Lady Ethlyn finished tending to our remaining patients, Mister Dew teetered into the room, somehow balancing a stack of towels taller than he was. How he didn't fall or run into something, I didn't know. "Midir also wanted me to remind you three that food will be ready soon," he continued, peaking around the stack to smile at us. His smile morphed into a smirk when he focused on Lady Edain. "I told you he was alive. Wouldn't leave a pretty lady alone to cry, particularly one so nice!"

"You did, indeed," Lady Edain laughed, smiling softly and warmly. Since Lady Ethlyn looked confused, I guessed this was a conversation the two had while in the prisons of Marpha. "Thank you for carrying all of this, Dew. Let's get them to the table here."

"Might need an escort. Dodging in the halls is one thing, but maneuvering in here is another entirely." Was it bad? I made sure to keep clear paths to everything and everyone, though? Perhaps I needed to redesign our layout.

"Follow me, Dew!" Lady Ethlyn replied, smiling brightly. Her patient was fully bandaged and sleeping soundly, proving she had finished. She needed to clean the area a little more, but I knew from experience she'd be scrubbing before long. She just needed to take a step back and reorient herself. "We'll want them on this table here." Besides, she made sure to clean her hands before taking the top half of the towel stack from Mister Dew and showing him where to set them. "Splendid! Both for this and the food. My stomach is gnawing on my marrow at this point!"

"Sure it is." Mister Dew smiled awkwardly, glancing around the room now that he was free from his burden. His gaze immediately fell on one patient in the corner, our lone 'bad patient' in this particular rush, and his eyes widened. "Uh…Why is there a patch stitched to his stomach? And can I see the inside of his…?"

"His horse was shot out from under him, and he'd ended up crushed underneath the corpse. The resulting wounds and internal bleeding built up in his abdomen. We had to cut it open to keep everything from deteriorating further. Pressure build up inside the body is... well, bad." Lady Ethlyn went to check on that patient's stitches, ensuring our patch held firm, before returning to her second patient to clean up properly. "We can't sew him back shut until we're certain we've treated everything, though. So, the patch is there to hold things together and inside."

"Medicine is weird." Mister Dew nodded to himself a couple times before shrugging. I frowned when I noticed the shrug almost hid a slight wince. "Well, I'll get out of your way." He smiled and walked backwards towards the door. Yet now that I was paying attention, I could see there was an odd spot on his neck... "I'll be back later, probably, so-"

"Mister Dew, come here," I ordered softly, beckoning him over to me. Though he was confused, he obeyed and held still as I checked that spot. I frowned further when I found it was a healing bruise just under his ear, almost hidden by his hair. "You're injured." Glancing around, I hooked my foot around a nearby chair and dragged it over for him to sit for an examination. Running my fingers over his scalp, I found distinct knots, and a peek under his collar revealed more bruises, far more recent, on his back. "You should have come to me about this."

"Not that big of a deal…" Mister Dew mumbled, looking down at the ground. He held himself terribly rigid while I worked, and I worried I was overwhelming him. Yet I had to look… "Had worse."

"That does not mean you don't feel pain."

"I... well..."

"How were you even injured?" Lady Edain asked, bringing me a staff. I immediately used it to heal the worst of it, before working on a more thorough examination. There were… many more bruises, all of various degrees of healing. "How long?"

"Huh? Uh... well..." Mister Dew began, still mumbling. He refused to look up and he became tenser and tenser by the second. "...diers..."

"Pardon?" Lady Edain crouched down next to his chair to look up at his face, expression as gentle and serene as can be. "I didn't hear you."

"...Soldiers." He curled into himself, trying to make himself smaller. "It's fine. It's normal." He spoke quickly, words breathy with faint yet building panic. We were definitely overwhelming him. "I'm an easy target. They want a scapegoat to beat out frustrations, and I'm Verdanite, so-"

"So?" While on the surface, Lady Edain's expression didn't so much as twitch, the cold fury simmering in her eyes turned what had been gentle to unnatural. "My, I had no idea our soldiers had the same reasoning capacity as beasts." She stood slowly and brushed off the front of her skirt. "Miss Alicia, if you do not mind, I think I shall take my break now." I nodded and waved her away, more focused on tending Mister Dew. We were done for now anyway; Lady Ethlyn and I could handle the rest. "My deepest thanks." Without another word, she strode out of the infirmary with all the dignity in the world and more.

"...Why is she mad?" Mister Dew watched her leave, surprise swallowing his panic briefly. "I... did I make her mad? Should I not have said anything? I probably shouldn't have said anything, or made up a lie, but..."

"Dew, she's not mad at you," Lady Ethlyn explained, coming over to kneel in front of him. Unlike Lady Edain, she kept a small, but noticeable, distance, no doubt realizing how overwhelmed he had been before. "She's mad for you. She's mad on your behalf. She's mad you suffered so." Mister Dew frowned in confusion, and Lady Ethlyn shook her head. "I don't know your past, Dew, but that's what it is. The past. Now, you are here, with us. That means all your wounds get fussed over and treated. It's no different than anyone else here." She smiled wryly. "Sigurd will probably explain it better, and in a more believable way. And, trust me, as soon as he learns what happened, and he will because Edain rarely hides anything from him, then you'll get the full speech along with more apologies than you can count!"

"For now, however, you need treatment," I murmured, moving to Mister Dew's side so he could see me. He wore a skeptical frown, face still scrunched with clear confusion. Lady Ethlyn looked ready to sigh at it, but I... I knew why he felt this way. "Will you take off your shirt for me? We need to apply some balm to these bruises." I knew the reason very well.

Mister Dew couldn't quite believe her because he'd become too used to fending for himself. He had learned long ago to not request help, because no one would give it no matter how loudly he screamed. He had learned he would always be the target, and it was better to keep your head down and hide. No, he couldn't believe her. I knew because I knew it too. I wished he didn't, though. I truly wished he didn't.

Crown Prince Munnir's ambushes did not let up in the coming days. Using their knowledge of the terrain, they would strike quickly and then dart back into the shadows of the trees, always circling near villages and the ruins of villages. After all, the raids on them continued and though we knew the danger, we couldn't simply leave them to die. The number of refugees increased, and our supplies soon stretched thin. I wasn't sure what I worried about most: our medicinal supplies or our food. It wasn't safe to forage, it was even less safe for travel, and a proper diet was important to maintaining good health. Already, some of our soldiers showed signs of anemia and it would only become worse. Yet I did not let my worries show. There were too many wounded.

"Lord Oifey, I need you to pass me those quills," I instructed, holding out one hand. I knew to wait a moment, as Lord Oifey needed to steel himself before approaching. "I do not want to lose the arrowhead." I also knew it helped to explain why I needed his assistance.

"H-here," Lord Oifey replied squeakily, the word stumbling out of his mouth. I studied him out of the corner of my eye as he handed me two quills, and decided he was both paler and greener than he'd been earlier. "Why do you shove those in the wound?"

"It's to cover the barbs of the arrowhead and allow me to safely remove it." Carefully, I slid the base of the feathers into the arrow wound on my patient's back, using my arm and fingers as guides. Only once I'd confirmed the barbs were covered did I actually begin extracting the arrowhead.

"I see." Lord Oifey's complexion blanched further at the blood streaming down my current patient's back, but he resolutely turned his attention to them, keeping his eyes on their face. "Sir, if I may, I have a few questions I wish to ask..."

I knew the routine by now. It was the same with almost every soldier I'd treated these past few days. Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain focused on tending to the refugees while I managed the soldiers, and Lord Oifey insisted on helping me. He wanted to talk to the soldiers as soon as possible, for his own reasons, and seeing his resolve, I had accepted. Perhaps I shouldn't, given how poorly he faired amidst the blood and stench, yet he returned each day and followed my instructions. He was always careful to not strain the patient, and never pushed with his questions. He never asked so many he could not assist me when I needed it. So, how could I not support his resolve? Lord Sigurd never complained. If anything, he'd looked proud when he checked in those first few times.

When I finished with this batch of patients, Lord Oifey followed me to Lord Shanan's room. This, too, had become routine over the past few days. Once within, I would check on Lord Shanan's health and progress, and Lord Oifey would busy himself with jotting down notes and marking things on a map he insisted on rolling out on the table. He normally finished before me, and would set up my medicine-making supplies while he waited. Afterwards, he'd talk with Lord Shanan, letting the light-hearted chatter ease his heart, and so the two would remain for the rest of the day until Mister Finn returned from his patrols. Only then would the three settle into card games and stories, and I would either mend or make medicines as I kept an eye on them. Then everything would more or less repeat once the afternoon rolled in.

That was our usual. That was what I expected. It was not what happened. Halfway through my examination, Lord Oifey suddenly shouted and everything dissolved into chaos. Why? The sudden noise sent Lord Shanan spiralling into a panic.

"Easy, easy..." I whispered, crouching near Lord Shanan. His eyes were wide, his gaze unfocused. He shook uncontrollably, and struggled to breathe. He was clammy to the touch, his complexion pale. "Lord Shanan..." He choked on something, perhaps a scream, and withdrew from me. "I am here. You are safe." Normally, such a reassurance was enough, but not this time. "Lord Oifey?"

"Yes?" Lord Oifey replied, sounding breathless and surprisingly elated. "...Shanan?" However, by the time I looked over my shoulder, whatever glee he'd had fled for worry and guilt. "I... did I...?"

"Lord Oifey, I need you to fetch Lord Sigurd and Lady Ayra." Perhaps between the three of us, we could reassure him.

"Of course." Lord Oifey's expression steeled and he nodded curtly. "I'll be right back. Promise." So he said, but even as he strode to the door, we had our next complication.

"Is everyone all right?!" Namely, Sir Alec burst inside, sword at the ready, and Lord Shanan's panic only grew worse at the flash of the blade. "I... what?" he asked, looking around slowly. Lord Oifey looked exasperated, and perhaps another time, I might have been as well, but my focus was solely on helping Lord Shanan. It was hard. He gasped for air, and his pupils dilated large enough to nearly eclipse the iris. "I... I heard you shout, little lord. You never shout, so I thought there was a..."

"No, there's no attack," Lord Oifey answered slowly. He looked more and more unamused by the second. "Well, one needing blades." Sir Alec guiltily looked over at Lord Shanan and me, realizing what happened in an instance. "So, instead, how about you help me find our lord and Lady-?" Then came the third complication.

"Alec, are they okay?!" This time, it was Sir Naoise rushing in, who also had his blade in hand. "You're... standing around awkwardly, so I hope so," Sir Naoise commented, oblivious to the situation. "Though, that was certainly a loud shout, we heard it all the way in the stables, so what could have caused..." He was also completely oblivious to how the second blade only sent Lord Shanan spiraling further, becoming pale enough to pick out the individual capillaries in his face. And I... I... This way just...!

"Everyone out!" I found myself yelling. The volume surprised me as did how much my throat hurt from the strain. When... had I last yelled? I couldn't remember. I'd always been scolded and punished for yelling. Yelling, screaming... if it made my voice crackle like fire, Father Eirik had been quick to reprimand me. I had to be calm, in control. Blood would always tell, and given my father, any slip could mean ruin. He had always reminded me, and when I became a healer, he had scoffed at how 'improper' it was for a healer to lose her calm. So, I shouldn't yell. I shouldn't. Yet... "Out, out, out!" Yet not only did I yell, but I shoved Sir Alec, Sir Naoise, and even Lord Oifey out of the room entirely before shutting the door behind them.

As soon as it 'clicked' shut, I focused all of my attention on Lord Shanan, struggling to help him through this. Without thinking, I took his hands, and his eyes snapped to mine. I worried I made things worse myself, between this and my yelling, but a flash of clarity flicked through his otherwise unfocused eyes and he lunged forward to cling to me. I hugged him back as tightly as I dared, hoping it did not feel nearly as awkward for him as it did for me. After all, I had only hugged Arvis before... no, that wasn't true. I had hugged Azelle once. But it had only been them, certainly no one so small. Yet he clung and clung, trembling and gasping, and I would not let go. If he wanted a hug, then he would have one. If he needed something, anything, to ground him, then I had no qualms being that anchor. Whatever it took to help him feel safe once more, I would do.

Eventually, his breath evened. Eventually, his shaking stilled. Yet still, he clung to me, fingers twisted into the back of my dress. Thus still, I held him.

A quiet knock on the door was the only disruption to the stillness. Lord Shanan tensed in my arms, but when no one burst in, he relaxed once more. Slowly, he looked up at me, complexion showing some color at last, though still pale. I smiled at him, and nodded to the door in silent question. After a second, he nodded in equally silent answer, and buried his face into my chest once more, still scared, still panicked, but wanting to step forward.

Only when he settled did I turn to the door and call, "you may come in." Surprisingly, there was still a second's hesitation before it clicked open, but when I saw our visitor, it became obvious why. After all, though Lord Sigurd knew I would not allow anyone to enter without Lord Shanan's permission, he knew Lord Shanan might still need a breath or two to steel himself.

"I had a very contrite squire drag me from my office to hear the explanation from the even more contrite knights squirming in the halls," he noted lightly, both explaining his presence and making light of everything to brighten the mood. As typical, it worked. Lord Shanan lifted his head to smile shakily, and eased his grip on me some. He did not let go fully, though, so I continued holding him. "How are you feeling, Shanan?"

"I..." Lord Shanan tried to begin, but his voice was naught but a croak. He coughed to try and clear it. "I'm..."

"Easy, Shanan. You don't need to force yourself." Lord Sigurd sat on the bed with us and Lord Shanan shifted to simply lean against me. He kept a firm grip on me, though, so I only moved just enough to ensure both of us were comfortable. "Take it slow." He held out his hand, and Lord Shanan freed one of his to take it. He gripped it as tightly as he clung to me. "We're in no rush."

"Thank... thank you..." Lord Shanan took a couple of deep breaths, eyes darting between Lord Sigurd and me. "I think... I think I'll be fine...?" He ducked his head. "I... the noise and the weapons and... and..."

"You need not try to explain." Lord Sigurd squeezed his hand gently, smiling softly. "It happens. They're... ah, how best to explain..."

"...They're a medical condition, just as much as your cough is," I supplied softly, not wanting to speak loudly for fear of startling him. When Lord Shanan peeked up at me, I made sure to smile. "Unfortunately, wounds of the spirit and heart are not as easily treated as wounds on the body. They might never heal, truthfully. However, we can adapt and support, and that is exactly what we shall do."

"Trust our head healer to summarize it neatly," Lord Sigurd teased, turning his warm smile my way. I feared I heard a reprimand behind the words, about how unbecoming my own behavior had been, yet... yet it was hard to believe when the words were paired with so genuine a smile. "So, there is nothing for you to apologize for, Shanan. I do, however, wish to know if there is anything else we can do for you."

"I can make some tea." In fact, I probably should. He was due for his next dose of medicine anyway. "We should also have someone make warm milk with honey for you."

"I sent Alec to do that already." Of course he did. "Tea, warm milk with honey..." Lord Sigurd focused on Lord Shanan, who frowned thoughtfully. "Is there anything we can do to help you feel safer?"

"I already know I'm safe," Lord Shanan answered without the slightest pause. His voice was raspy, but clearer. "You two are here."

"And we always will be," Lord Sigurd murmured, reaching for him with his other hand. He waited for Lord Shanan to nod, and then ruffled his hair gently. "Ah, while we get everything settled, do you mind if I have Oifey return? Whatever had him shouting, he left it in here." It... it was more 'he was forced to leave it when I threw him out', but I certainly wasn't going to bring that up right now.

Instead, once Lord Shanan nodded permission, Lord Sigurd left to fetch Lord Oifey and I helped Lord Shanan change into some fresh clothes. It let me visibly see the weight he'd regain, and it was a comfort to see. I'd need to mend some more clothes for him within the next few days in anticipation, but for now, the ones I already had sufficed. He certainly didn't seem to mind, even if he made a face at being unable to dress himself still. I was glad to see him recovered enough to get frustrated.

At last, however, a knock on the door signalled Lord Sigurd's return. "Come in!" Lord Shanan called, his voice shaking only slightly. There was still a pause before the door opened to reveal a smiling Lord Sigurd standing with a morose Lord Oifey. "Hello."

"Hello," Lord Oifey mumbled, keeping his head down. Lord Sigurd and I shared a look and a small shrug. "I'm... really sorry about earlier... I didn't... um..." Still, it was best for everyone involved to keep walking forward instead of staying mired.

"What had you so excited?" Lord Sigurd prompted, keeping the conversation to safer waters. He gently nudged Lord Oifey to actually step inside and closed the door behind them. "You've been working hard these past few days. Has it born fruit?"

"I think so? Maybe?" Lord Oifey fussed with his cuffs, gaze still fixed to the floor. "It's on the table here… um…" But finally, he did raise his head to look at Lord Shanan. "Do you want to see as well, Shanan? It… I don't know… maybe it'll help? I mean…"

"…Can I?" Lord Shanan asked, his own voice hesitant. He looked up at me curiously, and smiled when I nodded. "Then yes, I think I would like that."

Of course, Lord Shanan could not walk on his own quite yet, but Lord Sigurd picked him up before any of us could comment on it. I pulled a chair out for him, and busied myself with making tea while the three situated themselves. When it was done, and I brought it over, I thought about walking away. But when I took a step, Lord Shanan grabbed a fistful of my skirt, so I remained behind him, with my hands on his shoulders, as both Lord Oifey and Lord Sigurd leaned over the map.

"I've been gathering testimonies from the wounded the past few days," Lord Oifey explained, tracing one of the numerous lines and symbols hastily sketched onto the map. Lord Sigurd nodded and leaned a little closer, resting a hand on Lord Oifey's back. "Where they were heading, what routes they took, approximate area of ambushes, who in the group was hit first… things of that nature."

"Ah, so that's why you were so insistent on helping Miss Alicia," Lord Sigurd murmured, smiling faintly. He tapped one of the symbols, and I wondered what it meant. Yet now did not seem to be the time to ask. "You would want such information as quickly as possible."

"Yes." Lord Oifey snatched a nearby pen and drew some dotted lines on the map. "No matter how random the attacks may seem, I knew there had to be a pattern. Crown Prince Munnir's forces have to have a base camp. There would be no way to coordinate otherwise. So, I mapped and analyzed the testimonies, and…" He drew three circles in specific locations; I noticed all three were within comfortable range of every line and symbol. "Then I calculated the most probably locations for their base camp."

"A way to potentially break the stalemate we're trapped in." Lord Sigurd grinned and affectionately ruffled Lord Oifey's hair. "You continue to amaze and astound!" Lord Oifey, meanwhile, all but preened at the praise. "We'll need to call a meeting at once with everyone to discuss the best plan of attack." It would have to be quickly. Even I knew 'stalemate' was the most optimistic way to describe our current situation.

"I'll inform Lord Quan!" Despite the cheer, Lord Oifey smiled apologetically at Lord Shanan. "I… when I realized I could narrow it down, I got excited…"

"I'm confused how you got anything from these squiggles," Lord Shanan replied, staring wide-eyed at the map. He even poked it, as if it would make more sense if he did. "Can you tell me how later? I know the meeting is more important, and I'm… really tired."

"I'd be glad to!" Lord Oifey agreed, smiling brightly. It almost rivaled Lord Sigurd's own smile in brightness. "Though, you may have to poke me a few times if I speak too fast. Finn says I have a habit of talking quickly over very technical things."

"So, like how we have to poke you when you overthink at cards?"

"I… well…" Lord Oifey looked away sullenly, and Lord Shanan laughed. I felt myself relax at the sound; I hadn't realized how tense I still was. "Um…"

"Be sure to take your tea with you," I instructed, 'rescuing' Lord Oifey. His immediate grateful look nearly made me laugh. "I'll bring some more by later, as I'm certain this meeting shall last a while."

Both of them left so quickly I feared they'd spill their tea. But thankfully, neither did and Lord Shanan and I were not left alone long. I had just settled Lord Shanan back under the covers when someone knocked on the door again. After checking with Lord Shanan, I opened it to find Lord Lex standing there, carrying a tray with three mugs.

"I believe someone requested warm milk with honey?" he explained, in a joking tone. Smiling slightly, I took the tray from him without a word, and he snatched two of the mugs. "I figured you might like a story, Shanan."

Lord Shanan, of course, immediately brightened at the prospect of both warm milk and a story, and eagerly listened as Lord Lex jumped into a wild tale of dashing pirates, of all things. I only half-listened, carrying the tray to the back table before inspecting the mug I guessed was mine. By the smell alone, I discovered it was apple cider, and I couldn't help but smile more at the quiet thoughtfulness. So, I left it to cool while I made medicines, and kept one eye on the pair, just in case Lord Shanan pushed himself too much.

I imagine such quiet moments would be rare in the next few days. I had best take advantage of them while I could.

Plans were drafted, discarded, remade, and set. Within minutes of the final 'I' being dotted and the final 't' crossed, the soldiers moved out, eager to end this conflict with one final push. Of course, it remained to be seen if it would actually be the case. My main concern was for the wounded, and I hoped our system would work as efficiently as planned. Lady Ethlyn would be our 'on the field' medic, performing quick heals and initial triage. Lady Edain would run our field infirmary, tending to those who could fight but badly needed treatment. I would remain here in Genoa, in charge of the 'main' infirmaries, where the most grievously injured would reside. As I was still the 'head healer', I would also take stock of all inventory for us. I could nearly grind my teeth in frustration at how I still underestimated just how much medicine we needed. That wouldn't do. It wouldn't. I would have to replenish them as quickly as possible, and then make more. But that would be later. For now, I had other things to do.

"Azelle sure does check on you a lot," Mister Dew observed, voice a little uneven from exertion. After all, he carried a rather heavy box for me, at his insistence, leaving me free to carry two large baskets of blankets to a room down the hall. I wanted it prepped as an extra infirmary, just in case. This operation would take a few days, at least, and who knew just how many would be injured? It was best to be prepared. "Think he fancies you?"

"I highly doubt that is the case," I replied, keeping my expression and voice even despite my sudden urge to laugh or be scandalized. He didn't know I was Azelle's sister, after all, so Azelle's endearing fussing might seem unusual to him. "He's a little stir-crazy, since he was asked to remain behind." All three of Lord Oifey's most probable locations had been deep within the forest, and fire magic was not necessarily the best to use in such location. One of Fjalar's blood could easily accidentally spark a conflagration, which was the last thing any of us wanted. "So, he looks for things to do. However, it seems my little helper is much too quick for him."

"I'm not little!" Mister Dew made a face, and I had to bite back a smile. He was much shorter than most in the army, certainly shorter than his estimated age of thirteen would suggest. Lord Shanan was one of the few smaller than he. "Just wait! I'm going to hit a growth spurt!" Of course he would. I imagine it would be within the next couple of years. "And I... wait, you changed the subject!"

"Hmm? Whatever do you mean?"

"Fine, fine." Mister Dew scowled. "But when he confesses, I'm going to say 'I told you so!'." That would never happen.

"Despite what some romance novels may depict, I fear the job of healing is not the most romantic of professions, nor is an infirmary conductive to such atmospheres." At least, I had heard of such tales, mostly from patients gossiping while I tended to them. "Even Lady Edain and Sir Midir are more 'a lady and her knight', not 'a healer and her patient'."

"Wonder when he's going to pop the question. It's gotta be soon, right?" I would not be the one to explain the two were not 'officially' courting yet. "Or is it the lady who asks in Grannvale?" Why did he think I was the one to ask? "Meh, whatever. I'll ask Edain when she gets back."

"Try to make sure she's taking a break?"

"I'll try." He grunted as he adjusted his grip on the box. "Sure feel sorry for Azelle, though. That'll be two unrequiteds for him." Oh, what was I to do about this? "Beaten out by fancy knights both times, too." Now what was he...? No, I actually didn't want to try and figure it out. I wanted away from this conversation about my little brother.

"Dew, are you certain you don't want to switch?" I focused my attention on his hands, noting how red his fingers were becoming. "I can carry the box easily."

"No, I've got it!" He frowned stubbornly, and I couldn't quite bite back my little sigh. "It's... a little heavier than I thought, but we can't be much farther now."

"No, we're not." Well, if he wouldn't agree, I couldn't force. I would, however, insist on tending to his hands as soon as we were there. "Actually, I had a thought."

"Yes?"

"You know the land much better than anyone else here, save for the refugees..." Yet, for some reason, he had been asked to stay behind.

"Oh, that." Mister Dew looked away, his expression very carefully neutral. "I'm bad in a fight, but I'm good at running."

"Hmm?"

"I'm small and I'm quick. I'm good at hiding, and I know the land. If this place gets attacked, I can slip out and get the message to them. At least, that's what Lord Sigurd thought." He shrugged, but the self-recrimination in his eyes screamed louder. "Basically, I'm good at running away and that's it."

"That isn't so." I said the words without thinking, and Mister Dew frowned up at me. "Even if it was, though, is there shame in it? If we are under siege, it will be difficult for us. Our supplies are already dwindling and we must care for the soldiers and refugees who remain." I made sure to smile and pretend I wasn't making this up as I spoke. Ah, why did I say anything in the first place? He had simply looked worn and I... "It will be your job to ensure we receive help, and ensure our reinforcements arrive before our defenses buckle." I should try to study some military terminology at some point. It might help me pretend to be competent. "Not all heroes are made on the battlefield, Mister Dew." His 'response' was instant skepticism, and I couldn't blame him. After all, I... I couldn't think of any. When one thought 'heroes'... the only ones I knew of were the Crusaders. I did not know of any other sort of heroic tale. Yet... "You may ask Lord Lex for a story later." Yet with all the stories Lord Lex had told Lord Shanan, surely he, at least, knew of one or two?

"I..." He stared at me for a long moment before looking down shyly, a blush mottling his face all the way to his ears. "Um... I'll think about it. So... uh..."

"Though, I hope you'll forgive me for hoping things will not come to that. The injured need rest if they are to mend." There had to be some way to end this subject properly. I had reached the end of my tether. "I would also hate to lose such a reliable helper."

"I'm just carrying things!" Still, Dew glanced up and when he smiled, it was shy yet genuine. "What am I carrying anyway? I only know it has stars drawn on the box for some reason."

"Oh, that..." How was I supposed to explain the crudely drawn stars were my fault? It was simply a habit I'd had since I was young, to use stars in varying numbers and, when I could, colors to label things. At least, I used them until I had the time to properly label them. "It's primarily surgery tools."

"So, like the things you use to drill a hole into a person's skull?"

"Thanks to my staves, I do not have to perform trepannings, nor do I need to use a trephine to study the marrow within the bone. As such, there is not one in the box."

"Tre... what now?"

"That's what its called when you have to cut a hole in someone's skull."

"It has a name?!"

Mister Dew's surprise at learning there was a specific name for said surgery did not stem his curiosity as he immediately wanted to know medical terms for various other things, from conditions to surgeries. I answered each one to the best of my abilities, amused by his reaction. The questions did not abate even after we finished our task and, if not for Sir Midir requesting his assistance with something, it might have continued even as I left to give Lord Shanan his morning checkup. Of course, I would not have minded if Mister Dew had accompanied me. With both Lord Oifey and Mister Finn among the troops who marched, I worried Lord Shanan might feel lonely. Then again, perhaps he did not, as he was rarely left alone for long.

"Hey, Ayra, I've a question for you," Lord Lex asked, leaning back in his chair to look up at her. Surprisingly, he had also been among those who remained behind, and he used the break to tell more stories to Lord Shanan. While I gave Lord Shanan his checkups, though, he had to find other ways to spend his time, particularly on days like today when I chose to perform said checkup at the table. Today, he apparently decided to force Lady Ayra, who was here to check on Lord Shanan, into a conversation.

"Somehow, I'm unsurprised," Lady Ayra grumbled, scowling down at him from her place against the wall. As Lord Sigurd and I had anticipated, she had insisted on fighting; however, she had actually wished to leave with Lord Sigurd instead of remaining behind. Thankfully, she had listened when Lord Sigurd explained I worried for her health in full battle, yet it was still surprising. "What inane thing are you going to pester me about today?"

"Now, now, this one is mostly serious." He grinned and she rolled her eyes. I kept one eye on them while tending to Lord Shanan, just in case. "Surprisingly, I know." After all, Lord Lex seemed to delight in pulling Lady Ayra's tail.

"If you end up a patient of Miss Alicia's, it's not my fault."

"I don't trouble her anyway." ...Well, someone was getting a checkup as soon as I was finished. "I was just curious, though. Given your prickly and protective tendencies, I would've thought you would demand to remain." Lady Ayra's scowl deepened, but Lord Lex kept the easygoing yet serious look. "Yet, you wanted to fight. Why?"

"Tch... do I seem like a warmonger?" Lady Ayra bristled, her words scathing. I… tried to make the connection and wondered if she'd stopped listening at the 'prickly' part. "Due to the massacre at Darna?"

"Given my old man is the one who brought news back, I am fully and completely skeptical about what he actually saw." He leaned further back in his chair, actually tipping it to brace against the wall next to Lady Ayra. Lady Ayra shifted over a step, and leaned more firmly against the wall. "So, no, nothing like that. Just, as I said, it's unexpected."

"..." Lady Ayra glared, but Lord Lex met her gaze calmly. Eventually, she relented. "I simply wished to follow Sigurd."

"Oh?"

"Yes, he... he is unlike any I have met before. Not simply among Grannvale's nobility, but... everyone." She sighed, and crossed her arms. "He shines far too much to lie, yet the light does not scorch those who come near. Instead, it... envelops them. Keeps them safe and sheltered."

"Like Shanan."

"Yes, and... me." Her mouth quirked in an imitation of a wry smile. "Quan told me. Of those who wish to interrogate me about Darna. Of how much Sigurd risks to keep us both safe."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised he blabbed." Lord Lex shrugged and tucked his hands behind his head. "I'd wager it was while questioning you."

"Odd way to put it."

"We both know how Grannvale typically handles interrogations." He growled slightly at the word, then stiffened and glanced worriedly at Lord Shanan. It took me a long second to realize he worried about scaring him. Thankfully, Lord Shanan was too busy listening to my instructions and holding still. "Torture is putting it mildly."

"I've heard the rumors."

"That's just the things they want you to hear about. The truth is worse." Lord Lex's smile was sharp, jagged with bitter hatred. Yet he did not elaborate further. Then again, there were rumors on how harshly his father treated rebels and traitors… "Quan, however, would've just sat down with you and asked you directly. So, 'questioning'."

"You forgot to mention ambushing me while I was on my way back to the infirmary for a check-up." She scowled, no doubt remembering, and Lord Lex actually snickered. "But yes, I know. It simply..." She struggled for the words she wanted, and Lord Lex waited for her to find them. "He has spent time with Shanan every day, despite his own duties. He has checked on me just as much. His every action is nearly blinding with sincerity. His every word shines with the same."

"Supposedly, he's always been like that."

"Has he?" Lady Ayra closed her eyes. "I... was always taught the brightest of lights burn out the fastest. They shine and shine, burning themselves from the inside out, until naught is left but ash. Yet that light is Shanan's greatest protection."

"Ah, I think I get it now." Lord Lex leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs. His chair settled on all fours with a quiet 'clack'. "You are protecting Shanan. But indirectly."

"And while I cannot trust Grannvale, I... have chosen to trust Sigurd, if only a little." Her voice grew smaller and more tired by the word. "He risks much for our sake."

"He does, and he'd risk more in a heartbeat. No, even less than that." Lord Lex smiled when she glanced at him. "Which, truthfully, is its own kind of shield as well. It's something everyone in Grannvale knows. He's the knight in shining armor, always willing to risk all and more to do what he believes is right. To protect those around him with all his reckless loyalty." He chuckled then. "However, everyone also knows Sigurd is one of Grannvale's strongest warriors. If anyone in Grannvale tries to harm you and Shanan, they'll face the full strength of his blade."

"Suddenly, it's not surprising at all for him to capture three castles while severely outnumbered." Lady Ayra's voice was dry, and almost brittle, but a brief bit of humor danced in her eyes and, so, Lord Lex laughed. "Still, if anything, I worry more. If they cannot defeat him in strength of arms, they will turn to subterfuge. The light he shines may cast away shadows, but too much light can blind. One would only need to mask their own shadows in light long enough to slip close enough for a fatal wound, and Grannvale excels in such masks."

"True, but that's why Quan is here. And his knights know to keep watch for such." Lord Lex remained reassuring and confident. "He'll last at least until Alicia here clears you for full battle. Then you can guard him, and thus Shanan, yourself."

"Mmm..."

"Um... Miss Alicia?" Lord Shanan's voice drew my attention away from the two, and when I focused fully on him, I saw he had tipped his head back to rest against the back of the chair and look at me. "I am... getting better, right?" he asked softly, his words wavering. Fear and worry practically radiated off him, and despite his attempts to hide it, they pooled in his eyes as threatened tears.

So, I made sure to smile, as warmly and reassuringly as I could. "You are," I confirmed. The fear and worry did not immediately recede, but he did smile very slightly. It was as scared as the rest of him. "You are healing very well, day by day. It should not be long before we can have you walk on your own to build back your strength."

"Really?"

"Indeed. They will be short walks at first, and you will grow tired quickly. But your strength shall return, and then you shall be racing through the halls faster than anyone." Awkwardly, I brushed a thumb over his cheek, for the tears he still refused to shed. His smile grew. "I promise."

"Okay." It was all he said, but his smile grew even more and he closed his eyes to simply lean his head against my arm. Though I did not quite understand why he did so, I let him and simply used my free hand to continue my checkup. Meanwhile, Lord Lex and Lady Ayra's conversation continued in hushed tones, too soft for me to overhear.

Once, when I glanced at them, I saw Lady Ayra smiling at me. I didn't know why, but I tried to smile back. I could only hope it meant she thought I was doing a proper job.

"Seems we're low on the headache remedies," Azelle commented, checking over the inventory for me. If anyone asked, it was to provide a second set of eyes to ensure my numbers were accurate. "Do we really go through so many?"

"Those and hangover remedies are perhaps the most used among the army," I replied absently, pretending to be studying. In truth, however, I was reading a letter. Arvis took advantage of Azelle being here to sneak me one too, and Azelle used 'helping me' as an excuse to bring it to me. "I have more steeping, and two jugs worth of both should be ready by evening."

"I'll tally that into my notes then!" Azelle hummed a song while he continued to work, and I smiled before focusing back on my letter. Of course, I truly should have been studying, but it was soothing to hear from my dear older brother.

'Word has spread back even to Belhalla of Sigurd's triumphs and, of course, how skilled his Chief Healer is.' It was so easy to imagine his proud grin as he wrote the words. 'It never fails to brighten my morning when I hear the praise, and encourages me to keep moving when I find my own spirits flagging. No, don't frown.' As usual, I had to sulk, just a little, at how he easily predicted my reaction at reading that sentence. 'I am getting adequate rest, confirmed by Cowen himself, and Aida keeps close track for me. Though, at the request of Azelle (no doubt spurred on by you), she raided my office and room to remove anything which remotely resembled a 'stimulant'. Of which there were none, because I do not wish to risk your wrath! Yet these items include the bin of tea you made me! She refuses to give it back until you've confirmed it safe. (Please, send a note to her via Azelle soon? I miss my favorite tea.)' At that, however, I couldn't help but snicker, far too easily imagining his distressed pout, though I did my best to bite it back.

"What is it?" Azelle asked, having heard it anyway. He came over to my table to peek over my shoulder, frowning slightly. "He's much more relaxed when writing to you. I can tell just by the penmanship." I supposed the free-flowing scrawl was very different from the more precise script he used for everything else.

"Is he? I suppose it's because he did not have to raise me," I murmured, doing my best to school my expression. Even with my best efforts, a smile forced its way onto my face anyway. "He would dislike placing any sort of burden on you."

"Then how did you get him to admit things? I know he'd rather not burden you either."

"I'm the more stubborn of us two." A memory bubbled up, and my smile grew. "He did try to keep quiet, during his second visit. I sat on the pew and just stared until he confessed what was wrong."

"How did that work? I've tried that! He'd just smile and ruffle my hair!"

"As I said, I'm the more stubborn." After all, he'd tried the same evasion with me. "It took... oh... four hours before he cracked." I wouldn't say we sat in silence for four hours, of course. I would just always direct the conversation back to it.

"...Okay, yeah, I never did that." He sighed gustily. "Well, what had you amused, then?"

"Apparently, Aida took your worry over Arvis using stimulants very seriously and confiscated anything and everything which could potentially be a stimulant." I couldn't help but snicker once more, imagining his yelps of protest when he discovered what she'd done. "She took the tea mix I made, and refuses to let him have it until I've confirmed its what he claims it is."

"It's his own fault, using them in the first place." Still, Azelle grinned, amused as well. "I suppose we should show some mercy and send a note as soon as possible. I know I'd be distressed if she took my tin from me."

"Speaking of which, I should make you up some."

"No need yet! I brought mine with me! And Lex brought his too."

"Did he?" I sighed in relief, knowing he liked it so. I had only made up one for him and Tailtiu recently, uncertain how they would be received. "Please, let him know he can request any changes. I made it based on what you've said over the years."

"I will." Azelle smiled for a split-second before stiffening and jerking his head to the door.

Before I had time to ask, however, Sir Arden thumped inside, heavy armor surprisingly quiet. "The enemy is within the walls," he informed us, quite calm given the surprising words. "We're looking into how they breached our defenses, but Lord Azelle?"

"On it!" Azelle reassured, knowing what he'd need. He set his notes on the table, and I tucked them, and Arvis's letter, into my book before shutting it. "Where am I needed?"

"For now, the front gates." Sir Arden moved out of the way to let Azelle bolt down the hall. "Miss Alicia?"

"Has Mister Dew left yet?" I asked, rushing to the back room to snatch a satchel I'd stashed in the farthest corner. Then I quickly check the contents as I returned. "If he has not, can you give this to him?" I held the satchel out, and Sir Arden took it. "It's just basic medicines, but..."

"I will gladly give this to him," he reassured, smiling warmly. I smiled back. "For now, however, can you please move to the main infirmary? With the enemies inside, it will be much harder to defend you."

"I shall." Though, I did worry about Lord Shanan... then again, Lady Ayra had no doubt gone straight to him... perhaps I could swing by? ...No, my duties were to more than one patient, though Lord Shanan was... "Thank you."

Though my thoughts continued to twist, I strode down the hall as if I knew exactly what I was doing. Eventually, I settled with 'check the main infirmary, prepare another one for the wounded to come, and then check on Lord Shanan', and mentally prioritized everything I would need. The list... had not included persuading some of the less wounded to not leave their beds and fight. I hadn't expected them to insist, and I only managed to get a few to cooperate by phrasing it as them guarding their more wounded fellows. It was unnerving, to see them in such a hurry to rush to their deaths, but I did not let it show. I couldn't. There was much more to do, along with deciding just which of the empty rooms would suit best. Perhaps...

"Well, look here..." I had just lost sight of the main infirmary when I heard someone chuckle behind me. When I tried to turn, they snatched me by the hair and yanked me back towards them. "Stupid of them to leave such easy prey alone," they continued, still chuckling. I wondered just how I didn't see them, before I realized they... were half inside the wall. Though, the wall was now open... and only then did the final piece 'click' into place: secret passages. Of course the castle would have some, and of course our enemy would know them. All they had to do was keep our attention fixed outside our walls, and slip in close. "Well, no skin off my nose." One arm slung around me like an iron band and the person dragged me with them as if I was naught but a sack of wool. "Now, where's the best place to turn the tides?"

I knew I should scream. I was in danger; I should scream. There were soldiers, wounded as they were, down the hall. I should scream. Yet, I... I couldn't. While the enemy dragged me down the hall, I tried to draw air into my lungs to scream as loud as I possibly could. But I couldn't. I would remember Father Eirik. I would remember his lectures. I would remember how he'd ignore me if I yelled, ignored me until I 'behaved properly', ignore me until I 'stopped behaving like my father'. I would remember... and the sound dried up in my throat. The remnants lodged and would not move. Thus, I remained silent and visibly calm, just as I was taught.

Soldiers tried to attack, of course. With an enemy sauntering through the halls, who wouldn't? But they froze when they saw he had a 'shield' and he swatted them aside like flies. I worried for their injuries and had the presence of mind to try and dig my heels in some effort to slow him. It didn't work, of course. On my third attempt, he actually scooped me up over his shoulder to continue carrying me unimpeded. I would never carry a sack like this again.

"Munnir!" At some point, I heard Azelle shouting, his voice harsher than I had ever heard. Though my captor turned at the name, it still took my muddled mind a second to realize he was Crown Prince Munnir. "How dare you...?!" I wondered what his expression was. His voice was still harsh, crackling like fire. But I couldn't see. All I could see was Crown Prince Munnir's back, and how he had blood encrusted in the buckles of his armor. "Let her go!"

"Do we have another brat playing at war?" Crown Prince Munnir scoffed, his grip tightening on my legs. His free hand brandished his axe, glinting eerily in the light. "If you go to war, then you go for the jugular, not the capillaries." I was rather impressed he knew the difference, truthfully, as terrible as the thought was. Though, hadn't his earlier strategy been 'bleeding us out'? "Why give up such a perfect shield?" You know… I could probably try to wriggle free? Though, with how he'd slung me over his shoulder, my right arm was awkwardly pinned between myself and his neck, but my left was mostly free? I could push myself up, at least, and perhaps… then again, his grip on my legs was strong, bruising even. Could I break it? I… didn't think I could… "Now, let's get rid of the fire now, brat. You wouldn't want to burn the pretty wench here, would you?" At those words, however, all my thoughts focused on a single thing: my greatest fear. They focused on the whole reason why I never moved to Velthomer with Arvis, the whole reason I chose to remain the 'hidden child'.

I would not be used against Arvis. I would not be used against Azelle. I would not be used against any I loved. If someone tried, then I'd take a knife to my throat. I swore this to myself long ago, a quiet oath I made when I first met my brother all those years ago. Yet I did not have a blade on me, and Crown Prince Munnir's axe was too far away. All I had was the blasted magic in my veins, the flames of the Fire God Salamander which would scorch all in their path. Not even the user themselves was fully exempt from this, and overextension could easily lead to them burning themselves alive... or they could do it on purpose. 'Final Strike', it was called, an oddly straightforward name for a technique associated with the Crusaders of eld. The stories claimed Fjalar used her life's blood as a catalyst for a terrible inferno which scorched an entire forest until naught but plains remained even now, and would have consumed even herself if not for Bragi diving into the flames and utilizing the powerful Valkyrie Staff to save her.

I would not be used. I would not be used against my precious little brother. If Crown Prince Munnir thought he could, then... well, I could not say I would not hesitate, even if my choice was clear. I was a healer; my job was saving lives, not taking. I would much prefer only taking my own in this situation. Yet if the Final Strike was my only option, if it was the only way to ensure I would not be used against Azelle, then I would selfishly choose him over my ideals.

Still, I had to time it carefully. I would have no control of the flames once they burst from my veins. I would have no control of the size or ferocity. I would have no control of who they consumed. So, though I focused on the magic in my blood, though the temperature of the surrounding air slowly increased, I held back. I had to make sure Crown Prince Munnir was far enough away from Azelle. I had to make sure he was far enough away from our soldiers. It was hard. I couldn't rely on my ears; my pulse pounded too loud for me to hear. I struggled to lift myself up long enough to look, but Crown Prince Munnir's armor made it difficult. He kept moving, and his axe slung blood, so I assumed he fought… should I risk it anyway or…?

The glint of a blade flashed in the corner of my eye, though it was strange. Though there was but one glint, I swore there were five flashes, each one edged in sparkling green stars. Each one struck Crown Prince Munnir with deceptive skill, and when the last flash faded, Crown Prince Munnir jerked and buckled, letting go of me in the process. I slipped forward, almost landing on my face, but someone caught me with a pained grunt and twisted so I stood upright next to them, with our backs to the wall.

"Damn, I'm weaker than I thought, to not kill you with that." It was only when she spoke that I realized Lady Ayra had been the one to save me. "Annoying bastard," she grumbled, standing firmly in front of me. I blinked slowly, trying to process everything. It... ah... it didn't truly work. Everything felt hazy...

In truth, I did not process anything over the next couple of minutes, or perhaps it was only seconds. I ended up in a room on my own, with sounds of fighting just beyond the door. Automatically, I checked myself over for injuries. There were bruises over my collarbone and the back of my calves, no doubt from Crown Prince Munnir. Clusters of blisters had erupted on my upper arms, likely from the aborted Final Strike. Both were easy to hide for now; I'd treat them later when I had a moment. As it was...

"Miss Alicia?" As it was, the door opened, and there was Lady Ayra once more. "The fighting is done, though the bastard managed to slither off," she informed me, striding in. She had a gash across her cheek; it bled sluggishly. "We'll have to increase internal patrols. It was shortsighted of us to not consider secret passages."

"Lady Ayra, what are you doing here?" The words were out before I could stop them, clunking and thunking their way in my head as they tumbled from my mouth. I still... needed to process everything. "I would have thought you'd be with Lord Shanan," I continued, speaking as I thought. No, I spoke even before I thought. Lady Ayra frowned in response. "Was he injured? Did the noise spark another panic?" Ah, but if that was the case, then I should not be standing here staring like an idiot. "No, pay me no heed. I'll check on him at once." Then, once I'd confirmed his health, I would treat the soldiers who were wounded. "Is he in his room still?" Without waiting for a reply, I walked out as briskly as I could, mentally cataloguing everything I'd need to do. Processing what just occurred could wait. My injuries could wait. I had patients to treat.

It was my duty, after all. It was why I was here. I had to be even more useful, now that I had proven to be a burden once. That was the only way... they'd let me stay...

Time held no meaning. It felt as if I had only just started treating the injured before I'd been informed our soldiers returned. Maybe I had. However, when I tried to triage the newly arrived injured, I found myself thrown out of my own infirmary by Lady Edain and Lady Ethlyn. They said I should speak with Lord Sigurd, which made little sense to me. Then again, perhaps this was simply part of being the Chief Healer, and I supposed I could hear a report from them about just what had happened.

"Hmm? Ah, Miss Alicia!" Lord Sigurd certainly greeted me as if there was nothing unusual about me meeting them at the gates. "Dew made it to us safely, though I see you all fended off the assault," he commented, leading his horse to the side so others could still pass. It took me a long moment to remember Dew would have, in fact, dashed off as a messenger. Did the satchel ever reach him? I didn't know, and did not see him amidst the returning soldiers yet. Then again, I did not see Lord Oifey either. Maybe they were both with Mister Finn? Though, I did not know where he was. "I must apologize. We successfully found and launched an assault on their camp, but..."

"Was Crown Prince Munnir not there?" I asked, clasping my hands in front of me. What was I supposed to say? What was I supposed to do? "Had he already made his way here?"

"Worse." Lord Sigurd sighed, his shoulders drooping at the memory. "He used his own soldiers as shields to escape. I imagine he then decided to take advantage of our absence."

"I see." I supposed... it matched his previous tactics. "What of the wounded?" Lord Sigurd grimaced slightly, and immediately, I worried. "Do we have any badly injured?"

"All of our injured are stable and accounted for, Miss Alicia!" Lord Quan suddenly answered for Lord Sigurd, swinging down from his horse to land lightly next to us. When I glanced up, I saw Mister Finn riding past, with Lord Oifey riding at his side. Mister Dew dozed against Lord Oifey's back, barely remaining in the saddle. What a relief to see them safe... "No deaths and I think the worst was a twisted ankle." I somehow doubted that. Lord Sigurd's frown hinted to more. Yet when he actually made to say something... "Sigurd." Lord Quan quieted him with a look, and a firm, if gentle, tone. "We already talked about this. You're at war." Despite the gentleness, Lord Sigurd looked away, locking his jaw to keep from replying. "In light of recent events, you will only lose the confidence of your own if you lend aid. Letting them simply leave is a great enough risk." Lord Sigurd clenched his fist, visibly holding his words back, and I... I slowly pieced together what they spoke of. "Especially in light of the terribly great risks you have taken to shelter Shanan and Ayra." ...Perhaps he was correct. Perhaps it was the way of war. However... "You cannot afford-"

"Please, forgive me for interrupting, but I'd like clarification," I began, slowly and softly. The words felt clunky in my mouth, and sounded even clunkier to my ear. "But do we have injured left behind on the battlefield?" In fact, they felt as uneven as a toddler taking their first steps. Yet the quiet indignation slowly burning a hole in my heart forced them out anyway.

The indignation spiked when Lord Quan sighed. "We left our enemies behind, instead of-"

"Well, I had best gather my medicine bag and staff." I shouldn't have interrupted. I shouldn't have snapped. I knew this. Yet the indignation, the frustration, burned and burned and threatened to consume all of my heart. "With Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain here, I do not believe any of our own injured require my direct attention." Though my initial examinations had been cut short, they had seemed typical and relatively minor. If what Lord Quan said was true, then the newly returned would not strain our infirmaries. "So, it is best I leave as soon as possible." The earlier we could give them treatment, the more likely they would survive.

"...What?" Lord Quan blinked slowly, staring as if I'd grown a second head. "Are... are you serious?"

"I do worry for Lord Shanan, but I gave him a checkup earlier." He had thankfully been well, though fighting back against his panic and fears. "His next one won't be until the evening." Though Lord Quan attempted to respond, I ignored him. Instead, I focused on Lord Sigurd, for he was the one I had to convince. Lord Sigurd, for his part, looked back at me in a familiar studying manner. It was the same look he gave me prior to leading me to Lord Shanan in the dungeons. "Actually, this might provide an opportunity to discern if he is comfortable enough with Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain for treatment. That is, of course, his choice and I will tend to him on my return." I... had a point to this. Somewhere, there was a point to this. If only I could find and voice it...!

"...Do you intend on walking?" Lord Sigurd asked, smiling slowly. It was a bright, conspiratorial smile, and I smiled back, relieved he'd heard what I'd wanted to say despite my awkward words. "I believe my horse would be much faster."

"I shall walk if I must, but I shan't refuse an escort," I answered, with a little shrug. Lord Quan looked quickly between us with slowly widening eyes. "Can you be spared?"

"As you can see, I have not yet crossed the gates." He gestured at the gates in question, and I saw he was correct. While Lord Quan and I were within the gates boundaries, he was not. "As such, I have not officially 'returned' yet."

"Well, if you can arrange a little message to request some follow us with additional supplies? Stretchers might be needed as well."

"It shouldn't be hard."

"Are you two serious?" Lord Quan half-demanded, forcing his way back into the conversation. Despite his clear, even palpable, exasperation, neither of us was deterred. In fact, both of us kept smiling. "Do we even have the supplies for this?"

"We shall find out," I 'answered', since it was the only sort of answer I had. Truthfully, I didn't know. If I had to guess, I would say 'no' and, worse, I knew this argument was valid. However, I couldn't... I couldn't just let this be. I could replace medicines. I couldn't replace a life. "Lord Sigurd, give me but a moment to pack. I shall return anon."

Lord Quan tried to stop us. I'm certain of it. Yet I paid him no heed, as I had things to do. He wasn't at the gates by the time I returned to a smirking Lord Sigurd, so I assumed he won whatever argument they had. I didn't ask. I simply let him help me onto his horse and off we were, traveling at a hard gallop back to where our soldiers had been fighting, back to where wounded were now dying.

The 'enemy camp' itself was a mess. That was, perhaps, the kindest way to describe it. Everything from tents to the campfire was in disarray, and the soldiers… they desperately tried to help their fellows. The bright green grass barely peeked out from between the haphazardly sprawled bodies and the rich crimson blood which spilled and seeped from them. So many shouted, so many cried, and so many were all too silent to it all.

"We need to get them organized," I whispered, sliding out of the saddle. My skirt caught on a buckle, but Lord Sigurd freed it with ease before dismounting behind me. "The wounded and the dead need to be separated. We need to boil water for sterilization. We need…" There was so much we needed.

"Tell me, and I'll see it done as best as we can," Lord Sigurd reassured. He pulled his saddlebags off his horse and rifled through for anything which could be of use. "You focus on saving their lives. I'll handle convincing them of our sincerity."

"Be near in case I need another pair of hands?"

"Of course."

It said something to the confidence I could fake that it took the Verdanite soldiers a good few seconds to even think of questioning me once I started working. Even then, they still clumsily listened and I did my best with what we had. But there were so many wounded, so many, and some conditions were worsened by their poor health. Yet I was here, and I would save as many as I could. I would add their dead to the count I kept tucked in my heart, and tend to each and every one of them.

A soldier with a half-crushed head whimpered and struggled as I cleaned their wound and bandaged it. I had one of their fellows hold their hands, to keep them from accidentally tearing it away in their dazed, delirious state.

A soldier with a hole in their neck stared at me with glazed eyes while I struggled to stitch them up. Their breath rattled and wheezed through the wound, and grew weaker with each faint pulse of blood, yet still, they fought hard to live and I fought equally hard to save them.

Another soldier had lost their hand, and had naught but clotted rags for their bandages. They refused to look at the stump as I washed the blood and matter away, keeping their head turned to the side with their eyes clenched shut. I spared a brief second to stroke their bangs back from their forehead before finishing up.

A different soldier had a deep wound in their side, so deep one could almost fit half their forearm in it. Their breaths were weak, and their pulse was even weaker. Their frame was already wasting away, hinting to malnutrition prior to this. It was… likely they had not much time left, and perhaps death would be a mercy. Yet still, there was a chance, and I would do all I could to help them take it.

So I worked, without pause. Punctured shoulders, feet all but gnawed off by putrid gangrene, backs riddled with gashes… I treated them all without ceasing. Lord Sigurd helped me wherever he could, following my instructions faithfully and diligently. The lesser wounded lent me their hands when I needed another pair, passed me bandages when my hands were full, and soothed their fellows when they cried in pain and fear.

At some point, one asked me, "why…?"

"You're hurt," I answered. It was the only one I had.

I cleaned. I bandaged. I healed. Over and over again, I performed my tasks, each one lingering yet at the same time blending together. Until, at one point... "Miss Alicia?" Lord Sigurd rested a gentle hand on my shoulder, just enough to catch my attention but light enough to not disrupt me. "Alec, Naoise, and Midir are here with makeshift stretchers, and some more medical supplies," he told me softly. I nodded and finished bandaging my patient. They... they were the last. They were the last of those who could possibly, potentially, survive. "Think we've gotten them ready to travel?"

"There are a few I wish to double-check, but..." I began, standing. At least, I tried to stand. My legs protested vehemently and I nearly buckled. Lord Sigurd caught me. "Thank you..."

"It's no trouble. Can you walk?"

"Yes, my legs simply went numb." I'd been kneeling in the mud for who even knew how long. "To continue with what I was saying, I do believe we've treated everyone as well as we can here." All of them would need second or even third checks once we returned to the castle, to ensure no extra mud or whatever had squirmed into their wounds. "Though, are they amenable to coming to the castle with us?"

"I think I've managed to convince... most of them." Lord Sigurd grinned, and his eyes danced with quiet laughter. "I fear some are a little too unconscious for me to speak with."

"I suppose so." I smiled at the little joke, though it faded when I looked over our patients. 'Enemy soldiers' they may be, right now, they simply looked... tired. They looked worn. One could call them drunk with fatigue, and no small few hacked and choked as if their lungs were trying to run away from the blood and pain. "They'll need to be isolated. I'm certain quite a few are ill."

"Of course."

"We also need to adapt their diets. Quite a few clearly haven't eaten well in a long while."

"We will." Lord Sigured squeezed my shoulder reassuringly, and I smiled faintly up at him. "For now, though, let's get them somewhere safe." He gestured to Sir Naoise, standing nearby, and waved him over. "Naoise, help Miss Alicia, will you?"

Sir Naoise was more than willing to assist, thank goodness, and followed my instructions faithfully as we checked over our patients one more time. Once I'd finished, we all worked together to help them prepare for the journey. I spent most of the time fussing over the especially wounded, worried the strain of movement would exacerbate their conditions further. Yet, we had to move them. They would not survive, left out here. It was a risk, just like everything else in medicine. I could only hope we'd win the gamble.

As we settled the last patient onto the final stretcher, Sir Midir frowned and looked his head towards the trees. I almost asked, but then there was no time. The high-pitched 'whish' of arrows sliced through the wind, and soon they fell on us in a torrential rain. From there, it was... chaos. At least, it felt like chaos to me. All of my thoughts focused on my patients and ensuring their safety as we tried to escape and find shelter. In a blink, we were in the forest, and no small part of me wondered why. But I had more injuries to treat, wounds to rebandage, and somewhere in the mess, Lord Sigurd ended up with seven arrows in his back.

"Miss Alicia, I swear, I'm fine," Lord Sigurd attempted to reassure, once we had all settled in a grove in the forest. Now, why he thought the words believable when he had seven arrows in his back, and many more nicks and cuts, I had no idea. "Holy Blood makes me durable, and being a Major, even more so. The others, though..."

"I do believe the one actually trained in healing is the one who decides just how 'fine' a patient is," I 'reminded' him, crouching behind him and cutting through his shirt to try and reach the arrows. Briefly, I was distracted by his Holy Mark, sharp angles arranged to almost look like a wing, but then I focused back on the matter at hand. "As such, do stop squirming. This is going to be difficult enough as it is."

"But..."

"Lord Sigurd, she checked on everyone while we were moving, and ensured all were stable before we carried you here, since you insisted on being the last one to leave," Sir Alec informed him dryly, nudging Lord Sigurd's knee with his foot. After all, Lord Sigurd was sitting, while the three knights remained standing with weapons at hand. Sir Midir had actually climbed a nearby tree, no doubt for the vantage point. "So, listen to the pretty healer, my lord. Before I knock you out to stop fussing over treatment. Again."

"You can refrain from any sort of thing," I retorted, my tone far more waspish than I'd heard in a while. Certainly, I scowled up at him. "Methods to knock a person unconscious are dangerous at best, and we have enough danger for the moment."

"Listen to the pretty healer, sir knight!" Lord Sigurd instantly added, mocking words strangely playful. Sir Alec made a face. "With that said, Miss Alicia..."

"As he said, I checked on them already and treated them to the best of my abilities given the circumstances." I carefully tapped each arrow, checking if they turned. Lord Sigurd flinched, but otherwise, held still. "Good, it seems none reached bone, and no arrowheads are barbed. This shall be relatively simple to tend."

"Mind if we debate a plan of attack and escape while you work?"

"Are you certain?" Carefully, I leaned around him to better look him in the eye. "I fear I have no numbing balms on hand." My patients had required them all. "Yet I must remove these arrows as soon as possible. You will be in pain."

"Not the first time I've done something like this."

"Far too true," Sir Alec muttered, still looming over us. He sighed gustily, shaking his head. "Not the first time you used yourself as a damned shield as well."

"They could not move quickly enough!" Lord Sigurd defended, frowning up at Sir Alec. It took me a long second to realize he had been wounded protecting our patients from the rain of arrows. "What else could I do?"

"Nothing, my lord." Despite the exasperation, Sir Alec smiled. "For it is because you're like this we swore our oaths to you and you alone."

"Alec..." Lord Sigurd ducked his head, a faint blush creeping across his face. "For now, bring Naoise and Midir over. I'll never hear the end of it if Quan has to mount a rescue."

"Oh, the lecture Lady Ethlyn would give!"

"Please, no, spare me."

"While you're doing that, Sir Alec, can you arrange for a fire?" I requested, 'conveniently' keeping the conversation moving. Sir Alec focused on me, and Lord Sigurd sighed in relief. "I'll need it to sterilize my dagger. If you can also bring me all of our current medicinal supplies, I would be grateful."

Sir Alec kindly jumped right on that, and I was able to start treating Lord Sigurd with minimal delay. Neither Sir Naoise or Sir Midir thought anything unusual about me cutting into Lord Sigurd's back while they discussed and debated the best course of action. The only 'response' they had was Sir Naoise's long-suffering sigh and Sir Midir's quirked brow. Otherwise, they pretended as if the four were seated at a table, instead of crouched on the ground, with a proper map spread out in front of them instead of one haphazardly drawn in the mud between them. For my part, I focused entirely on cutting the arrows, made harder by how they'd clustered. Lord Sigurd did his best to sit still for me while I worked, for which I was grateful. I was also grateful for how the arrows were not barbed. Hunting for quills in an unknown forest while enemies were about was not an ideal scenario.

Around when I had removed the last arrow, movement caught my eye and I twisted to see one of my patients, one of the more lightly wounded Verdanites, awkwardly shuffle up. "Is something wrong?" I asked them softly. The others paused their talks, no doubt to listen. "Has someone's condition deteriorated?" I had planned on doing another round of checks as soon as I finished with Lord Sigurd, but if someone needed me now...

"N-no, not that we know of, milady," they mumbled, looking down at the ground. I bit back my correction of how I was no 'lady'. "It's just… we…" They stumbled over their words, but all five of us waited patiently, though I did return to treating Lord Sigurd while I waited. "Might we assist?"

"Pardon?" Lord Sigurd replied, for what other reply was there? Who would expect such a request? "You… would like to help us?" They nodded. "I… why would you…?" We fought against their people. We killed their people. The wounds they suffered… they had been inflicted by us and ours. "We…"

"You… invaded our country, yes. You killed our people. Verdanite blood stains your hands, coats your blade. Yet…" A helpless smile quirked onto their face. "You came back. To help us, to treat us, to shield us. You treat us like people. Like we matter." They shrugged, gaze still fixed on the ground. "Dark days have fallen on Verdane. It's natural to run for the first glimmer of light when all you see is shadows."

"I… suppose…" Still, Lord Sigurd grimaced and I couldn't blame him. This was highly uncomfortable. "Yet…"

"All we ask, in return, is for you to sue for peace, with Prince Jamke. He… he is our hope. He has always been our hope." Finally, they looked up to meet our eyes. "We don't want war. We don't know why our king has done this. But so long as Prince Jamke lives, we know things will be better. So, we… we request… no, we beg you that." All too soon, though, they bowed their head once more. "Please…"

"...My intention had always been for peace once Edain was safe. Peace, and finding the truth of the sudden attack." Lord Sigurd smiled warmly, and the soldier lifted their head ever-so-slightly. "There's no need to bow to me. Hold your head high. You wish to safeguard the future of your home, and there is no shame in that." He chuckled suddenly and pointed at me. "With that said, final word on just who can assist lies with her. Many of you are wounded still, after all."

"I… of course." Another helpless smile cracked onto the soldier's face. "Thank you, my lord."

It surprised me just how many were willing to fight. Though, some looked relieved when I informed them they needed to rest, as if grateful for the excuse, others were more than willing. It made me uncomfortable, but seeing how Crown Prince Munnir had treated them, I supposed it made some sense to try and fight for someone who actually appeared to care. Actually, it made me very uncomfortable anyway, but I pretended otherwise. It was comforting to see Lord Sigurd look disgruntled over how many volunteers we had; it let me know I was not the only one who felt ill-at-ease. Yet this was their choice, and what could we do but honor it?

Eventually, the knights and volunteers disappeared into the trees. I didn't know why, of course, for I had no part in their strategy. I was a healer, and my job was to continue tending to the wounded, to continue buying them time for better care at the castle. Lord Sigurd stayed with us, at my insistence. After all, between the arrows and my own cuts, his back was a mess of wounds which would reopen at the slightest exertion. While our three knights and helpful soldiers did… whatever they'd decided to do, he stood guard and helped me when I needed another pair of hands. The sounds of battle echoed harshly through the trees, but in the grove, all was quiet.

That is, it was quiet until something burst from the nearby bushes. It took me a long second to realize it was Crown Prince Munnir himself, bleeding heavily from a gash in his side. Ignoring anything and everything, he charged straight for Lord Sigurd, with all of us left staring as we tried to process what was going on. Yet, by the time we had, it… was over. Crown Prince Munnir crumpled to the ground, spitting up blood while he tried to pull the arrow from his

throat. Behind us, Sir Midir lowered his bow, his expression both impassive and cold.

Well, that... was certainly one way for this to end.

Chapter Text

Interlude – Duty

With Crown Prince Munnir's death, Marpha surrenders without further fight. The people were cordial, though it did nothing to hide the fear in their eyes or quaver in their voices. The fear softened ever so slightly when they realized the wounded we first brought were their own. Gradually, the fear turns to confusion as their fellows told of how we'd rode back to save them, of how Lord Sigurd promised to parley with Third Prince... with Crown Prince Jamke. Their moods even lightened when the first wave of refugees arrived from Genoa, ahead of the bulk of the army, and they learned of how we'd protected and saved so many, even at terrible costs to ourselves.

You'd think it would be something to celebrate, but I find it all mad. I do my best to not let it show, but the shadows engulfing Verdane are increasingly uncomfortable and disconcerting. Yet what else could we do? What else could I do? As Lord Sigurd said, we have to learn the cause behind the sudden assault, for all those who suffered. As for me, I cannot leave them to hurt. I cannot leave them to die. Lord Sigurd feels the same.

I suppose we simply do as our morals, conscience, and duty dictates. It's... all we can do, isn't it?

"Necro... what? Fasci-what?" Mister Dew blinked at me slowly, trying to parse out what I'd said.

"Necrotizing fasciitis," I repeated, more focused on my patient than him. I knew by now he wouldn't mind, especially when she'd just returned from surgery. "That is her condition, which is why we had to debride her wound." The sheer amount of necrotic tissue had been near-horrifying. I dared not think of all the blood she had lost in the process, nor of the complications such a large, open wound in her abdomen. Yet if we had not, the infection would've killed her outright.

"It looks like something tried to eat her and spat her out," Mister Dew noted, perched on a stool next to me. He watched me check the bandages, careful not to look my patient in the face. He did that for most of the patients, truthfully. "More than once."

"The infection is sometimes dubbed 'flesh-eating disease', so perhaps you are not far off." Absently, I reached for my staff; Mister Dew passed it to me without a word. "I most definitely will want to check her newborn again, given how much we had to cut away."

"I'll pass the message along." Mister Dew's eyes narrowed slightly. "Did all this really happen because she gave birth, though?"

"It was why she was cut open in the first place." I mentally reviewed what her sister had told us. During a routine check with the midwife, it became clear the baby was in a breech position. For the safety of the child and mother, an emergency surgery was done. A few days later, she began feeling unwell, with a terrible fever and even more terrible pain. By sheer chance, we had arrived in Marpha around the same time, and even more incredibly, she was related to one of the Verdanite soldiers I had personally treated, one of those who did not need to stay in the infirmary. So, when he had returned home and saw her condition, he immediately brought her and her sister here. "The wound became infected. It's not uncommon, particularly with abdominal surgeries."

"Didn't they clean it, though?"

"They did, very well." It had been both baffling and terrifying. The midwife's antiseptics were better than my own, better than anything I'd ever studied, yet the infection had resisted each and every one we used. I'd had to resort to 'burning' it with my magic before anything took. "Unfortunately, though, some infections are very resilient and very stubborn. In those cases, magic must be used." There had been no one who used magic in Marpha until we came. The closest were in a church in a nearby village days away, days my patient simply would not have had.

"That... sucks." That was certainly one way to describe it. "Wait, how did we get to talking about this again?"

"You asked about the uterus in the bucket at your feet." We had to remove it; the infection had already spread to it. It was miracle enough we caught it before it spread to her other organs. Her recovery would be lengthy enough as it was, and still far from guaranteed.

"Oh." Though slightly green in the face, Mister Dew's gaze dropped to it. "Right." There was another long pause. "So, why is it in the bucket? Still in the bucket, rather. Here."

"Sir Arden will take it along with the other limbs and organs we had to remove." Truthfully, I could and would have done so, but Sir Arden insisted and it was helpful since he could take all of them at once. "Then they shall be burned twice and buried." We stuck to that policy for now, though I did wish to speak with the local healers on what they did. I worried on accidentally insulting due to a difference in beliefs and, truthfully, I was curious if they knew a different way.

"There's more?!"

"Please mind your volume, Mister Dew. I'd prefer it if you do not startle our patients."

Perhaps due to morbid curiosity, Mister Dew squeakily asked about the other body parts waiting to be collected, and was more than a little green by the time I finished checking over the new mother. Still, he insisted on remaining with me as I tended to the rest in this infirmary, and kept faithfully at my side when I moved to the next.

As I had feared, many of the Verdanite soldiers had been dreadfully ill. To minimize the chances of it spreading, I had to isolate them in their own infirmary. Part of me felt uneasy about it, but I knew it had to be done. None of them complained, thankfully. Then again, perhaps it was easier on their hearts, to not share an infirmary with those who killed their friends. Regardless, they were separated, and Mister Dew accompanied me faithfully. After the surprise attack, and my stint as a hostage, everyone agreed I was not to roam the halls alone. Usually, either Mister Finn or Lord Oifeye would stay with me, but on days where both were busy, like today, Mister Dew was my escort, though he waited outside whenever I treated the Verdanites. I hated being such a burden; I'd have to work harder to make up for it.

"Yes, this looks much better..." I murmured, carefully cleaning the stump of one former soldier's arm. I remembered treating them in the field, the clotted rags peeling off rotted flesh. We had to cut more of his arm off, sadly, as the gangrene had spread too much, but now, the wound healed well. "You shouldn't need further surgeries, so long as this continues."

"Thank ye, ma'am," he murmured, not looking at me. It was still hard for him to look at the stump. "I... will it be much longer before I can rest at home?"

"I'd like it if you stayed at least another week, since the original infection had been so bad." Done with my cleaning, I carefully bandaged the stump. It couldn't be too loose or too tight, after all, and I'd had few chances to practice during my life at Yngvi. "But should everything progress as it should and you do not catch an illness, I see no reason why you cannot continue your recuperation home. You'll need to see a doctor quite regularly, though."

"Of course." Once the bandage was firmly on, he tucked the stump under the blanket and turned to smile wryly at me. "Might... I ask about the one next to me?" He nodded to the unconscious man laid out in the next bed. "We've known each other since we were small."

"Hmm? Ah..." I hesitated briefly, debating on whether it was proper. Medical history should be kept private. Yet they had to stare at them every day, and I did not doubt they were friends. Perhaps this once... should be fine... "I fear their condition still is not well, though they are stable." I stood and went to check on them, though they had been one of the first I'd tended to. Their breath remained steady, as did their pulse. The terribly deep gash on their side had been cleansed thoroughly, and the wound packed. There were no signs of infection, no fevers or chills. They had simply... been weakened already from exhaustion and malnutrition, and then had lost so much blood. "I fear I cannot give you any definitive answer, but they are not on death's door. They have a chance."

"Better than when ye found us." That certainly was true. I wished the same could be said of all of his fellows, but alas, I could not. Some, such as the one with a hole in their neck or the half-crushed skull, had not made it. The damage had been too severe, the bleeding too great. It had been all I could do to ease their pain as they passed. "His daughter turned two not long ago. He had me carve her a little talisman for protection." He smiled bitterly. "Maybe I should've carved one for him too."

"...Perhaps it is protecting him anyway." I was not sure what to say. "I imagine she wishes to see her father again, after all." How did one continue a conversation? My time in the army reminded me of just how little I'd spoken with anyone over the years. Most simply told me what was wrong, what was needed, and did not speak to me further.

Thankfully, I did not need to continue trying. A sudden yelp outside caught my ear and I went to investigate. I peered around the doorframe with a frown, worried someone had tripped and fallen, but when I saw the source, I... I could only stare. My words, my voice, froze in my throat. After all, the cause was... it was...

"Verdanite scum!" The cause was some of our soldiers screaming at some of the wounded Verdanite soldiers. I knew they were wounded; the bandages they wore screamed it. More to the point, I recognized them as some of the lesser wounded, those whose injuries and health allowed them to go home with the promise of returning for check-ups. One of them tried to shield the others, the same one who had first requested Lord Sigurd to allow them to assist. "How dare you even-"

I didn't hear the rest. I was certain it was something which suited the rage twisting their expression, and vaguely, I realized I recognized him too. He was a farmer in Yngvi, one whose daughters had been among the many captured. In fact, one of his daughters had been the one who'd dissociated from everything, with her sister crying herself to sleep in my lap. His anger... was understandable. Yet at the same time... at the same time, he pulled back his arm to punch my patient, and I... I...

Without thinking, I got in the way. Not even a second later, his fist connected with my face. It... hurt. It hurt a lot. My head rang from the blow, and I thought... I thought I tasted blood in my mouth. But it didn't matter. My patients were safe, so it didn't matter.

"I would ask you to refrain from hurting my patients," I whispered, regarding the puncher calmly. My cheek stung. I definitely tasted blood now. "I would also ask you do not cause a commotion outside the infirmary. The wounded and ill need their rest if they are to recover." The puncher opened their mouth, no doubt to shout. I steeled myself for it; I had practice, after all.

However, there was no shouting. Before the puncher could say a single word, utter a single sound, Sir Midir was suddenly there, his face dark with anger and eyes cold with fury. He wrapped his arm around the puncher without a word and dragged him away. When the puncher tried to dig his heels, Sir Midir simply glared and when he turned his glare to the other soldiers, the ones who'd stood with the puncher, they meekly followed with heads bowed.

It took me a couple of blinks to fully comprehend it all, and truthfully, I didn't fully wrap my head around it until Mister Dew appeared at my side. It was only then I realized I hadn't seen him when I first stepped out. I'd been too startled.

"When they started yelling, I figured it better I fetch someone who could carry them off, literally, in case things turned to a fight," Mister Dew explained, frowning worriedly at me. I wondered why, and then worried my patients were still behind me. They weren't. A quick look inside the infirmary showed they'd slipped inside, for the relative safety within. Thank goodness... "I'm too small to do that. For now."

"...I see," I whispered, nodding. I did my best to smile; it hurt, but I hoped it would help ease whatever worried him. "I'd best check on everyone and ensure there are no bruises." It had only been yells when I stepped out, but what had occurred before then?

"Beside your face? You should tend to that first. It's going to swell." Mmm... I supposed it would be distressing for one's healer to have a swollen face. Still, my patients... "I... I can help?"

"Oh, there's no need for that." Between running to fetch Sir Midir and running back, he had to be tired.

"Then... then I'll get Edain to help!" Ah, yes, if Edain could take over the patients for the moment, I could spare a little time.

"Thank you, Mister Dew." I'd best tend to this quickly, though. It was no excuse to shirk. "Let's do that, then."

It should not have taken long to tend to my injury. My jaw was unbroken, my teeth were uncracked, and the blood I had tasted had simply been from an already-healed cut on the inside of my cheek. A little bit of bruise balm and it would heal without issues. However, somehow or another, Lady Ethlyn had learned what had happened... and apparently pitched a right fit. As soon as Lady Edain arrived, she'd appeared from nowhere to literally drag me from the infirmary to her own rooms to tend to it personally.

"Hmm... the swelling is thankfully minimal..." Lady Ethlyn murmured, scrutinizing my cheek. I didn't understand why she insisted on tending to it herself, or why she had not tended to it in the infirmary. "It will definitely bruise, though..." But she had, and here I was, seated in a chair by her desk while she fussed. I couldn't remember the last time someone had fussed over my bruises. I purposely hid them from Arvis to keep from worrying him, and Father Eirik had never... "Shouldn't be hard to hide with make-up, mind." Lady Ethlyn paused then. "Wait, Miss Alicia, do you even wear make-up?"

"...No?" I answered, wondering if that was an issue. It had never been something I was interested in, nor did I ever have someone to teach me. I knew what plants were most often used for cosmetics, of course, but it was simply part of learning their properties. "Some would use them back in Ynvgi, of course, and I had to treat a few for skin allergies because of them. That's the extent of my knowledge, however."

"Wow... I thought for sure you did. Then again, I thought the same for Ayra, and she looked at me like I was crazy." Lady Ethlyn's magic was very gentle, especially given her usual energy. Perhaps the energy manifested in the warmth instead. "So many people in the army are so pretty. It's almost enough to make me jealous."

"Looks are not everything, Lady Ethlyn." I thought briefly of my mother, and Lady Cigyun. Their beauty only brought them pain, thanks to my father. "Besides, you are a beauty in your own right."

"Eh?" Lady Ethlyn froze, her cheeks turning pink with a blush. "I am? I mean; Quan thinks so, but..."

"Yes." I thought about explaining about the lovesick fools who'd gotten themselves colds while brooding in the rain in the wake of her marriage, but decided against it. It might trouble her.

"Oh." Her blush darkened, and a strangely shy smile crept onto her face. "...Growing up, I was always simply 'cute'. 'Cute', 'adorable'... that's what I heard. Edain was the beauty, and I was the 'cutie'." Well, she was quite adorable as well, but that was more due to her personality. "No one really called me 'beautiful'..." Well, how was I supposed to reply to that? "Oh, but um... er..." Then again, maybe she would prefer I did not.

So, instead, I looked about the room for a convenient change of subject and my gaze fell on the collection of tea tins on the desk, behind the makeup she'd taken from her vanity. "That's quite the variety of teas." Glancing over the labels, I noticed quite a few were 'fruity' teas, with berries or citrus. I also noticed most of them were shut tight with a faint layer of dust, as if they had not been opened in a significant time. The teas labeled 'chamomile' and 'lavender', however... they were only loosely closed, as if they had been opened recently or the person anticipated having to open it again very soon. "Lady Ethlyn?"

"Yes?" Her voice held a touch of relief. "What is it?"

"Have you or Lord Quan had trouble sleeping?" I studied the tea collection once more, noting the ones on the other side of the chamomile and lavender were decidedly different than the ones before. The ones labeled 'ginger' and 'cinnamon' were loosely closed. I remembered Lady Ethlyn telling me once ginger was difficult for her to take, as it was much too spicy for her. Did Lord Quan favor them, then?

"Hmm? I... uh..." Lady Ethlyn looked away sheepishly. "Are my eyes puffy? You're right, but I'm wondering what gave me away."

"No, they are not." At least, they did not appear so right now. "I simply took a guess."

"Ah." She still wouldn't look at me. "Well, however you figured it out... again, you're right. I'm not sleeping well. I might have spent a year in Leonster, but I'm still not truly used to battles. The screams, the death, the blood..." She shuddered at the memories. "Then I remember those children we couldn't save, among the refugees. They haunt my nightmares, and I keep thinking... wondering..." Ah, I knew this problem well. 'What if'. It was a terrible spiral, all the more so when you did not know how to carve a little space in your heart to place it. "Then, of course, I think of their mothers and I think of my little Altenna..."

"...Those are not..." What to say? What to do? Father Eirik would always tell me it was unsuitable for a healer to dwell on such. A healer had no place in being emotional. Yet I couldn't say that to her. I simply couldn't. "They are... valid feelings, Lady Ethlyn. It is understandable you would find it hard to sleep." I did not know what else to say, though. I devoted myself to my studies so I could save the next one, but Lady Ethlyn had so many other duties...

"Do you have any mixes to help you sleep?"

"...I'll make something up for you." I did not have a mix for myself, but it would be easy to make her one. I could add some of the fruits she seemed to favor, and some herbs to help new mothers recuperate from their pregnancy and birthing. While I was at it, I could make a mix for Lord Sigurd as well. It wouldn't be hard; I already knew what flavors he liked. "Come by the infirmary in the morning." I could make both tonight, while I waited for some medicines to steep. It would be simple.

"Thank you!" She smiled so warmly and sweetly. It was a relief to see. "Ah, hold still for one second. Let me get this concealer on..." She opened one of the containers on her desk, scooped a little of whatever was inside, and tapped something cold against the bruise, quick and light. I tried not to flinch, as each tap hurt. "There we are, nice and hidden." How thoughtful of her. I had been wondering how to maintain the air of a proper healer with a bruised jaw. "So..." A sudden knock on the door then, though, startled us both. "...It's open?" The hesitance in her voice hinted she hadn't expected visitors and her wide eyes when the door clicked open to reveal Mister Finn only further confirmed it. "Finn?"

"Mine apologies, my lady," Mister Finn mumbled, looking down. He seemed a little out of breath, strangely enough. "When I returned from patrol, I heard Miss Alicia had been hurt by one of our own." So, had he been worried there'd been a revolt? Was that why he was here? "So..."

"Aw, you're the sweetest!" Lady Ethlyn immediately walked over to pinch his cheek; Mister Finn made a face. "As you can see, though, all is well." Yes, though it had taken much longer than anticipated. I should return to the infirmary quickly. "How was the patrol? Anything unexpected?"

"Thankfully no, my lady."

The two continued to converse, with Lady Ethlyn leading Mister Finn from the doorway to minimize awkwardness. I took the opportunity to slip away, not wanting to intrude further. I'd been away from my patients long enough, and Lady Ethlyn's room was not far from the infirmary. I had to return to work.

Arvis was ever one to take advantage of opportunities, no matter if they were happenstance or engineered. Thus, it was no surprise he capitalized on Azelle traveling with me to send a plethora of letters. The contents of his latest letter, however, were... more than a little curious.

"You told him I was punched?" I asked Azelle, twisting in my chair to look at the storage room. As usual, Azelle used 'managing inventory' as an excuse to spend time with me, and I used 'studying' as an excuse to read through a letter from my dear older brother. "Truly?"

"He replied to that already?" Azelle 'answered', poking his head out from the storage room. I frowned slightly and he shrugged. "What? Were you not going to tell him?"

"Of course not." I never wanted to worry him, and I knew this made him panic. Usually in his letters, he'd ensure it was neat and easy to read, even if the writing was casual. This letter, however, was filled with scratched out words (misspellings primarily), and disorderly lines. "He also brought up Crown Prince Munnir taking me hostage..." Who had told him? Had it also been Azelle? No, it didn't matter. What did matter was finding some way to reassure him and keep him from rearranging things in Belhalla and Velthomer, again, to send us more soldiers. He didn't write it, but I knew he was already working on it. He barely slept as it was... "Perhaps I'd better send Aida a letter asking her to watch his health."

"Maybe with whatever means he sent his reply. I swear it's not been that long." It couldn't have been. It had been just over a week. It was surprising enough he'd even heard! "For it to come so quickly..." Azelle crept over to peer over my shoulder. "Did he use one of his personal falcons?"

"He would've had to." It was quite the risk as well. He rarely used them for anything but the most pertinent of messages. "Did you not see?"

"No, Lex passed it to me. I'll ask him later." Though now I wondered just where the falcon would've disappeared to.

With nothing left to say, Azelle returned to the inventory and I returned to the letter, reading through carefully. It wasn't as long as his letters usually were, hinting this was something he'd scribbled as soon as he'd heard from Azelle, and the message hidden in the haphazardly scrawled words was even shorter: 'Are you well?' Though I could see where he'd crossed out an entire sentence towards the end, using so much ink it was near impossible to make out the words. From the fragments I could discern, though, I guessed he brought up how I did not know how to fight. That... was not a conversation for letters, particularly when my own stance had not changed. I... it was my duty and pleasure to heal as a healer. I would not harm. I would not. Though it did make me wonder how to respond. Should I pretend to have not seen? Should I perhaps subtly remind him of my view?

"Miss Alicia, are you still here?" While I mentally debated, Lord Oifeye poked his head into the infirmary, and sighed in relief when he saw me 'studying' at the table. "Oh, good, I was worried when the strategy meeting ran over some..." he mumbled, stepping into the room. Ever since I'd been punched, Lord Oifeye had made a point to be free whenever I needed to check on our Verdanite patients. I hated causing so much trouble, particularly when he was not the only one who hovered near. Lord Lex and Lady Ayra often 'happen to pass by', to say nothing of the knights. They'd actively stood guard the last couple of days. "There is still time?"

"Yes, though I did plan to leave soon," I confirmed, making sure to smile and ignoring the twinge of pain in my cheek. It still hurt, but I would not let anyone know. Lady Ethlyn fussed enough as it was. "Are you certain you wish to escort me still?" Lord Oifeye still turned green at some of the patients' conditions, and I knew Azelle would not mind accompanying me.

"If I am not a nuisance, then I would like to, yes." Still, when he so earnestly wished, how could I deny him? "A knight's duty is to defend, and those under your care are under Lord Sigurd's protection. That our soldiers would attack reflects poorly on him."

"Whatever happened to them?" I hadn't seen them once since, and heard even less. Granted, my duties kept me near the infirmaries, but still, I would think I'd hear something by now.

"Lord Sigurd had the one who punched you confined for two days, while the rest were let go with a warning." Lord Oifeye sighed once more, this time in both exasperation and fondness. "It is... very light as far as punishments are concerned, but Lord Sigurd felt their anger was understandable. A heavy punishment for such would only further breed discontent, or so he believed." Lord Oifeye paused suddenly. "B-but it is absolutely unforgivable and he was greatly distressed you were hurt!"

"Why would you need to clarify?" I frowned slightly. Azelle, meanwhile, stepped out to join us, and he looked just as confused as I felt. "I know the one who punched me. His daughters suffered greatly. I am glad Lord Sigurd took the circumstances into account." Personally, I thought two days imprisonment was too much. It had simply been a bruise.

"Be that as it may, we do need to be cautious. Discipline is important, after all." I supposed he had a point there. Certainly, it became clear continuing the conversation would only lead us in circles.

"Still, there is no reason to dampen the mood with such talk." …That… was too blunt. How did I soften the words…? "Have you any news for today?" Lord Oifeye did enjoy sharing stories of our soldiers' antics.

"News? Hmm?" Lord Oifeye thought for a moment, leaning on the doorframe. "Oh! Well, there was an oddity earlier in the mews!" Mews... that was where they kept the birds, wasn't it? "A black falcon appeared from nowhere this morning." ...Ah. This... this was awkward. Arvis's personal falcons had black feathers. "Though when I left to get one of their caretakers and returned, it had flown off." This… certainly explained where Arvis's personal falcon had gone. It must have rested briefly before returning home to Velthomer. "But I swear I saw it!" Now how to address this...?

"...Perhaps it had belonged to a local noble, and found itself adrift due to the current circumstances?" Azelle suggested hesitantly, with a slightly awkward smile. Based on his tone and expression, I knew he'd come to the same conclusion I'd had and now was going with the first excuse he could think of to explain it away. "I'm certain there are quite a few former pets wandering the surrounding lands."

"Oh, that could've been it. If that's the case, though, we truly need to find an animal doctor." Lord Oifeye frowned. "How to best find one, though? Should we ask the townsfolk?"

"Bring it up to Lord Sigurd?" Azelle passed me his notes on the inventory. "Or, well, maybe I can, since you're about to be busy."

"Hmm?"

"I told you I would need to check on my patients soon," I reminded, keeping my calm. I might need to make a note of this in my reply to Arvis; his worry was no reason to make things awkward for Azelle. "Will you help me gather my things, Lord Oifeye?"

Thankfully, Lord Oifeye jumped at the opportunity to help me, and I heard nothing further on the topic. We did gather a surprising number of animals over the next few days, though. I could only hope they didn't bring diseases with them.

"There you are, nice and slow," Lord Sigurd murmured, watching as Lord Shanan walked one shaky step at a time. He tightened his grip on his hand, providing much needed support. "We're in no rush."

"Yes, you are doing just fine," I reassured, gently holding onto Lord Shanan's other hand. I had not initially planned it, but when we'd started the walk, Lord Shanan had taken mine without thinking. I would not let go. "See? I told you that you would walk before long."

Lord Shanan's recovery progressed beautifully, and shortly after we moved to Marpha, he'd begun his physical therapy. Through determination, and perhaps the resilience often associated with those of Major Holy Blood, he'd taken to it well, to the point he could stand with minimal assistance. So, for our regular walk through the market, Lord Sigurd had suggested Lord Shanan might try walking on his own. Though I worried about his stamina, I decided the benefit to his mental health was too great to dismiss. Certainly, Lord Shanan's entire demeanor brightened at the idea, so now, here we were, Lord Shanan walking outside for the first time since his imprisonment in Genoa, hand in hand with Lord Sigurd and me.

"Seems he's doing well," Lord Sigurd noted softly once we had reached the edge of town. Lord Shanan paid him no mind; he was too busy concentrating. "Ah, but I have been remiss. How are you healing?" All at once, though, Lord Sigurd peered at my face, specifically my cheek. "Your bruise..."

"It is nothing to fret about," I replied, curious and confused in equal measure. It was startling just how many asked. I expected it from Azelle, and indeed, my little brother asked on an hourly basis. But why would the others wonder?

"I think it's natural to worry about someone who has been injured."

"It is certainly natural for you, Lord Sigurd." He had to have a thousand things and more to worry about, though. "Lady Edain has checked on it personally, and healed it fully yesterday." There was some lingering stiffness; each smile felt like a pinch still. But there was no reason to bother anyone. "Ah, but I thank you for taking their feelings into account."

"...Whose feelings?" Lord Sigurd frowned, his face scrunched up slightly. "Edain's? No, you used 'their'..."

"Ah, my apologies. I meant the soldiers. I heard of their punishments." I supposed it was a bit of a non-sequitur. "I do not know if you heard, but the one who punched me... his daughters had been among the captured."

"I did learn, as I asked about it. I wished to discern if it was a personal pain or a... cultural bias, shall we say?" Lord Sigurd's smile turned a little awkward. "Discipline is important and truthfully, striking one's healer is grounds for two years of imprisonment." That... surely that was not the case! "However, after speaking to him, his fellows, and the Verdanites they argued with, I believed it hadn't been premeditated. They should not have confronted them at all and likely were looking for a fight, but the punch itself had been in the heat of the moment. So, I discussed it with Khasar-"

"Forgive me, but who is that?"

"Ah, Khasar is... well, I suppose he became the unofficial leader of the Verdanite soldiers since he was the one who first spoke to us." Ah, so that was his name. I hadn't learned, nor did I think to ask. "He was the one who suggested a light punishment, with the condition Verdanite soldiers who similarly lose their tempers were also given light punishments. After all..." Lord Sigurd looked away briefly. "No matter how much we try to dress it up, we did invade. We did kill their family, their friends. It's clear they have no more of an idea of what is going on than we do. So, now their loved ones are dead and so are their lords and who else is there left to blame but us?"

"I think I understand." Lord Oifeye had mentioned discipline, but Lord Sigurd worried more about everyone's feelings. "I... speaking as a healer, I believe anger is healthy to a certain degree. All emotions are. We are human, and humans feel. Biting such things back... it can lead to many health problems."

"Yet it must also be balanced against excess. The last thing any of us need is daily fistfights. That will only worsen relations between our countries." Lord Sigurd glanced at me hesitantly, but relaxed once he caught my eye. "We'll see in the coming days if it was the right decision. If not, I shall simply bear the consequences and find another path forward."

"I believe that is all anyone can do."

"Should I pretend I can't hear?" Lord Shanan suddenly drawled, his voice only a little breathy. Both Lord Sigurd and I jerked our heads down to see him pouting. Yet despite the pouty annoyance, I knew I saw fear and unease as well. "Father and Aunt Ayra would talk over my head back in Isaach, and I had to pretend then." Ah, that was...

"I apologize for reminding you of such tense circumstances, Shanan," Lord Sigurd replied, smiling sheepishly. For my part, I squeezed Lord Shanan's hand in mine, hoping he found it reassuring. "But no, you need not pretend such. If you have opinions on the matter, I would gladly hear them. You were simply concentrating so fervently I dared not distract you."

"I'm still confused by everything that's going on here, truthfully." Lord Shanan's pout grew, and the fear and unease retreated. Thank goodness... "But what's this about Miss Alicia having a bruise?" I... supposed he didn't hear? "Aunt Ayra was mad about something recently. Was that it?

"Likely, yes, and she and I had a very spirited discussion about it and it is why she's taken to patrols lately." Was that another way to say they argued? What would they have argued about? "Regardless, there was an argument between soldiers not long ago and when things escalated into violence, Miss Alicia intervened. Unfortunately, she was hurt in the process."

"That seems to be a very fancy way of saying I moved in the way of someone's fist," I noted dryly before I could stop myself. I shouldn't have slipped, and would've reminded myself of Father Eirik's lessons, but Lord Shanan looked so aghast I couldn't help but focus on reassuring him. Lord Sigurd was no help; he laughed and laughed.

By this point, we had made it to the town proper and discussions turned to other, less stressful topics as we made our way to the market. It was lively as we walked through, keeping slow so Lord Shanan never felt rushed. People waved when we passed, and no small few even giggled. I did not know why. Was there something particularly amusing about us? I did not think so, and I certainly could not think of why some of the young adults would sigh longingly. Were they infatuated with Lord Sigurd? Some in Yngvi suffered from such, though most knew it would lead nowhere. Lord Sigurd was as infamous as Arvis for avoiding the matchmakers, for reasons even the gossips did not know. I knew why Arvis did: his general distrust of people's intentions due to our father's crimes. He found it hard to trust anyone, after living so long with only Lady Cigyun and my mother genuinely caring for him in the mess of a noble court.

"Miss Alicia, is all well?" Lord Sigurd asked suddenly. Immediately, I glanced down worriedly at Lord Shanan, but found him still doing fine. He was a touch paler and his breathing was noticeably harder, but the determination in his eyes did not falter nor did his grip on my hand. "You seem distracted."

"I am simply wondering about the people," I answered, looking up at him. I could see him frown worriedly. "So many sigh and giggle. While I am gladdened by their high spirits, I cannot help but wonder the cause."

"Ah, you've noticed it as well. Quite a few stare at you in particular." That made little to no sense for a number of reasons. Besides, by my eyes, most stared at him. "Mayhaps they envy your serene grace?"

"I somehow doubt that." ...Again. Again, I let myself be too sarcastic. I looked away, mortified I would so easily forget my lessons. Father Eirik would've thrown a fit if he learned...

A flicker of movement caught and held my attention, and I focused on it with a frown. There... in the shadows of a nearby building... there was a man in poorly fitting armor, yanking on a woman's arm. Most walked past, ignorant or ignoring, despite how the man's voice grew louder, and the woman tried to pull her arm free, tried to somehow fold in on herself and hide...

"P-please, let me go...!"

"Shaddup! Keep yapping and you'll regret it!"

I... did not like the look of it and turned towards Lord Sigurd, wondering if he'd come to the same conclusion I did. The sudden hard look in his eye said 'yes', but he glanced worriedly at Lord Shanan, who still had his gaze fixed forward. When I subtly pulled Lord Shanan closer to me, though, he nodded and let go to rescue the woman. Keeping Lord Shanan tucked close to me, we followed slowly.

Absently, I thought of something Arvis once confided, of how he used to dream of Prince Kurth rescuing both his mother and mine from our father. Such fanciful tales never came true, especially in Velthomer, but... well, today, at least, it could be true for this woman. After all Lord Sigurd often acted as a quintessential knight in shining armor.

"I think you're the one who's doing something they'll regret," Lord Sigurd sighed as soon as he was within reach, exasperation making the words long and tired. He easily twisted the man off of the woman, and I skirted near to help her away while keeping a tight grip on Lord Shanan's hand. I did not want him to be lost in the ruckus. "That is no way to treat a lady."

"Shaddup!" the one in armor rounded on him. I used the distraction to firmly lead the woman away. "I saw her first!"

"Ladies are not commodities, sir." Never had I seen Lord Sigurd's gaze so cold. "Now what shall we do? There are none I loathe more than your kind, but I do not wish to cause a further ruckus. The people have had enough for a lifetime."

By then, I had found a cluster of boxes stacked neatly outside a store and lifted Lord Shanan onto one for him to rest. He blinked slowly, no doubt confused by everything, but I made sure to smile and smooth the hair out of his face before turning to the woman to check her over.

"That... just happened," the woman murmured after a moment, keeping her head down. She had kept it down the entire time, revealing only long and beautiful silver hair. "I... I am sorry for the trouble..."

"'Tis no trouble," I reassured, pushing up her sleeve. Her arm was mottled with bruises, made more apparent by how surprisingly pale she was compared to the other Verdanites I had seen. It was as if she had not seen the sun in some time. "I am a healer, miss." However, my focus went to the bruising and, specifically, how it was in various stages of healing. Had she suffered his company long or were these from elsewhere...? "This is my job."

"Still..."

"I assure you I had to heal worse this morning, from soldiers too hungover to keep from walking into walls." I truly shouldn't have shared that, but she choked on a startled laugh. "My name is Alicia, miss. I am-"

"Oh! Like from the story!" ...That... was not the usual reaction to my name. "Ah, I love that story! It's filled with wonders and dangers and, of course, a beautifully happy end!" She finally looked up then, revealing sparkling pale purple eyes. "My mother apparently liked it for the same reasons! I read her copy all the time!" All at once, she froze and ducked her head. This time, though, she blushed, a pale pink all the way to the tips of her ears. "Er... I'm sorry. I..."

"Perhaps I should look more into the story. I've not read it myself." I'd never given much thought about where my name came from. Arvis once told me it was his own mother who'd named me, because of course the one who eventually threw me away did not give anything to me. All she gave me was my life, just as all my father gave me was the blood in my veins which connected me to Arvis and Azelle. "What was your name again?"

"It's... um..." She ducked her head even more. "...Deirdre."

"It is nice to meet you, Deirdre." This conversation felt so awkward; I simply did not know how to make small talk.

"Well, that solves that." Thankfully, though, Lord Sigurd came to my rescue as well, via joining us by the boxes. I spared a glance at Lord Shanan, but he continued watching us with wide eyes. That was... worrisome, but... "Hopefully, he shan't bother anyone for a while," Lord Sigurd continued, not elaborating in the slightest. Instead, his focus went to Deirdre. "Are you well, miss?"

"I... um... yes..." Deirdre mumbled, looking up briefly. All at once, she froze, staring at him. Strangely, for his part, Lord Sigurd stared back. A long moment of silence hung in the air... "I..." Then she ducked her head once more, and broke the spell. "Thank you, Lord Sigurd."

"You... know my name?" Lord Sigurd smiled slightly. "I... did not think it had spread so far."

"There are some who only know it through rumors. There have been many stories of Grannvale's army being naught but violent raiders, come to conquer Verdane." ...Well, it was easy to see why those rumors came about, even if they were technically incorrect. Lord Sigurd had no intention of conquering, but one had to actually speak with him to know he had not even considered it. "I knew they were false, though. I spoke with a lovely lady named 'Edain' the last time I was here."

"You spoke with Edain?"

"Yes, after I gave her some apples I gathered." ...Ah, so was she the mysterious 'apple fairy', then? "She spoke so highly of you, so I knew the rumors were false. You are... exactly as I imagined..." She took a sudden step back. "I... If you're here, then Miss Edain is safe, yes?"

"She is."

"I see. Good..." I barely caught the hint of a smile on her face; she kept it down, and her hair fell over her shoulder like a shield. "In that case, I should... I should be returning home."

"Would you like an escort? I would hate for you to be accosted once more."

"...No need!" With that, she bolted, leaving both Lord Sigurd and me staring. Had we scared her? Had we overwhelmed her? Should I chase after her to apologize?

There were no answers for the first two questions, and while the latter was tempting, I knew I could not. For one thing, she had vanished from sight far too quickly. She might stand out with her silver hair and delicate features, but she clearly knew the area better than me. For another, leaving Lord Shanan alone would be irresponsible, and a health hazard. I doubted Lady Ayra would accept any excuses for doing so, and given how Lord Sigurd began chatting, and perhaps even arguing, with a village elder who crept near as soon as she was out of sight...

"Lord Shanan?" I called, focusing entirely on my charge once more. He... was pale. He was much paler than he should be. His eyes remained wide, and his pupils were dilated... "Oh, Lord Shanan..." How foolish. He was... he was panicking. Quietly and surely, he was panicking. How foolish of me to not realize sooner. "There, there..." Unable to think of what to do, I hugged him gently. Immediately, he clung to me, his fingers twisting into the back of my dress as if he feared I'd disappear. "I'm sorry. I had not realized... was it the yelling?"

"Sort of..." Lord Shanan croaked, clinging to me all the tighter. He trembled in my arms, and his breath caught in my throat. "He... he reminded me of Cimbaeth. The tone... the words... they..." Ah...

"You are safe." What else could I say? He already knew Second Prince Cimbaeth was dead and the dead did not return. Telling him such would do nothing. "It is all right to still fear. It is not silly or weak. But you are safe. We will always keep you safe. No one will harm you here."

We stayed that way for some time. I did not know how long. I wished I knew a better way to comfort him. But I knew no songs or stories. All I had were words I did not think mattered and hugs I was sure were awkward. But he clung, and I refused to let go until he was ready. Truthfully, when Lord Sigurd finally joined the two of us, he was still clinging to me.

"My apologies..." Lord Sigurd mumbled, refusing to look me in the eye. He refused to look at anything, truthfully, and kept his head bowed. "I... should not have been so rude as to ignore you for a... well..."

"I fear I paid no mind to the conversation you had with whoever that was," I replied, craning my neck to at least look at him. I didn't want to dislodge Lord Shanan by accident. "What were you arguing about? I guessed you argued; you are much too tense."

"Ugh... you're right..." Lord Sigurd sighed and shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Truthfully, I asked about the woman, worried I had offended her somehow. He said she was a denizen of the Spirit Forest to the north, and she was forbidden to interact with the world outside said forest." ...Forbidden? "To do otherwise would risk calamity, for she and her kin are cursed. That was what he said."

"..." Quite a few things raced through my head, not a one a proper healer should have. For the first time since I was a child, I thought I felt my blood boil and my temper simmer. I bit it back, though, shoved it down somewhere deep. Father Eirik always scolded me for anger; blood would always tell. So, it took me far too long to actually reply. "It sounds like superstitious nonsense."

"Precisely!" Lord Sigurd looked at me then, eyes glinting in righteous anger. He held back all else, though, no doubt worried for Lord Shanan. "The idea of someone being born 'cursed' is ridiculous!" He breathed out slowly, shaking his head. "Though I prefer respecting other people's cultures and beliefs, I fear I could not bite my tongue. Hence the argument and my rudely ignoring you both."

"In such a case, I would be surprised if you didn't." Still, I had no idea how to continue the conversation. Thankfully, I found the perfect excuse. "Oh..." Namely, Lord Shanan... had fallen asleep in my arms. "He must have been exhausted." Between the walk and the panic attack... yes, this had been much too stressful...

"No doubt pushed himself, and I'm certain the confrontation unsettled his nerves. I really shouldn't have let my temper get the better of me." Carefully and gently, Lord Sigurd gathered him up in his arms to hoist him up. Lord Shanan mumbled something, but otherwise did not stir. "We had best return so he can sleep properly."

"Yes, I shall need to give him a checkup as well." Though it was almost a shame, for he slept so peacefully against Lord Sigurd's shoulder.

Still, there was nothing for it. Once we were certain Lord Shanan was secure, the two of us headed back for the castle. The market was still as lively as ever, with people waving as we passed. Some still giggled, though a few now smiled indulgently. It still confused me, and Lord Sigurd's own little frown hinted he found it baffling as well. However, there was no reason to bring attention to it and, thus, we continued on. At least we continued until we reached the front gates.

Then Lord Sigurd stopped suddenly, and turned to me to say, "Miss Alicia?"

"Yes?" I answered, and glanced up at him curiously. "What is it?"

"Might you drop the title and simply call me by name?"

"...Pardon?" That... where had that even come from?! "It is only proper?"

"Perhaps in normal circumstances, but you are my chief healer. That easily makes you my equal." I wasn't certain about that. I was still confused where this came from. "You are, after all, the one person with the rank to overrule my decisions, due to the soldiers' health." ...Well, I couldn't argue that one. "And we have been conspirators far too much." He grinned, and I knew my expression blanked. It wasn't the 'proper' blank either. "First with Shanan." He shifted Lord Shanan up in his arms to hold him more securely, an accidental emphasis to his words. "And then with the 'enemy soldiers'."

"Twice is 'far too much'?" Yet again, I couldn't help the dryness, and almost winced. But he laughed. "...If you insist on the lack of titles, then it must be reciprocated." Perhaps I should just try to stop trying to figure out where this line of thinking came from. I somehow doubted I'd ever make sense of it.

"If you are all right with that, then so am I, Alicia."

"Very well... Sigurd." It was surprising how easy it was to drop the title. I was sure I would stutter, but it came almost naturally. I supposed it was just how he was. "I hope we see Deirdre again, though. That was her name, if you didn't hear."

"Ah, then I hope so as well." ...Strange, he sounded almost wistful. But why would he be wistful about someone he just met? "We could... ah, but I suppose inviting her to stay would be rude."

"Perhaps." Then again, maybe it was his kindness again. "We should head inside. Lady Ayra has to be worried, even if she knows Lord Shanan is with us."

"Indeed." Lor... Sigurd smiled, and I decided I'd misread the 'wistful' tone before. "Shall we?"

Though I followed, fussing over Lord Shanan even though Lord Sigurd had a firm grip on him, I found myself glancing over my shoulder, wondering if Deidre was somehow still there. Of course she wouldn't be, but I couldn't help it. Something about all of this... strangely, it unsettled me. I felt as if my very blood cried out in warning. But what sort of warning would it even be?

No, it was ridiculous and I'd keep quiet about it. It was only a distraction from my duty.

Arden

Class: Sword Armor

Skills: Vantage

Holy Blood: None

A kind and gentle knight of Chalphy, he is of minor nobility, though little was expected of him as he was the middle of seven children. Though he writes them fairly frequently, he has little contact with them otherwise, which suits him just fine as he considers Chalphy his home and the people within, his family.

Specializing in defensive techniques, he is most often the one left behind to guard the main camp or castle while others ride to the front lines. Most would rankle at such an inglorious duty, but he takes pride in it as he knows it is because he has his lord's absolute trust. With that said, he does dislike being teased about his 'slowness' in combat.

Though it is not often brought up, he almost died when thrown from a horse as a child, being saved only because Sigurd happened to be near on his own ride and carried him to his estate for treatment. The weeks which followed were maddening and terrifying, as no one knew if he'd fully recover or not, but Sigurd remained by his side through it, despite them being strangers. It's this incident which sparked his steadfast loyalty to his lord, though he remains terrified of horses.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5) Fire

People are strange. I have always thought so, but being with the army has only enforced the perception. Upon realizing Sigurd and I dropped titles with each other, Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain took to giggling and smiling in the most bizarre fashion. I tried to ask Sigurd about it, but he was as clueless as me. I supposed it was a joke the two shared, one which would make little sense to outsiders.

Despite the oddness, life moves on. Slowly but surely, my patients heal. Slowly but surely, the people of Marpha come to trust us. It is surprising, that. After all, by this point, we've unintentionally conquered three-quarters of Verdane. Only the castle and its lands beyond the Spirit Forest remain, and still, there are no answers. Would there ever be?

"I really don't get it." Ah, here it was. I'd been expecting it. After all, it was a near daily thing by this point, as reliable as the sun's rising and the wind's blowing. Somehow or another, while helping me, Mister Dew would discover something about our patients' conditions which would confused and confound him enough he simply had to ask about it. "How is he peeing blood without blood? It was bright red!"

"The red coloration of his urine is due to his muscles breaking down, Mister Dew," I explained, more focused on helping Lord Shannan walk. It was part of his daily therapy, to rebuild the strength in his legs. Today, we slowly walked about the room which had become my workshop, one slow step at a time, both his hands in mine as he walked forward and I walked backwards. "He has rhabdomyolysis."

"...That's too big of a word," Mister Dew complained from his seat at the table. He wasn't the only one there; Mister Finn and Lord Oifeye were preparing medicines for me after their lessons. All manner of herbs and contraptions spread across the table, both completely focused. This, too, was simply 'normal' nowadays, after Mister Dew and I finished the morning rounds. "Can I just say 'rhabdo'?"

"You may." I smiled encouragingly at Lord Shannan when he stumbled. We'd almost finished the last lap, and I knew he tired. But his grip on my hands remained strong. "Regardless, the red is muscle tissue, not blood." It was a bit of an oversimplification, if I remembered my studies correctly, but it would suit for now.

"How did he end up like that anyway?"

"He continued to exercise and train instead of resting when Lord Quan and Sir Naoise told him." I ignored how Mister Finn stiffened at that. I knew he trained extra, even on top of the lessons Lord Quan gave him separately. "So, now he's confined to bed with fluids while we help him through this." Sadly, it was all we could do, based on what I read.

"...Wait, but how does the muscle end up there?" Lord Shannan asked, looking up at me curiously. He let me lead him to another chair at the table, and snatched my skirt to keep me from escaping his questions. "Muscles are what makes you strong, right? And solid? How does it become liquid?"

"Muscles help you move and, yes, having strong muscles usually means you can lift heavier things," I answered, wondering just how to explain the rest. The breakdown of muscles and filtration of the kidneys... oh, I'd need a diagram for this. "Let me grab one of my books." As I stepped away, Mister Dew immediately scooted his chair closer to Lord Shanan, eager to learn. When I found the book I wanted and returned, I noticed he was not the only eager learner. Lord Oifeye 'subtly' leaned towards the duo in a blatant attempt to eavesdrop while he worked. Mister Finn only tilted his head, but it was noticeable since most people did not hold their head at such an angle for long. "Move closer, you two." I could not help but smile, especially when both Lord Oifeye and Mister Finn started and smiled sheepishly. "You can let those medicines sit for a little while, and it will be harder for you to see the pictures from there."

Neither tried to hide their eagerness at that point, and thus began a different sort of lesson than I'd planned. It was surprisingly fun, though Mister Dew had to ask about words since he could not read, and I found it a shame when all had to leave for their next bit of chores (or, in Lord Shannan's case, to rest because he tired easily). Still, time waited for no one and I had my own tasks to do, even if I ran into a slight complication along the way.

Though the people of Marpha did treat us kindly, for safety reasons, I was required to have at least one guard when I went to the Town Square to treat the residents. Most often, it was Lady Ethlyn since though she wasn't the strongest, her Baldr blood did give her a talent for swords and, of course, her own healing skills let her assist. However, some days, she could not step away from her other duties and usually one of the Chalphy knights would serve as my escort instead. When even they could not, though...

"My thanks for accompanying me, Sir Midir," I murmured as we navigated the winding streets from the Castle to the Square. It wasn't necessarily hard trip, but it could be confusing thanks to the many side-streets spiraling off the main. A patient, one here for a broken bone healing poorly, once told me the cities and towns of Verdane were constructed like the branches of a tree, whatever that meant. "I feared I would not make my daily round when I realized Sir Naoise was busy." Sir Alec was in the middle of investigating something for Sigurd, and Sir Arden was assisting the newer soldiers in training. Sir Naoise should have been free, but one of the farmers needed extra help in the fields, and Sir Naoise had volunteered thanks to his background.

"It is little trouble, Miss Alicia," Sir Midir reassured, smiling kindly. I knew he would've prefer helping Lady Edain with her tasks, as he usually did when not on patrol, but when he'd noticed my conundrum, he'd volunteered before I could even think to ask. "I am gladdened to help. I have not thanked you properly for saving my life, after all."

"You truly do not need to thank me." It had been my job, after all, and my greatest 'thanks' was seeing him recovered. The wound had left a large, messy scar, as I feared it would, but it had healed fully with no signs of complications. "Besides, you have kept yourself healthy and uninjured since. I do believe you hold the record for the least visits to the infirmary out of the knights."

"It is not hard when your lady panics when you so much as sneeze." He chuckled, and it was only then I realized I'd teased him. I'd done it without thinking, how improper. I was on the job. "Given I took up so much of your time earlier, it's only right I take extra care of my health. It is both unfair and unwise to taunt Laima of Fate so soon after escaping death's grasp."

There… didn't seem to be a way to reply to that, and thankfully, Sir Midir did not expect one. Instead, we continued walking in silence until we reached the Town Square. It was as crowded as always, but those closest recognized me immediately and why I was here. In a matter of seconds, the crowd parted and swirled so I could set up in my preferred spot near the fountain, in the middle of everything. By now, everyone knew my habits and preferences. Someone had kindly brought out a small, spare table for me to use instead of a convenient box, and someone else even had my initial patients organized so I would not be mobbed. That let me start even sooner, and I was grateful for it.

Sir Midir tried to stay near during the set up, of course. He was here for my protection, and to assist if needed. However, he couldn't. Amusingly, he apparently was quite popular with the local children, and when they spotted him, they insisted he play with them. He tried to placate them into behaving, but they refused to listen and jumped on him. Their shrieks of joyous, raucous laughter echoed through the town and it was hard to keep a smile off my face at the antics. I wasn't the only one.

"One would think their mothers never taught them manners with how they're acting," someone chuckled as they stepped up after I finished with a patient. I recognized her in an instant; Mistress Yesui was the main midwife for Marpha. She'd been the one who originally treated one of my patients, and I'd badgered her with many questions about local herbs and remedies. Her disinfectant was the best of all I'd used, far better than even Father Eirik's. "Hello there, little healer."

"Hello, Mistress Yesui," I greeted, automatically checking her over. There did not seem to be any obvious injury or symptoms. "What brings you here?"

"Must I have a reason to simply chat?" She grinned, eyes dancing with silent laughter. I tilted my head to the side, confused. "Ah, but I suppose such a thing suits your seriousness. I had not originally planned on disturbing you, but when I saw the initial wave of patients had passed, I thought I might take advantage and ask how Zaya is doing."

Zaya... that was the new mother with necrotizing fasciitis. "Her recovery is slow, but steady. She wakes briefly and asks about her baby and her family before resting once more." Between medicines and magic, I hoped we could start the surgery to repair her abdomen soon. "The infection was much more extensive than originally anticipated."

"Yes, Sarnai told me." Sarnai was... ah, yes, she was Zaya's sister. She visited often to see how her sister was doing. "Wish I knew just what infection that was. I'll need to improve my disinfectant for it. Magic isn't common in Verdane." Mistress Yesui sighed, tapping her cheek. "Her babe's been doing well, but would you mind checking him over for me sometime in the next few days?"

"No, I wouldn't mind at all." Truthfully, given just how sick his mother had been, I'd wanted to see him myself. Finding a way to word the request without seeming overbearing or arrogant, though, was hard, and it was made harder by how my knowledge of newborns and their health was terribly minimal, no matter how much I studied. "Are you certain?"

"I'd feel better knowing you've checked him over with magic. Everyone's confidence gets shaken when something unexpected happens." She smiled and, surprisingly, reached over to pat my head. "I also figure you'd like to see his health yourself. You're quite the worrier, little healer."

"I..." Well, I had no idea how to reply to that. She was right, after all. "Sarnai can bring him when she next visits."

"I'll let her know. Ah, but this does not mean you should fill your time with extra studying. You've barely any free time as it is." Hmm? "I see that confusion, faint as it is. You hold onto your calm with startling ease given your youth. You can't be older than twenty." She was right; I was nineteen. "Yet I do not believe I've seen you walk about the market or gossip with friends like others your age. Why, just yesterday, I saw Lady Edain and Lady Ethlyn chatting away at a stall." Ah, yes, they had gone on a shopping trip then. They had invited me, but I was busy, so I'd refused so, instead, they had happily shown me their purchases afterwards. If I recalled correctly, Lady Edain had bought a Return Staff for Lady Ethlyn. It paired well with the Warp Staff Mister Dew 'found' for Lady Edain a few days ago. "Either you work or study. The one time you're out of the infirmaries and not working is when you walk with Lord Sigurd and little Shannan." I could not quite place the 'feel' of her smile then. 'Fond exasperation' was my closest guess, but I could not remember the last time someone regarded me with such a smile. "What do you do for fun, little healer?"

"...Studying is fun." It was my only answer. After all, no one had ever asked me such a thing, not even Arvis. Usually, our conversations focused on our various duties and how best to accomplish our goals, if they did not focus on how he needn't buy me presents. He'd ask my opinion on some policies he wanted to pursue, and I'd share what fascinating thing I'd learn from my latest lesson, or tell him of recent trends I'd noticed in people's health. Most often, though, we'd spend our time in comfortable silence, working on our individual things in each other's company. "I like mending as well."

"That's work, dear. Even if it's work you enjoy, it's still a weight on the heart. All the more so when you see so many hurt and dead. That's why you need to have fun and relax. It lets your spirit rest." She had a point, and I knew it, but there was so much to be done. I had medicines to make, patients to tend, bandages to make, studying to do. I had to do my job. I enjoyed doing my job. "Well, I'll leave off with that today. Think of it as advice from someone older, and maybe just a touch wiser." Her smile was back to warm fondness, and she ruffled my hair in clear affection. "When you get a chance, swing by for another lesson. I enjoy teaching you."

She left with a wave and a light laugh which lingered on the wind. I could only stare after her, trying to wrap my head around the conversation. However, my mind focused on her last sentence. 'I enjoy teaching you.' No one had ever told me that before. It was strange how... happy and terribly confused the simple sentence made me.

"Ah, my apologies, Miss Alicia!" Right then, Sir Midir finally managed to extract himself from the pile of children, looking rather harried. He had to reach back to untie and redo his ponytail, for instance. "Goodness, you'd think I didn't just play with them yesterday," he sighed, shaking his head. His slight smile told me he didn't mind as much as he pretended. "Is all well?"

"Hmm? Yes?" I answered, looking up at him. Was there something that seemed off? I heard and saw nothing. "Why?"

"You seem..." He trailed off, slight smile turning to a frown as he tried to find the word he wanted. But eventually, he shook his head. "No, never mind. It must have been my imagination."

"If you are certain?" I had to admit to being curious, but I chose against asking. After all, someone was rapidly approaching with their sniffling, coughing child held tight in their arms, and they took priority. "In that case, Sir Midir, can you take the child from them?"

I would... think of Mistress Yesui's words later. My job was more important right now.

Though we've changed castles twice now, and I had a myriad of duties both new and old, somehow my mornings still started the same. I'd handle my morning rounds and then head to Sigurd's office to make him tea while we discussed the soldiers' health and how the locals fared. As time went on, our topics broadened to include Lord Shannan's recovery, Lord Oifeye's lessons, and little things about the army such as how I still went through far too many hangover remedies.

"I didn't think we had enough alcohol for them to get so many hangovers," Sigurd laughed from his desk, even as he skimmed through a letter. It was from Lord Byron on the Isaachian front, the first since he'd left from my understanding. "Are all the soldiers such lightweights?"

"I wouldn't know, Sigurd," I replied, making another pot of tea for him in the back corner. He'd already gone through the first, and it was a good excuse to linger. Selfish as it was, I didn't want to end the conversation just yet. "Ah, but I do remember hearing Verdanite alcohol has a deceptively high alcohol content."

"You know; I think Khasar mentioned the same. Maybe that's where the hangovers come from. They drink it thinking it's weak like Grannvale's ale, and pay for it the next day."

"Perhaps I should ask about local remedies, then." If nothing else, having another recipe would ease the strain on my stock of herbs.

"That or I tell them they have a limit to the number of remedies they can get. It's good to socialize and have fun, but the last thing we need is drunken brawls. Especially since things between our soldiers and Verdane's have only just settled into a stalemate." That was true. I'd heard of no altercations since I was accidentally punched, but whispers of heated arguments had reached my ears. I didn't blame Sigurd for being worried. "Still, you're in a good mood. I would've thought you groggy after that emergency surgery you had for... what was it again?"

"Hmm? Oh, he had an ulcer in his intestines and it was spurting blood." The poor man... he'd been fine, with barely any nausea, until he found himself sitting in a pool of his own blood and blood clots. "It was difficult to determine the cause since we also had to combat the massive hemorrhage, but once we found it, I just had to oversew it." Poor Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain had been asleep when all of it occurred, though. They'd helped the surgery while wearing their nightgowns!

"Oversew?"

"It's a type of stitch, Sigurd." I continued to fuss with the tea, making sure I made enough. Part of me was a little nervous as well, since for this second pot, I decided to make a different tea. Specifically, I decided to make up the special tea mix I'd put together for him, which I had not served him yet. I only finished it yesterday, after days of trial and error for the specific taste. "Regardless, do I truly seem to be in a good mood?"

"It's subtle, but you're smiling more and there's a lightness to your step." Was there? I hadn't noticed. "I didn't bring it up to make you self-conscious. I just couldn't help but notice."

"I see." If Father Eirik were here, he'd no doubt scold me for not being calm as a healer should be. "I suppose I am rather happy this morning. One of the worst wounded of the Verdanite soldiers woke briefly."

"Did he?" Sigurd sounded excited, and he looked it too when I finally brought the tea over to him. "Which one?"

"I'm not sure if you remember, but he was one of the ones we treated in the field." He'd had such a deep wound to his side, and his body had already been falling apart before then. He'd slept ever since, and I'd worried he might never wake. "It's the first hint of progress since we stabilized him here." I'd wait to inform the family, though. I wanted... needed... to see if there would be a second before daring to give them hope.

"He's the last of that group, yes? Everyone else who survived is either well on the mend here, or healed enough to able to go home." Yes, he was. "I hope he can make a full recovery. Khasar mentioned he had a little girl." Sigurd glanced through his letter again and then set it down with a sigh before taking his tea. "My father writes all is well where he is. It's quite the complicated feeling."

"...I can imagine." Personally, it felt awkward. Even I was glad, to some degree, to hear they were safe. Many major lords, and their heirs, had gone to fight; Sigurd stood out in being the only Crusader heir to not join the soldiers. Yet, at the same time, if all was well for them, then it meant all was likely not well for the Isaachians and knowing the pain the news would bring Lady Ayra and Lord Shannan hurt. "What else could we do? He is a child and she is in need of sanctuary."

"Exactly. No matter how complicated or awkward things get, I won't regret it. Though, I do dread hearing Father's lecture over my idealistic tendencies once again." He made a face, and I had to smile. "I wonder if it will be a new one. I've memorized the rest."

"Somehow, I am unsurprised he's lectured you so often." Lord Byron was known in Yngvi for being a skilled warrior and politician, serious to the point of severity. "I am curious. Why didn't you march with him?"

"Originally, I was supposed to. King Azmur's call for arms meant every lord and heir needed to go to war. It's why Edain was in the castle alone; Andrey went with Ring. Reluctantly." Ah, yes, I vaguely remembered hearing gossip about this. Apparently, Lord Andrey and Duke Ring had argued until the day of departure, as Lord Andrey had wished to remain in the castle to help defend it with his sister. "However, Claud privately told Father how he had a terrible feeling about all of this, like a shadow looming over, and Arvis later mentioned feeling uneasy himself." Had he? He hadn't mentioned it to me, though his letter had been delayed by everything. "So, Father asked for an exception to let me stay behind in case there was more than one threat. Prince Kurth agreed, since he too thought something strange about the whole mess."

"With so many warnings, one would think it plotted by someone."

"They'd have to be someone with a very wide range, given these campaigns are on opposite sides of the continent." Sigurd sighed once again and nursed his tea. "Still, though all is well there, he mentioned things will take some time, perhaps even years. In contrast, I hope we'll be done here in a couple of months."

"Have you sent messengers to Crown Prince Jamke yet?" I studied his expression worriedly, wondering if he disliked the tea. His slight smile hinted he liked it, but... "It's been some time since we've come to Marpha."

"Not yet." Using his free hand, he waved me a little closer so I could see the map spread out on his desk. "Prince Jamke is, most likely, in the castle proper. From what Khasar has told me, he doesn't have lands outside the palace as he took over caring for the castle and its surroundings after his mother passed away. The only way there, though, is through the Spirit Forest, and only the locals know how to safely navigate it."

"I see." I could see his reticence. There was something wrong about having a local be a messenger to their own prince about peace negotiations, considering everything. "Perhaps you can hire one as a navigator? You've already hired some of those in town, right? I've noticed an increase in the number of children in the halls." Many would peek into my workshop curiously, and a few would shyly approach for bruises and scrapes they'd picked up.

"Considering everything, giving them jobs is the least I can do. But yes, we've hired some older children as messengers, to free up some of our soldiers to help in the fields. The conscriptions did a number on their labor force, but crops wait for no one." He leaned back in his chair, thinking. "Perhaps I'll do that. What you suggested, I mean. I'll discuss it with Khasar when he next visits."

"I wonder what makes it so difficult to navigate." From here, it looked like a normal forest to me.

"Apparently, very little light makes it through the leaves, so the darkness makes it hard to traverse. The legends say the veil between life and death is particularly thin due to ambient magic, and many will disappear into the trees and find themselves stuck between realms." It sounded more to me they got lost and starved. "You know... Deirdre is supposed to be from there."

"I remember you saying that." It was a little odd for him to bring her up, even more because this time I was certain his tone was wistful. But, after a moment, I decided it was better to ignore it. "I also remember the rumors she mentioned."

"Yes, and that is another reason why I've worried about a messenger." He finished off his tea and quickly poured himself another cup. "If Prince Jamke has heard them, then negotiations become much more difficult."

"...Lady Edain has spoken with him. Perhaps her words will be enough." Somehow, I doubted it. What were the words of a stranger, compared to the cries of your people? "Sigurd?"

"Hmm?"

"What will happen to Verdane when this is over?"

"..." Sigurd was silent for a long moment. "I don't know. Regardless of the reasonings, Verdane broke the treaty. There will be consequences, and there's no way to stop it." He leaned back in his chair and stared at the map. "I can only hope we find some way to mitigate those consequences, considering all the people here have already suffered."

"I see." I hesitated before resting a hand on his shoulder, as I would when Arvis found himself tired and worn over the path he'd chosen. "Then, I suppose we simply continue as we have, in the hopes of saving everyone." No matter how foolish or self-righteous others called us, we could only keep walking.

Sigurd didn't answer. Instead, he lifted his free hand to rest on mine and smiled faintly. I could only hope my words brought some sort of comfort. I certainly didn't know how. But Arvis always took solace from things like this. Perhaps Sigurd would too.

"Sigurd?" Perhaps sensing a change in subject was in order, the door opened without a knock, and both Sigurd and I looked up as Lord Quan strode inside. "Is this a bad time?" he asked, looking mostly serious. He did have a slight smirk, though, for some reason. "Alec has a bit of information we probably need to discuss further." He gestured behind him just as Sir Alec joined us in the study, closing the door behind him.

"Does he?" Sigurd asked, drinking his tea again. He waved them over and set his tea down on the saucer. "What is it? Actually, no, first, what has you smirking?"

"Nothing at all." Lord Quan's seriousness evaporated for pure mischief. Sigurd immediately frowned suspiciously. "What? Don't believe me?"

"I may be the one known for reckless loyalty, Quan, but you are the prankster of us three. I remember how you turned three dignitaries into chickens." He did... what now?

"Flour, water, and feathers does not make a chicken. No matter how much they might squawk like them." Lord Quan's smirk only widened, and Sigurd sighed. "It's nothing important anyway and I have set no traps yet."

"Please don't set traps within the castle at all. You never remember where you set them." Sigurd looked to Sir Alec, who seemed distracted by something. "What is it, Alec?"

"The information? It's possibly nothing, but it's better to be safe," Sir Alec answered, his eyes snapping to Sigurd's face. It was only then I realized he'd been looking at where my hand still rested on Sigurd's shoulder. Was... did I break some rule of etiquette? I knew only the absolute basics, and I knew from Arvis and Azelle such things could be a quagmire to navigate. "Khasar snagged me as I was making my rounds. He thinks there's more people than usual, even accounting for the army." This was a problem, then?

"More people?" Sigurd repeated, frowning. I still wasn't sure why this was a problem. "Refugees or spies? Which is more likely?" ...Oh. Yes, that was definitely a problem.

"Hard to say. Could be some survivors from the villages Munnir hit only now managed to crawl their way over, but if it's spies..." Sir Alec shrugged. "It could also be nothing. He's asking around to get more opinions, but he wanted me to tell you just in case."

"It sounds as if it's better for me to step away and let you all talk," I murmured, giving a calm smile. Between the potential faux pas and now this, I felt terribly awkward, but I could not let it show. "Try to remember to eat. I know how long these meetings can get."

"Before you leave, do you mind terribly making me up another pot?" Sigurd requested, smiling a little sheepishly. My mood immediately lifted at the confirmation he liked it. "It's quite good, though it's maddening trying to figure out what's in it. I only know it's a different mix than the first."

"I can tell you later. It's a mix I made for you, based on what you like." Well, it was more 'medicinal herbs for common ailments tailored to your tastes'. It was actually similar to the mix I made Arvis, though Arvis's had cinnamon and apples mixed in. Sigurd's was milder, with hints of citrus like orange and lemon.

"No wonder it's so good then!" Sigurd grinned, and I smiled back before taking the pot and mixing up another one for him. As I did, I noticed Lord Quan and Sir Alec share a significant look and smirk, but I could not figure out why. A glance to Sigurd proved he was just as confused.

Perhaps I should ask Lady Ethlyn. Surely, she was an expert at interpreting her husband, yes?

"Here, I need you to drink this," I murmured, helping one of my patients drink their medicine. Their hands were shaky, and the medicine was terribly bitter. "I've a tea to wash the taste out once you've finished."

"Must I drink the whole thing?" my patient, a grown man somewhere in his late twenties and certainly older than me, whined. Still, he dutifully listened, though he made a face at the taste. "Ugh..."

"My apologies, I have not yet found a less bitter medicine as effective." I set the empty mug on the table and passed them a different mug, this one with mint tea. He seemed to like it the most. "I don't want to risk you succumbing to sepsis, or its complications, so soon after you recovered."

"I understand." He smiled happily at the mint tea, and I couldn't help but soften. I still thought it a miracle he lived; he was a patient all the way from Genoa, whose sepsis had been so terrible we had to use our strongest medicines. Despite our worries, they had worked even better than we'd hoped. His recovery would be lengthy, not the least because of how long he remained abed, but if he continued to improve as he was, he'd make a full recovery. "I see you have a clingy shadow today."

"Hmm?" Instinctively, I glanced down, despite knowing what, or rather, who, he meant. Lord Shannan's physical therapy today was to walk around the room with a crutch, but otherwise on his own. I had anticipated he'd use the wall or the walking stick Mister Dew found for him. Instead, he had decided my leg was perfect and he ended up following me about the infirmaries as I did my rounds, all while clinging to my leg and skirts. "Ah, well..."

"I'm helping!" Lord Shannan protested, sulking. It was true he helped to some degree, but it was less 'passing me items' and more 'brought smiles to everyone's faces'. Mister Dew had handled the actual item passing, though since this was my last patient of the rounds, he'd already headed to my workshop next door. "Besides, I'm practicing."

"Right, you're building up your strength," my patient laughed, still smiling. It was a little breathy, hinting he was pushing himself, but the determined glint in his eyes told me he wished to sit up just a little longer. I let him. "I'll be doing that in a few weeks, likely. Will you help me then?"

"Sure!" Lord Shannan immediately went back to smiles, pleased at the idea of helping an adult. "Make sure to rest until then, though. I had to rest a long time before Miss Alicia let me walk."

"I certainly will. I'd like to not find myself back in this bed again." Considering how close to death he'd been, no one could blame him. "Lady healer, is it all right if I keep sitting up?"

"You can to finish your tea, but afterwards, I'd prefer you rest," I told him, smiling apologetically. I knew he was disappointed he couldn't sit for the rest of the day, but his nod told me he'd listen. He was a most excellent patient in that regard, even if he complained about bitter medicines. "In a few days, we can try having you sit up for longer."

He cheered at the reassurance, and finished his tea with a smile before laying back down. It was good he did; he was fast asleep in the time it took to draw the blanket up to his chin. From there, I did one last check about the room before returning to my workshop. It was… slower than you'd think, since Lord Shannan did not let go of my leg at all. We managed, barely, and inside, I saw Mister Dew had set up my medicine-making supplies on the table before checking if Azelle needed help doing inventory in the storeroom. I also saw we had two unexpected guests: Lady Ayra and Lord Lex. Both were at the far back table with a tray full of mugs and various fruit snacks, but they looked up when we entered.

"Ah, there you are," Lady Ayra greeted, rushing over to meet us in the doorway. Lord Lex found a stopping point to whatever he was doing before joining us. "Dew said you wouldn't be long."

"And I figured Azelle was probably so engrossed in numbers and perfectionistic tendencies that he needed to eat," Lord Lex added, neatly explaining his presence. I'd wondered, since he was the only one without a reason. I could take a guess for Lady Ayra, after all. "You know how he gets, anxious as he is." He flashed me a grin and, surprisingly, crouched down and held his hand out to Lord Shannan. "Mind helping me with the snacks?"

"Um... sure?" Lord Shannan agreed, looking a little confused. Though one hand reached out to grab Lord Lex's, his other hand gripped my skirt tightly. "What sort of help?"

"Mostly organizing it and making sure nothing got squished in transit." Lord Lex winked and mimed for silence. "We also need to make sure all the apple slices go to our lovely healer here. They're her favorite."

"Really?" Lord Shannan's eyes went wide, and he immediately let go of me to grab Lord Lex's hand with both of us. His were so tiny compared to his. "Yes, we'll give her all of them!"

"That's the way!" Lord Lex grinned, and carefully led Lord Shannan to the back table, lifting him up onto it so he could help without standing. Though he tried to hide it, Lord Shannan was a little shaky.

"...What in the world did I just witness?" Lady Ayra asked softly once they were settled. I didn't blame her since it had been rather sudden. "Ignoring... most of it, but apples?"

"I am rather fond of them," I admitted, hiding a smile. They looked like they were having fun, despite only organizing the snacks. "Lord Lex has noticed and sneaks me some from time to time." It was more Azelle had told him, but that would be more awkward to explain.

"Huh. I'll remember that." Why would she do that? "He had me help him carry the mugs while he carried the snacks, since I was already on my way here." She hesitated before focusing on me fully with a slightly sheepish smile. "I try my best to not harry you with questions, but I..."

"He's recovering well, and he can even walk unassisted for short distances." I was right. If she was not here for her check-ups, or helping stand guard while I checked on my patients, then she only came to the infirmary to ask about Lord Shannan's progress. She needed reassurance what she saw was correct. "He still needs a crutch when walking further."

"Such as your skirts?" She muffled a laugh, and I could only shrug. "I can only imagine what the other patients thought."

"They found him adorable, of course."

"Fair." Still smiling, she looked to me. "You said during my last check-up I can return to my normal training, yes?"

"Indeed. I would not call you fully recovered, but so long as you do not overdo it, I see no reason why you cannot resume normal activities." I was not certain on her heading out to battle, mind, but that was a different discussion.

"Good. I wanted to confirm I heard correctly before I did." She hesitated before glancing at the back table again, where Lord Lex and Lord Shannan were laughing about something. At some point, Mister Dew had joined them, no doubt wondering just what was going on. "Will... Will I be able to teach him swordsmanship soon?"

"Hmm..." I closed my eyes as I thought, weighing everything carefully. "If there are any exercises which are low energy, you might be able to start next week. Anything more vigorous will have to wait for at least another month, and I'd like him to be checked after each lesson to be certain all is well. I do warn he'll tire quickly, far more quickly than you'd guess."

"Low energy... so, I can teach him some stretches, then? From there, we teach the dances to warm up and cool down. Only when those are mastered do we..." She trailed off, mumbling more under her breath. Clearly, she'd been simply thinking aloud. "That will be good. He had just started training before all this happened. Mariccle had so looked forward to it..." Though she was still clearly thinking aloud, she looked so sad I wanted to do something to cheer her up. Yet I knew nothing of how to cheer anyone up, much less for something like this. So, the silence stretched on, growing more awkward, until someone thankfully took a little mercy on us both.

"Huh? When did you all show up?" The words announced Azelle's return from diving through the storeroom. He stared blankly at everyone, even Mister Dew who had just been there. "I... did I miss something?" he asked, looking around worriedly. He clutched his notes to his chest. "Um..."

"See? I told you," Mister Dew suddenly chirped, grinning as he hid behind Lord Lex. Lord Lex struggled to bite back his snickers, while Lord Shannan stared with wide eyes. I supposed they'd been talking of Azelle's tendency to be oblivious to his surroundings when focused. It was a habit he shared with Arvis. "I was all but yelling in his ear and he didn't notice one bit!"

"Surely not!"

"It's true! I was about to head in and sing a bawdy little ditty like Lex suggested to see if that got you to react."

"Lex, what have you been telling them!?"

Azelle joined the trio immediately, sputtering and turning as red as his hair. Lady Ayra and I glanced at each other, she exasperated and me amused. Then she rushed over to cover Lord Shannan's ears as Mister Dew launched into said song, his voice surprisingly clear. Surprisingly, Lord Lex beat her to it, even as he guffawed at Azelle's increasingly indignant efforts to cover Mister Dew's mouth to make him stop. So, instead, Lady Ayra worked to distract Lord Shannan from the noise, lest he insist on hearing everything in full.

I watched them for a moment, hiding a smile, and then I slipped close, intent on taking Azelle's notes to continue working. However, as soon as I tried, Azelle noticed and immediately switched from 'indignant protests' to 'anxious perfectionist' about the numbers. As we went over them together, for his peace of mind, someone else tugged my sleeve, and I looked to see it was Lord Shannan, his ears no longer covered. When he had my attention, he grinned and happily presented me an entire plate full of apple slices. He looked so pleased with himself; I couldn't help but smile more and made a point to take a slice to nibble on while I talked with Azelle. Without thinking, my free hand ruffled his hair, and I caught sight of Lady Ayra staring when I did. I pulled back my hand, worried I'd offended somehow, but she smiled warmly before returning to whatever argument she'd managed to start with Lord Lex this time. I thought it had something to do with how he was slicing the remaining fruit, based on the comments Mister Dew made.

All in all, it was a happy little afternoon. I'd miss them when this was over and everyone left.

We often had people visit the castle. Some, like Khasar, would share information about the town and how everyone was doing. Others would check to see how we were adapting, because they were kind. Still others had other reasons, such as learning from the knights. A few of the latter group would find me in one of the infirmaries to ask how loved ones were doing. I hated troubling them so. Perhaps I should borrow one of the castle's messengers to deliver reports and save them time? I'd think on it another day.

"I can see why you had warned me," Sarnai murmured, watching me as I looked over her sister's baby. We weren't actually in any of the infirmaries, or even my workshop. Instead, we were in one of the unused rooms further away from where most everyone was. Apparently, the babe wasn't fond of noise, and would only stop fussing for a check-up once we were far away. "Her stomach was..."

"Yes, we had to cut a lot away to ensure no necrosis remained," I replied, only half paying attention to the conversation. I did not want to risk missing anything for the baby's health, especially since Mistress Yesui had requested I check for her own peace of mind, yet no matter how much I studied, it felt as if I knew next to nothing about newborns and their health. "I thank you for seeing her, though. I think it did wonders for her mental health."

"That's a strange thing to thank me for, since she's my sister." Sarnai smiled teasingly, and I managed a slight shrug before resuming the check-up. Though usually Zaya was asleep when her sister visited, this time, she'd actually been awake and coherent. Since both her sister and baby were here, I asked if Sarnai would be willing. "Ah, her smile was so bright when she saw her baby!" Indeed, it had been the first time I'd seen her smile. "I wish her husband..." She trailed off awkwardly, and I knew why. Zaya's husband had been one of many who Prince Munnir had conscripted and, like far too many, he had not survived. "Um..."

"You know; I have not heard the baby's name yet." The only thing I could think to do was change the subject entirely. Her grateful smile told me she appreciated it. "Is it rude to ask?"

"Oh, no, he doesn't have one yet." She giggled, back to her cheer once more. "I don't know how it is in Grannvale, but Verdane is home to many spirits. Most are ambivalent to humans, but there are a terrible few who covet the living. The newly born do not yet have a strong presence, a grounding in this world, and thus, they are particularly at risk to those terrible few. However, it is difficult for them to find anyone without a name. They can't see our world as we do, so names help them differentiate the living from the not-living."

"So, you wait to give them one?"

"Indeed! After a year, their presence and grounding are much stronger, too strong for the spirits, so it's safe." She sighed happily, clapping her hands together. "When my sister recovers enough, we'll discuss it together. A name contains a wish and prayer, after all."

"I fear such things are outside my area of expertise." It did, however, make me wonder. Why had Cigyun named me 'Alicia'? Had it simply been the first she'd thought of, when my mother refused to name me? "But I am rather relieved to hear I hadn't simply forgotten." 'Forgotten'. That in itself was strange. Growing up in Yngvi, none had ever given me their name. I knew Father Eirik's, of course. I knew Elder Reisin's since he had given me many a lecture about my obligations as an orphan taken in by the church. But everyone else had kept their distance. Then, when I learned to heal, they would come for my healing and still never tell me their names. Sometimes, I'd hear them when they talked amongst themselves, but never enough to accurately place a face.

It occurred to me, then, that I knew the names of more people in Verdane than I did in Yngvi where I had spent almost all of my life. I had... no idea how to feel about it.

We fell into a comfortable silence afterwards, broken only by the baby's gurgling and quiet questioning noises. Sarnai took the opportunity to make silly faces at him to get him to laugh while I finished up. We… had a slight problem when I did, though. Namely, he had decided he very much liked my hair, and had grabbed some strands that had fallen from my ponytail. He had a strong grip, too! Wasn't there supposed to be a saying 'like taking candy from a baby'? The phrase implied removing things would be easy, not difficult!

"Oh, goodness, I am so sorry!" Sarnai blurted, her laughter making the apology completely unconvincing. At least she tried to help free my hair. "He's got a fascination with pretty things, but he usually just stares, not grab the pretties!" None of this explained why he had my hair. "Now, now… she kind of needs it." The most challenging part of this was somehow getting him to let go without him wielding his most effective defense: guilt-inducing crying. "Aw, don't be like that! I knew I should've brought a ribbon. That always distracts him."

"Does he think we're playing a game?" I asked, moving my head a little closer so he would stop tugging. He happily gurgled, spitting up a little. I found a spare cloth to wipe it up, and he immediately tried to eat it. "I'm not certain how tasty the cloth is."

"Little ones explore through their mouths. They try to eat everything." Taking advantage of his distraction, she finally pried my hair from his fists. I immediately used my free hand to brush them behind me ear. "Ta-da! Success!" She grinned triumphantly, with a haughty laugh. "Goodness, that took a while… hmm?" All at once, though, she frowned and looked to the door. "Strange. Why am I smelling smoke all of a sudden?" Was she? I smelled nothing. Yet without hesitation, she headed to the door and cracked it open to peer into the hall. "...A-ah…" She paled instantly at whatever she saw, so I gathered the baby in my arms and joined her in the doorway. Yet what I saw defied comprehension.

Fire. There was fire. The tapestries were on fire. The support beams were on fire. The rugs were on fire. The castle... was on fire. The castle was on fire, and we... we were nowhere near where anyone was, or would be. Even if someone came looking, they would not know where to find us.

"...We have to escape," I whispered, holding the baby even more tightly. The smoke and heat already made him squirm and fuss, the crackle of the flames hurting his ears. "If we do not, we will be cut off." The fire was spreading quickly. "Sarnai?"

"Y-yes?" she squeaked, looking at me with wide eyes. She was so pale. "I... right, yes, we need to find..." Something cracked and crashed down the hall. Her hands flew to her mouth to muffle a screech. "The path..." I knew without looking it was blocked.

"Would you like to hold your nephew while we escape?"

"I... no, it's probably better for the calm one to hold him. Children sense these things." She tried to smile. It was a poor attempt. "Let's go." She boldly stepped out the room, and I made to follow before glancing back. My staff remained near our chairs, but I did not think I could safely hold the babe and hold onto my staff. So, I left it behind and followed her into the fire.

The flames were everywhere. Already, rooms and halls were completely blocked. How long had it been burning? I wouldn't have thought long, since Sarnai only just smelled the smoke, but could fire spread this quickly? Magic was rare in Verdane, so I doubted it was empowered. Was an accelerant used? It was hard to say and, truthfully, such thoughts were useless for our predicament. Too many times did Sarnai and I try to find a way outside only to find ourselves blocked. We had to crouch as we walked to avoid the smoke spiraling above us, and I was grateful for the high ceilings. Still, the baby in my arms wailed in fright, aware of just enough to know things were terribly wrong.

"I... damn it, the way forward doesn't look stable..." Sarnai rasped at some point. Her breathing was unsteady; had she breathed too much smoke? "But we're running out of paths..." She was right. I needed only to look back to see the flames closing the way off like doors. "Um..."

"How unstable?" I asked, moving a little closer to her. I was crouched even more than her, so the baby could avoid the smoke, so it took me a moment to realize what she meant. "Ah." The left side of the hall was naught but stone and was untouched by fire. But as if to mock us, the flaming tapestries on the right fluttered in the wind. Worse, the fire climbed higher, close to the support beams. We had no time. "Keep to the far wall. I'll treat your burns later."

"...Right." She tried to take a deep breath, only to catch a lungful of smoke instead. She coughed harshly, and the baby wailed at the noise. But even his wails were fading. I could only hope it was from exhaustion. "F-forward..."

She led the way, one careful step at a time, all but attaching herself to the wall. I followed closely behind, turned slightly to minimize any chances of the flicking flames reaching the baby. She flinched as the flames licked at her face, fading sparks from unraveling threads. Logic told me the distance wasn't great. Logic told me it was perhaps a handful of rooms. But what should have been a short walk had to be the longest I'd ever traversed.

Sarnai breathed a sigh of relief once she was passed the worst of it, and turned to offer me her hand and help me the last bit. Before I could reach out, though, something cracked above us and I jerked my head up to see the flames had reached the support beams, and one was already crumbling to ash. A large chunk broke and tumbled down, and I brought my arm up to shield my head and be absolutely certain it did not hit the baby.

It hurt when it hit. I definitely buckled under the force, but though it tore through my sleeve, I'd been lucky. It had only embers, and thus, I wasn't on fire. I would've had to toss the baby to Sarnai if I was to keep him from being burned.

"My lady!" Sarnai was at my side in a flash and she helped me hobble to a safer area. "Are you alright?!" she squeaked breathlessly, her hands patting my arm to find any hint of injury. It hurt, telling me there was bruising, but there did not seem to be blood. "Oh, your clothes are ruined from the soot. Wait, what am I even saying?"

"I can still walk, and we'd best keep going lest we find ourselves in a similar predicament," I both reassured and chided her. My focus was on the baby, who no longer wailed. He was quiet, fast asleep, yet my anxiety spiked. Would that I had my staff, but I dared not even attempt to return. If I had a better idea of where we were, I might have suggested heading to one of the infirmaries, but we had taken so many turns I barely knew which way was up. "Quickly."

Sarnai took the hint, and lead the way once more. I could only hope we were heading to safety. The castle was already a maze, but the fire had turned it into a labyrinth. How close were we to the outside? We had taken no stairs, so should we try breaking a window and climbing? Would that be more dangerous? Fire needed air just as much as a living creature, so would breaking the window just make the flames grow hotter and higher? I wished I knew, if only to provide some sort of comfort to Sarnai. She held herself rigidly, sheer determination fueling her every breath. I wanted to help her, yet I could only follow and shield her nephew.

"Miss Alicia!"Despite the chaos and despite what logic dictated, at some point as we passed through one half-broken intersection, someone called my name. "Hey, Lord Lex, over here! There's two over here!" Recognizing the voice, I snatched Sarnai's arm to yank her closer to me, just as Sir Naoise stepped out from the smoke from the other corridor. "Ah. Well, there's three," he laughed breathlessly, noticing who I held. He... was a mess. Soot-stained and sweaty, I thought he might have a minor burn on his neck and arms. "Glad I decided to follow the baby's crying. I am relieved to see you are well, Miss Alicia. I am guessing these are two of your patients?"

"The baby is, and this is his aunt," I confirmed, smiling back. My smile only grew when Lord Lex joined us, just as messy as Sir Naoise, though he carried handkerchiefs to give us. "I do hope you know a way outside."

"Yes, please, follow me." Sir Naoise bowed, surprisingly formal given the circumstances. "Do you need assistance with walking?"

"I do not..." I glanced at Sarnai, surprised by her quiet. Her wide eyes, pale skin, and distinct shakiness hinted she'd finally gone into shock. "Might one of you carry Sarnai? She's been terribly brave through this, and I fear it's caught up."

"Of course." Though he made to do so, Lord Lex beat him to it. So, instead, he helped him steady her on his back. "This way, Miss Alicia."

"Thank you." Still, there was one thing I couldn't help but ask. "Did you truly hear him crying amidst all this?"

"I've good hearing, and I thought it better to check and be wrong, than to ignore it and be right." He shrugged, smiling a little helplessly. "I'm glad I did."

There were no more words after that. With surprising, even startling, ease, Sir Naoise led the way outside. The fresh air hurt to breath. The bright sunlight hurt my eyes. But, to my relief, the change in environment was enough to stir the baby in my arms awake once more, though he immediately protested via more tears. I awkwardly cradled him against my shoulder, too gladdened by the signs of life to even think of how I might calm him.

"Miss Alicia!" Besides, I wouldn't have to. Lady Ethlyn was in front of me in a blink, tearing up in relief. "Oh, thank goodness!" she breathed, smiling. Sir Naoise immediately left us then to talk with another of the soldiers, though Lord Lex lingered a little awkwardly. He still had Sarnai on his back. A quick look showed she'd outright fainted by this point. "Why were you so far away? You're never far from the infirmaries!"

"This little one wanted some place quiet before he'd let me give him a check-up," I explained, gesturing to the baby for emphasis. Immediately, Lady Ethlyn made a concerned noise and frowned over him. "Do you have your staves? I had to leave mine to better hold him, and I worry how much smoke he and Sarnai have breathed."

"To say nothing of yourself!" Lady Ethlyn scowled up at me, but did thankfully take the baby from me. I almost envied the ease with which she held him. "I'm guessing Sarnai is the one Lex is carrying? The fainted one?"

"Yes, she is his aunt. His mother is one of our patients." The smoke spiraling into the sky reminded me of the danger still present. Now that Sarnai and her nephew were safe... "How are evacuations?"

"Everyone is doing what they can. Sigurd is spearheading them." Of course he was. "He has Azelle, so he's gone to the worst areas." It took me a moment to remember why that was so. Most those of Fjalar's blood could control flames without the use of tomes, a trait shared by all the magical Holy Bloods. Arvis had tried to show me, once, but I... couldn't do it. "It's slow going since we were ambushed and all. Quan's coordinating things from here to keep track of just where we still have to look." Lady Ethlyn shook her head. "That's for later. Right now, we need to get you three checked!"

Lady Ethlyn took off somewhere, her steps somewhere between a brisk walk and a run. Lord Lex followed her, glancing worriedly at Sarnai as he did. I didn't follow. If evacuations were still going, then I needed to ensure my patients were safe. Now that we were in the courtyard, I knew exactly how to get there as well, so there was no time to waste. Thus, I went back into the burning castle. I could be checked later, once everyone else was safe.

The heat felt more intense the second time. The smoke was infinitely more irritating than before. The air was drier. Still, I pressed forward, finding the paths with ease. Some of the rubble had been cleared, hinting others had already been through here. The hint grew stronger when I checked the closest of the infirmaries, and saw signs of a quick, efficient evacuation. The others showed similar signs, and were just as empty. It was not until I made it to the last one, where the worst wounded like Zaya and Erdene rested, that I found anyone at all.

"Huh? Miss Alicia?" Sir Arden asked, surprised to see me. Most of the room was empty. He held Zaya in his arms, unconscious despite the hecticness. I rushed over to check her wound, terrified something had shifted in her abdomen, or, worse, gotten past the bandages to seep inside. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to ensure my patients' safety," I explained, first checking the bandages. They were undamaged and clean, so I snatched one of my spare staves to check her directly. There was... minor inflammation, but so long as it was treated immediately, it shouldn't be a problem. She did have some pressure ulcers developing, though. I'd need to treat that later. "I apologize for not being here sooner. I was tending-"

"To the baby, right? The lady mentioned her sister and son were here before she passed out again." Sir Arden moved her to a stretcher and carefully tied her in so she wouldn't slip. "Some others were here as well, to get the rest. I did a check to make sure no one had hid here first."

"I see." I continued to fuss as he secured her. Outside the room, the flames crackled and popped. "Thank you."

"It's not like they can run on their own, and like I said, I had helpers." He glanced at me as he finished, frowning. "Your arm..."

"Hmm?"

"It's pretty red. Did the flames get you?"

"No, though I did have some debris fall on me." Absently, I ran my hand over my arm to check for blood again. There was still nothing. "I imagine I have quite the bruise, but it's little worry about for now. Are all your helpers gone?"

"Save for three, who wanted to do a last check of the nearby rooms. Once they're back, we... ah, right on time."

"Hmm?" I looked up then, curious, and saw his helpers were Lord Oifeye and Mister Finn, with a Lord Shannan half-hiding between them. "Oh?"

"Miss Alicia!" Lord Oifeye gasped, immediately rushing over. One hand fell on my reddened arm while he peered up at me worried. "You've soot smudged on your face." He reached up to wipe some of it off with his sleeve. "I'm sorry. I gave my handkerchief to one of the patients."

"You needn't worry," I reassured, making sure to smile. Ha... now that I thought about it, I no doubt looked as much of a mess as Sir Naoise and Lord Lex. "Thank you for taking care of them when I couldn't."

"W-we did what we could! Shannan's the one who thought it would be a good idea to fetch your medicines." Oh, then perhaps I could delay heading to my workshop then. "We did our best to think of which ones you'd need and prioritized those, though I think... we got most of the finished ones out?" He smiled hesitantly, eagerness turning to shyness. "Is she the last patient?"

"It seems so." Ah, I was blessed to be surrounded by such kindhearted people. "It seems Sir Arden is ready to carry her out." I hoped so; I could see the fire growing from here. "We should-"

"Did Dew come back here, Arden?" Lord Shannan suddenly asked, stepping out from behind Mister Finn. He glanced around worriedly, tears gathered in his eyes. "He said he wouldn't be long. He just wanted to check the shouts and he swore he'd be right back." He glanced back down the hall, where he'd likely disappeared. "But then the fire..."

"No, there's been no sign of him, Lord Shannan," Sir Arden reluctantly revealed. Everything felt a little slow to me suddenly. "It'll be dangerous to chase. Where he ran is where the flames are strongest." So, Mister Dew... was not here. He was not here. He was where the flames were strongest, where the danger was greatest. He was... "Once we get her out, I'll let my lord know and they can-"

I bolted out the door and down the hall before I could think twice. I thought someone shouted my name behind me, but I didn't hear. I just kept on running, ignoring the ever-growing flames. ...I shouldn't run. Father Eirik was always clear on that. Healers should not run. At worst, they should 'walk briskly'. Few things troubled people more than a healer at the run, and it was a healer's duty to be a calm center to any chaos. They should lessen their patients' worries, not give them more. So, I knew I shouldn't run down the halls as I was. I shouldn't. Yet, I couldn't help it. Mister Dew was potentially in danger, was potentially hurt, and I could not keep myself from running as I searched for him. If anything, I wished I could move faster, even as my own lungs burned and my legs ached into numbness.

The fire grew hotter as the seconds ticked by. The smoke became more intense. My eyes burned. My skin felt stretched. Each breath felt like shattered glass. In retrospect, my actions were reckless to the point of absurdity. Still, I continued on, looking for any sign of people. I thought of the words Sir Naoise said not long ago, where he'd chosen to follow such a faint lead because the possibility of leaving someone in trouble behind was simply too much. It was similar here. I had to keep going. I had to search everywhere. If the flames were worst here, and they had not already checked, then likely, they would check here last.

"Is... is someone there?" As I passed by one of the rooms, a voice caught my ear. "Huh? Miss Alicia?!" It took me a long second to realize it was Mister Dew. "What are you doing here?!" he yelped, staring at me wide-eyed from the doorway. His arm was blistered. His face was red. His hair was almost gray from the soot, instead of blonde. "This is...!"

"I was looking for you," I told him, because what else could I say? He only stared in reply. "You're injured. Let me see."

"Ah, it's..." He looked away, fists clenched at his side. "It's not bad. Not as bad as..." All at once, he seized my arm. "Here!" With one good yank, he had me inside the room, one where everything potentially burnable had either already burned or been thrown outside. In fact, it was devoid of everything but its occupants, three children I remembered seeing in the halls over the last few days. They were some of the new messengers, and all three were burned. One child's leg was already more blister than skin. "I... when I left, I got blocked by the fire. When I looked for a window or something to crawl out of, I found them, and I tried to help, but the fire grew too fast, and they couldn't climb with those burns anyway, so I..."

"I see." I sat down on the floor next to the three and did my best to smile. Here we were, in a room surrounding by flames, but that was all the more reason to be calm. "I'll be limited without my medicines, but let's see what we can do here, shall we?"

"Th... this one first!" Mister Dew helped one of the children sit up, and I saw part of their face was burned. Their eye... I was not sure if they'd keep it. "He... the fire suddenly burst right by..."

"It will be fine." I reached over and urged the child a little closer so I could see. "Watch the door for me, will you? We might have to move if the flames grow stronger." There was no 'might' about it. We both knew it. But the three needed immediate treatment if they were to have a chance of surviving. Up close, I could see how the third one's arm was already infected.

I worked as quickly and efficiently as I could. Mister Dew stood guard, trying to gauge just how long we had before we absolutely had to leave or risk being trapped. The three children were silent, from both terror and pain. The air thinned. The smoke grew darker. The heat climbed. It hurt. It hurt to breath. It hurt to move. It hurt to even sit. Yet still, I did what I could. I had to do what I could. I was here and they needed help. What else could I do?

Around the time I decided I'd done all I could, Mister Dew yelped at something, sounding more happy than surprised. I twisted to ask, but there was a suddenly 'whoosh' noise followed by a terribly loud 'snap'. Far too slowly, I looked up and realized there had, indeed, been something flammable still in the room: the ever-present support beams. Somehow, the fire had jumped or perhaps the thinning air and subsequent dizziness made us not noticed. Either way, the result was the same. The fire had reached the beams above our head, and they were falling.

Immediately, I pulled the three messengers towards me, hoping to shield them. But just before impact, someone else managed to cover all of us and took the full brunt of it. I only knew when I heard the grunt and hiss of pain and I jerked my head up to see Mister Finn, his lip bloodied. It took a second to realize he'd bit it to keep from screaming.

"Finn!" Mister Dew was beside us in an instant, and I immediately helped Mister Finn sit down so I could begin emergency treatment. "The hell?!" Mister Dew kept yelling, glaring at him. "You should at least say 'hello' before getting yourself injured!"

"That is... a rather nonsensical thing to say?" Mister Finn joked breathily. I patted out some of the flames on his back, taking stock of his injuries. The bruises... the minor cuts... the burns... where should I even begin? "I couldn't let Miss Alicia get hurt."

"There had to be a smarter way than you getting hurt in her place!" Mister Dew looked ready to cry. "And just what are you doing here anyway?"

"Miss Alicia raced after you, so I ran after her to try and help. I fear the flames impeded my progress, though." He had run after...? Why? Yes, he'd said to help, but no one had ever... "Not to mention Miss Alicia's apparently a very fast runner."

"You..." Mister Dew looked down and away, trembling. "The fire's spread further." It was an obvious observation, one made to move the subject along. "We... if we don't try to leave now, we'll be trapped." We would, and a quick look showed only part of the beams had fallen. The rest strained to bear the weight of the room and they would not last long. "I'll... I'll lead."

"I can-"

"I'm the less injured of us two." He had a point. "And Miss Alicia needs to keep treating you four while we move." Yes, if Mister Dew handled the path, then I could focus on them entirely. "Feet under, we have to move now. The trees of Verdane are stupidly flammable." Was there some variation in the flammability of wood?

There was no time to ask, and no breath to spare. We had to move, so we did, one slow step at a time. Truthfully, it was all 'too slow' considering the danger, but we couldn't move faster. Everyone's injuries prevented it, and while I tended to what I could, the fact was healing magic alone wasn't enough. They needed medicine and rest, neither of which we had in the flames. Still, to stop was to die, and none of us were in a hurry to travel to Neit's realm. So, we kept walking. I relied on Mister Dew for the path, focused solely on our wounded. Mister Finn leaned more heavily on me than he liked, I knew from his winces and disgruntled expression, but he placated his pride by shielding one of the messenger children in front of him. The other two limped close to me, the less burned of the two clinging to both my skirt and their friend's shoulder. Mister Dew stayed two steps ahead, and never left our sight. He couldn't. With the smoke and crumbling walls, if he took even three steps away, we ran a high risk of being separated. Though with said smoke, I wondered if we should crawl. Yes, the ceilings were thankfully high, but the air was thinning and the smoke was falling. It was dangerous. Yet, with their injuries, I wasn't certain any of them could, so I kept silent.

At some point in the hazy heat, Mister Dew made a startled noise and leapt back stand right in front of us. I opened my mouth to ask why, wincing when my lip suddenly cracked and bled, but the answer came quickly. It came with the flames suddenly parting and rising, dispersing safely along the stone walls. At the end of the hall, glowing slightly from his magic, was Azelle. Next to him were Lord Lex and Lady Ayra, and both rushed forward to meet us as soon as the flames were safely clear. They took one child each, leaving Mister Dew with the third, and I continued supporting Mister Finn. We had to keep walking, after all. Azelle might have cleared the flames here, but there rest remained and the fire had ravaged the halls. Who knew when it would collapse?

Azelle led the way out from there. In the blink of an eye, we were back in the much more bustling courtyard, with everyone being funneled to some sort of triage Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain had set up. I felt guilty, seeing them. I should've been helping. I needed to help them. I… would need to wash the soot off of me first. I couldn't risk bringing infection to the wounded. Burns were notorious for how easily they infected. What had my books said about the effects of smoke inhalation? No, there was another term for it. 'Inhalation injury', I think. It wasn't just for smoke, but for heat as well. How many were injured? I needed to-

"There you are!" My thoughts scattered as Lady Edain suddenly appeared in front of me. She looked haggard and annoyed. "Honestly, where did you go!?" she scolded, scowling at me. I could only look away. I… I should've been here to help. It was no wonder she was angry at- "You're a healer! You should know better than anyone to go running off while injured!" …She… why was she yelling at me about this? Shouldn't she be yelling because I had abandoned my duty here? Father Eirik would have. He would've given me a particularly brutal lecture, seeing as I let myself be ruled by emotions when there was work to be done, much as my father always did. "Just look at how red your arm is! You're bleeding!" …Wait, no, I wasn't. I had confirmed it with Sir Arden. By this point, the only blood was on my lip, thanks to the heat drying things out. Certainly, my skin prickled and stretched for the same reason. Ah, but now that I looked, I saw my hand was blistered from holding my staff despite the heat. I'd need to bandage it before tending to the injured. "See? Right..." She pulled my arm up to 'show' me the injury, but trailed off as her fingers touched the 'red' on my arm. It was only then I realized what she meant, what Arden had meant earlier. "Wait, this isn't blood. This is..."

At some point in the chaos, the bandages around my lower right arm had been damaged and, subsequently, unraveled. So now, my Holy Mark was visible, and there was no chance of hiding it once more. Not only had Lady Edain's words drawn attention, but the sun shone sickly on it, making it as clear as blood to any who so much as glanced my way. The red color also made it all too clear just which Crusader it was tied to, which one I was descended from, which family I was part of. There was... no hiding at all anymore. I didn't... I couldn't... .

"There you are, Alicia." Even as my thoughts spiraled, my dread overcoming even my healer's calm, a gentle weight fell on my shoulders. It took only a handful of blinks to realize it was a cape, one of dark blue. "You should have said something prior to running off." The owner of said cape, of course, was Sigurd, who smiled so gently when I looked up at him. I could tell, just by his eyes, he had seen the Mark. He, like everyone else in the courtyard, now knew my greatest secret, the one I had kept since I was abandoned as a one-year-old. "We could have coordinated a tad better." Yet he made no comment and did not stare. Instead, he simply chided me for my recklessness. "Speaking of coordinating, though, what area will work best for a makeshift infirmary?" he asked. "I have a guess or two, but I don't know how much room you'll need. Triage has found there are thankfully few burns, for now, but I fear quite a few managed to hurt themselves while escaping. More than the triage areas can hold."

He led me away from Lady Edain, speaking of the injured and the rescuers and what I would need to do my job in these circumstances. It was... exactly how we usually were and there were no words to express how grateful I was for that. None. So, I did not try. Instead, I seized the offered change in topic, the offered 'here, focus on this', and we discussed anything and everything needed while I washed the worst of the soot off my skin and used some spare cloth to wrap my hand to keep the blisters from popping and making a mess in a patient's wound. Then, he went to do… whatever he needed to do and I went to work, taking the worst wounded. Their wounds, however, reminded me of a terrible truth, one I did my best to not think about. I hated fire.

I hated how destructive it was. I hated how it blistered and charred people. I hated how it turned them a sickly crumbling black or terribly pasty white or mottled and writhing pink. I hated how it devoured them, and left what remained weak to illnesses and sepsis. I hated how it left people in pain unimaginable, or numb beyond comprehension. Most of all, I hated how even though Lord Sigurd was right on how few suffered burns, the flames had still caused so much destruction and terror.

"Are you certain you have time to treat this, Miss Alicia?" Mister Finn asked me breathlessly, some time later. We sat in a corner of the courtyard not far from the makeshift war table set up; it was the only free space. "The others…"

"Everyone has received initial treatment, so we must treat your own burn," I whispered in return, more focused on applying a cold-water compress to burns. He had… he had second degree burns on his shoulders and upper back, from shielding me. They were terrible, a deep and blistering red. The swelling already made it hard for him to move his arms. "Burns infect quite easily. It's better to treat them sooner rather than later."

"If you are certain." He kept his head down as I worked. He had a first degree burn on the back of his neck. I'd need to watch for any swelling, in case it blocked his airway. "Why did you keep away the ice offered?"

"Ice can cause more damage." Since the compress had lost its coolness, I dropped it back in the bowl of water next to me, and popped open one of my burn balms to treat the burn on his neck. "...It is good you helped me make these, back in Evans." I didn't know why I said that. "Though, I wish you were not the recipient."

"Oh, are these the burn balms you taught me how to make?" Mister Finn forced himself to smile at me, despite the terrible pain he was in. I knew it was great; despite the pain medication I gave him, he continued to flinch and wince. "I hope I made them well, then."

"You did. I promise; I would not use it otherwise."

"True, you do have high standards when it comes to your work."

"'Good enough' is not enough when dealing with people's lives."

His smile gained a bit of warmth, like there was something amusing about what I said. …No, that wasn't quite right. Normally that was what I would think, but there was clear admiration in his gaze, shining even through the pain. It would… probably be more accurate to say the warmth was because he thought the same? It was difficult to say, and I certainly didn't want to drag out the conversation when he was hurting. Instead, we lapsed back into silence, though the rest of the courtyard still bustled with energy. Some, like Sir Alec, were rushing to and fro to pass out supplies. Others, like Azelle, were part of a fire brigade to make the castle safe once more. Still others, like Lord Lex, cleared rubble and investigated the damage. And yet still others were at the table not far away, holding a strategy meeting. Since they were close, I ended up eavesdropping out of a need to have something to focus my thoughts on while I worked. They were wandering too much.

"We did manage to capture one of the arsonists, and they confessed rather readily," Khasar was explaining. I wasn't sure when he had arrived. It felt like I had blinked and he was suddenly at the table with Sigurd, Lord Quan, Lady Edain, and Lady Ethlyn. "They're part of the royal guard, and…" Khasar hesitated before continuing more softly. "And it was on Prince Jamke's orders. The fire, I mean."

"Prince Jamke's?" Sigurd repeated, startled. He glanced around worriedly, wondering if anyone overheard, but all were far too busy with their own tasks. "Why would…" Sigurd winced, looking down. "...It's the villages, isn't it? Blame is placed on us."

"It's likely, even if the fire tactic confuses me." Khasar sighed, and grimaced. He was uncomfortable, and why wouldn't he? The prince he had placed his hopes in set a place on fire and hurt dozens of people. "Maybe Sadima corrupted him…"

"Sadima?" Well, that was a new name. "Who is he?"

"...It is uncharitable for me to say, but it feels as if everything slowly spiraled out of control after his appearance in the court." Khasar looked down, his hair covering his expression. It did nothing to hide his fists clenched at his side. "He's a magic user who appeared not long ago, maybe a year ago. He saved King Batu's life and, thus, was awarded a place in the castle. It was soon after we first heard whispers of war." He shook his head. "There's nothing connecting him to anything, of course. It's just the timing."

"We can add it to the innumerable questions we already have for King Batu," Lord Quan pointed out, a touch curtly. Lady Ethlyn immediately elbowed his side and he winced. "My apologies, that came out more rudely than I wished. The whole situation is simply frustration, and it's going to escalate." Lord Quan smiled apologetically at Khasar before turning to Sigurd. "You already know this. We can't risk him setting the town on fire and no matter what we may hope, we have to assume the worst."

"And, ignoring the damage already done, we have neither the time nor resources to try and wait him out," Sigurd agreed reluctantly. I think he winced at each word. "We're still stretched thin from sheltering the refugees." He frowned, closing his eyes. "But I do have my promise, Quan. I wish to honor it still."

"Of course you do. I'd have to demand who you were if you didn't." Lord Quan's smile brightened briefly at the attempted joke, before fading. "So, might I propose taking him into custody? From there, we can yield to the people of Marpha for what to do." He looked at Khasar, silently asking for approval. After a moment, Khasar nodded, still looking terribly awkward and uncomfortable. But even with the discomfort, this was preferable to simply giving up. "Let's plan on that. Where is Oifeye? He's usually right here for the strategy meetings."

"Helping with bandaging last I checked. He insisted." Sigurd shrugged. The motion reminded me I needed to give him back his cape at some point; I still had it draped over my shoulders. "So, we should get started on our own for strategies. Perhaps a bait and ambush?"

"Are you going to use yourself as bait again? Really?"

"It worked quite well last time."

Talk continued in that vein, numerous strategies discussed and discarded in what felt like blinks. I paid it little mind, letting the noise wash over me. Yet, as I did so, I noticed something odd. Though she participated in the discussions as much as the other, Lady Edain had the strangest look on her face, somewhere between 'worry' and 'determined'. Even stranger, though, was how Sigurd glanced at her while he listened to Khasar and Lord Quan's suggestions, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Neither spoke a word to each other. It was only that single look, yet their very slight, almost hidden smiles hinted they had an entire conversation. It was a conversation most did not notice at all, save Lord Quan, based on his even slighter frown when he looked at them.

Some part of me was curious, but I shoved it away to continue tending to Mister Finn. When I was done here, I'd need to check our medicinal supplies and quickly make up what I could. It... would conveniently let me hide from the questions I knew others wanted to ask. After all, my Holy Mark was still visible. I had no bandages to spare to hide it. So, I would hide in my work; at least I would be productive.

Patients had to be moved. A couple of the infirmaries had been too damaged by the fire to be considered 'safe'. Thankfully, not as many as I'd feared, and even better, my workshop remained more or less intact. We lost a lot of blankets, though. Some had burned; others had been cut up as makeshift bandages or compresses. So, after the frenzy of the immediate aftermath finally calmed, I spent my time sorting through what remained to see what could be salvaged and what couldn't. Those that could not were further sorted into what had to be burned and what could be cut down for scraps and bandages. It was a long and tedious job, just what I needed after treating so many patients for burns and smoke and bruises.

A slight movement down and below reminded me I was not alone in the task. Oh, I was certainly the only one sorting. Lord Shannan didn't know enough about sewing to make such judgments. However, when I stepped into my workshop with two large baskets stuffed full of blankets, I had found him here, sitting at the table. When he saw me, he immediately rushed over to latch onto my leg and skirts. He said no words; he only clung with slightly shaking hands. I didn't have the heart to ask him to let go. Instead, I simply moved with him firmly attached and let him stay. Every once in a while, I'd absently stroke his hair, hoping it gave some modicum of comfort, before returning to my work.

At some point in the quiet, the door clicked open and Lady Ayra poked her head in, her hair damp like she'd just gotten out of a bath. Her eyes immediately landed on Lord Shannan, a wry smile on her lips. "I thought I'd find you here," she commented, stepping in. Lord Shannan simply looked at her, still silent. His eyes were dull, and he clung even tighter to me. "It's time to eat, Shannan."

"...Not hungry…" he mumbled, half-hiding in my skirt. His voice shook. "I still taste the soot."

"That's precisely why you should eat. Get the taste out. Like how Miss Alicia gives you tea after medicine." She knelt in front of us, flashing me an apologetic smile. Her gaze, however, soon fell on my Mark, still uncovered. Without knowing the injured to come, I refused to use what bandages we had to cover it. I simply ignored it, and the questions everyone's gazes held. "Miss Alicia might need her leg soon as well. I saw Edain walking about like she was looking for someone." Ah, had someone else been injured? I knew some of the soldiers were still shifting through the rubble, hunting for hidden flames and people who might have been buried. "Come on."

"...Okay…" Lord Shannan still hesitated, but he took Lady Ayra's hand without much more protest. I noticed he held it tightly enough for his knuckles to whiten, but Lady Ayra made no comment about the pain. "Is it just us? I know you like eating at a different time than the others."

"Lex threatened to join us, something about promising you a story." Lady Ayra sounded almost annoyed, but Lord Shannan's eyes finally gained some light at the thought. "Maybe a couple more. Everyone's eating schedule is thrown off today." She looked at me, and surprisingly smiled. "Make sure you eat too, Miss Alicia. You always seem to conveniently miss meals."

With those words as her goodbye, she and Lord Shannan left and I was left to the silence. I… should be used to it. I was always alone, back in Yngvi. Things were easier when I was quiet, and everyone kept their distance. I was used to the solitude and the silence it brought. Yet now, I found myself somewhere between 'uneasy' and even 'irritated' at the silence. I kept anticipating someone's arrival, be it a patient or simply a passing soldier checking in. When had I started expecting visitors? I wished I wouldn't. It was much harder to focus on my task when my thoughts twisted. It was almost a relief when the silence finally broke.

"Miss Alicia, are you still working?" The simple question heralded the arrival of another visitor: Lord Oifeye. "Wait, what are you even doing?" he asked, blinking slowly at the large piles of blankets surrounding me. "Are you mending all of those?"

"No, I'm simply sorting for now," I answered, studying one particularly damaged piece. I was almost done. I would need to think of something else to do soon. Perhaps I should take Lord Oifeye's suggestion to start on the mending? "We need to see what blankets can be used. Some in town thankfully donated their own, but it would be better we returned them sooner rather than later."

"Er… I suppose?" He sounded confused, and a little suspicious. Did he think it busy work? …Well, I suppose most would. "Are you…?" He trailed off, an awkward silence hanging in the air. I glanced over, and saw his eyes, too, had fallen on my Mark. "...Does it hurt?"

"Pardon?" I paused in my sorting, startled. "No? It doesn't?" Of course it didn't. It was a Holy Mark. It was just like any other birthmark, save for how they would pulse and buzz with power under your fingertips. They never hurt, even when they first appeared, and they remained even on your corpse. Though, there were tales of Holy Marks fading to near-invisibility in times of danger. Said tales were, of course, vague on what 'danger' meant. It felt more of a bardic invention to keep people from thinking too much of how people could be unaware of their…

…I must be tired, for my thoughts to meander and tangle so much. It wasn't important. It had nothing to do with the current situation. I might need some energy-boosting tea before continuing to work. Should I make some for the others? I was certain it would be a long night for most. It was already a long day. It was barely evening, despite everything that had happened. Yes, I should… my thoughts were running away from me again. Maybe I should make the tea a priority.

Despite the rudeness of my woolgathering, Lord Oifeye did not speak. He simply studied me for a very long moment in silence, letting my answer hang in the air awkwardly. Then, all at once, he lunged forward to hug me tightly. It was a quick hug, barely long enough for me to even register what he'd done. Then, in a blink, he was gone, out of my workshop entirely. I could only stare at the doorway, wondering just what had brought that on. Yet, at the same time, I had to smile a little, because it had been sweet and it had been surprisingly comforting despite how quick it had been.

In that good mood, I set about making my tea, returning to my sorting while it steeped. Once I finished, I poured myself a cup and thought of what best to do from here. At some point during my mental-list-making, though, I realized I heard voices just outside my door. They were low, quiet, but definitely there. Curious and worried, I poked my head out to investigate. The last thing anyone needed was another argument among the soldiers. But, to my surprise, it was not random soldiers arguing. It was Sir Midir and Lady Edain.

"My lady, enough of the secrets," Sir Midir scolded, shaking his head. Lady Edain simply frowned. "What are you plotting?"

"Must I plot to simply walk through the halls?" Lady Edain retorted, her tone distinctly waspish. No, wait, that wasn't the right word. It was more 'defensive', if a little more aggressive than the usual defensive tones. "What makes you think I'm doing anything?"

"I have been by your side for five years. I do believe I know exactly when you are plotting something." Sir Midir frowned, looking rather exasperated. Lady Edain looked simultaneously contrite and defiant. "If you are heading somewhere dangerous, it is my duty to accompany you."

"Well, I relieve you of such for the day." Lady Edain looked away, still defiantly contrite. I wondered if she thought of how much of an admission the sentence was. "You need your rest."

"As do you, my lady." Sir Midir frowned further. "But very well. Where are we heading?"

"...Midir, I just said-"

"Forgive me, my lady, but you relieved me of duty, which leaves me free to do as I wish." Despite the continued frown, though, Sir Midir's eyes were earnest. "I wish to accompany you, as always." Lady Edain definitely blushed at said earnestness. "So, where are we heading?"

"I... that..." Lady Edain tried to form words for a solid minute before giving up with a sigh. "I can never win, can I?" Still, she smiled. "Well, first thing is talking with Miss Alicia."

"Is it not lucky, then, that she is standing right there?"

"Eh?" Lady Edain stared at him for a second before turning to see he was right. I was still standing in the doorway, leaning out to look at them. I even still had my tea in hand. "Ack!" To Lady Edain's continued embarrassment, Sir Midir muffled a laugh. "You should have told me sooner!"

"My lady, with all due respect, where else would she be? We're right outside her workshop." That was also very true. "Good evening, Miss Alicia. I hoped we did not disturb you."

"Stop being polite while I'm flailing!" Lady Edain scowled; Sir Midir did his best to quiet his snickers. "But, yes, hello! Good evening! Are you in the middle of something?"

"I was just drinking some tea," I reassured, holding up my mug for emphasis. I was too tired to try and make sense of this. "If you were looking for me, though, I assume you need assistance."

"This time, yes," Lady Edain confirmed, pressing her hands together in a false-clap. My mind caught briefly on her clarification of 'this time'. "I'd like it if you can accompany me?"

"Are we checking the townfolk's health?" I knew it had been suggested earlier, but priority had gone to those injured within the castle walls first. Last I heard, no one in town had so much of a bruise, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to confirm it firsthand.

"No, though it would be best if people thought that was what we were doing." She smiled conspiratorially. I was reminded of Sigurd's. "However, my plan is very different. I wish to speak to Prince Jamke myself." There was a very long silence at her declaration. Sir Midir sighed at it. I had to take a few seconds to realize what she said. "I know. It's risky. It's beyond risky. Yet I can't let that stop me. After all, he risked much to free Dew and me from our cells here in Marpha." Part of me wondered just how much of a risk it was, considering Crown Prince Jamke was royalty and clearly well-liked. Another part reminded me of what sort of people Prince Munnir and Prince Cimbaeth had proven to be. "Besides, he promised to speak with his father about all of this. I want to know why he is now attacking and there's no better way than to ask him directly."

"I suppose that is true." What was I supposed to say to any of this? "If you are looking for a story to tell instead, I am guessing no one knows of your plan besides us three?"

"Oh, don't worry! Sigurd knows. He knew I'd do this even while we were planning out in the courtyard." So, this must be what their unspoken conversation was about, then.

"No wonder the patrols are conveniently light," Sir Midir muttered, shaking his head. Something about his even more apparent exasperation hinted this was not the first time the two pulled such a stunt. "Why bring Miss Alicia into this, though? You rarely involve others." Yes, they had definitely done something like this before.

"Simple. Miss Alicia never does anything for fun," Lady Edain declared, with all the simple truth as declaring the sky was blue. I was reminded of Mistress Yesui's lecture not too long ago. "If she's with me, even Quan will think it's something to do with our jobs." Lady Edain smiled brightly, despite the steely resolve in her gaze. Some part of me felt like sighing, though I resisted the urge. It wouldn't be proper.

"You say this as if Lord Quan is not already aware of how similar Miss Alicia and Lord Sigurd are." Were we truly so similar? We had been 'conspirators' twice now, yes, but I could never shine as he did. "Then again, you are correct. Miss Alicia is well known for her devotion to her work."

"Precisely! It's the perfect cover! Oh, but only if you're comfortable!" Lady Edain whirled to fix her attention back on me. "I know it's asking a lot, especially given everything. You've had a terribly long day yourself."

I regarded her silently for a moment, thinking carefully. She was right; it was a lot to ask. If both of us left, then only Lady Ethlyn would be here to treat the wounded if something unexpected occurred. There were still medicines to make, bandages to weave, mending to be done. There were still a thousand and one things needed still, and I could not say I was in a hurry to pause them to talk with Crown Prince Jamke. After all, I... I did not like him at this moment. To attack us as he did... while logically, I could understand, and understand even more if he thought us responsible for the devastation his brothers had left, it still...

The fires he set hurt my patients. The fires he set hurt Mister Finn. I hated fire, and he made me remember why. More unreasonably, the fires he set indirectly led to my greatest secret being revealed. I did not like him. I did not care for him. Yet as a healer, I sought to heal everyone, save everyone. This included even those I did not like. That was what 'everyone' meant. If he had been injured, or corrupted, as Khasar feared, then it was my duty as a healer to see if he could be treated. His soldiers, also, could have been hurt in the mess. They deserved treatment as well. Not to mention how... if assisting Lady Edain led to Crown Prince Jamke surrendering, then there would be no battles. There would be no newly injured. My patients could recover in relative peace. As their healer, I needed to seek out such options whenever and wherever I could.

More selfishly, though... Lady Edain was the one asking me. Lady Edain, who had asked little of me this entire time, was asking me for help. Lady Edain, who had always treated Azelle so kindly and, truthfully, was one of the reasons why I agreed to accompany Lord Sigurd in the first place... she was asking me for help. So, I only had one answer.

"Let me ensure everything is stable first," I replied softly. Lady Edain's face lit up with a bright, relieved smile. Sir Midir sighed, but smiled too. "If things go sour, Lady Ethlyn will be alone with the wounded until we return." I waved both of them inside my workshop. "Have some tea while you wait."

Just what was I getting myself into this time?

It was almost startling how well things were. There were no unexpected complications. There were no shortages in needed medicines. There were enough bandages to last a couple of hours. With the blankets sorted, we even had enough of those. So, in what felt like a blink, Sir Midir, Lady Edain, and I were leaving the infirmary areas to head outside. Of course, we barely took two steps past the front doors, not even the gates to the castle area, before we faced a complication, but it had gone well until then.

"Where in Gaia's name are you going at this hour?" Namely, Lord Quan had conveniently been on the ramparts by the gate and called out as soon as he saw us. Though his suspicious frown hinted it wasn't 'convenient' at all. "It's past dinner," he continued, walking down the stairs to join us. "I know we're in for a few late nights, but I wouldn't think any required heading out."

"Miss Alicia was asked to tend to a patient unexpectedly," Lady Edain 'explained', lying through her teeth with a smile. I kept my calm, just as always, and Sir Midir remained just as stoic. "I'm tagging along to assist and learn. You know how Ethlyn and I have been wanting lessons." …They had? When had this been a thing? "Midir's coming for protection, just in case. That's why he has his bow and arrows." Sir Midir had insisted.

"Uh-huh." Lord Quan looked highly skeptical, even raising a brow. "Strange. I saw no messenger coming in and I've been here for the past couple of hours evaluating the defenses."

"It was at the request of someone already here. They'd wanted to ask earlier, but the fire delayed things." Lady Edain was a talented liar, having an answer to everything as she did. I never would've guessed.

"Right. Which is why you, who has always been able to convince a miser to give up coin, is the only one talking." It was good the fires had already been put out. Lord Quan's words were dry enough to spark a flame. "So, Miss Alicia?" He focused his attention on me. "I already know Sir Midir knows how to lie without lying." All of this confirmed this was not the first time Lady Edain had done something like this, and it was little wonder she and Sigurd had been close friends since they were babies. "Thus, I'd like to hear your explanation."

"I fear there's little more to say," I replied carefully, thinking quickly. I had to treat this as if Arvis was asking how I was doing, and I was trying to hide the bruises to keep him from worrying. "Someone here requested I help, once the chaos of the fires calmed. I do not know when they arrived." He didn't need to know the 'someone' was Lady Edain herself.

"May I ask who the person is?"

"I fear I'm terrible with names, Lord Quan. I only know the names of two people in all of Yngvi, despite living there all my life." Deciding we needed to cut this short, I held up my medicine bag, glad I had thought to grab it. "Do you need to look through this to confirm it's filled?"

"Mm… no, no." He sighed, crossing his arms. He still looked skeptical, but it had been mostly replaced by worry. I felt bad. He was just trying to keep us from doing something reckless. It was a shame our sense of duty compelled us to be reckless anyway. Perhaps I should make him some tea in apology. I knew a little of what he liked already. "And Sigurd's been in meetings since the fire, so I know you two can't have conspired." No, I was a third party to this conspiracy. "Still, it is late. Can it not wait until morning?"

"In matters of health, sooner is better than later."

"Fair." He was silent for a moment more before focusing once more on Lady Edain. "Lesson, though?"

"Of course~!" Lady Edain chirped, beaming. She even wrapped her arms around mine. "Come on, Quan. Don't deny me the perfect excuse to spend time with Miss Alicia! I have questions!"

"And not all medicinal related, knowing you and your penchant for teasing," Lord Quan retorted. Still, he finally relaxed enough to laugh. I felt even worse about tricking him. "Well, if you get around to asking, do let me know. I need more ammunition for Sigurd, after all." Why was Sigurd being brought up right now?

"If you want that, I can share childhood stories. He and Brigid would always fall into some sort of trouble."

"You know that won't work. Sigurd shares those stories himself." He smiled and waved us along. "But I'm keeping you. If you're not back within a couple of hours, I'm sending someone after you."

"See you in a while, Quan!"

We left quickly. It felt like if we had tarried even a half-second, Lord Quan would've seen through the story, and with such haste in mind, none of us spoke while we walked through the silent streets of Marpha. It surprised me how quiet it was. It made sense; most would be eating and preparing for bed. But I had never seen it anything less than bustling with energy, so it only added to the unease settling in my heart. It was an unease neither Lady Edain nor Sir Midir shared, based on their expressions. Lady Edain looked far too elated, truthfully, while Sir Midir kept a wary eye on our surroundings but otherwise appeared quite calm. At least, he did until we were near the town's edge. At that point, he started chuckling and I realized he had been biting back laughter this whole time.

"It seems I am not the only one who can lie without lying," he commented, covering his mouth to quiet said chuckles. Realizing what he meant, I could only shrug. "You were right, Lady Edain. He was still suspicious when he let us go, but having Miss Alicia put most of them to rest."

"He'll probably give it an hour before confronting Sigurd," Lady Edain agreed, not at all perturbed by the idea. By her giggles, I'd say she too found it hilarious. "Now, the first thing we need to do is figure out where they could be."

"I imagine somewhere close. Given how the fires didn't spread to town, they must have stayed near to ensure it." Sir Midir looked around, studying the landscape before looking back to the town. I wondered how he could see anything at all, given how dark it was. "Strange…"

"What's wrong?"

"There's someone with a lantern nearby, walking away from town." Sir Midir pointed to a building not far away, where a shadow crept along its walls. Only the small light in their hand showed their outline. "See?"

"At this hour?" Lady Edain tilted her head, curiously. "Think it might be one of his? I could be that lucky."

"With your luck, Lady Edain, it might be Prince Jamke himself." Though Sir Midir said it dryly, Lady Edain laughed like it was a joke. "Well, it's as good of a place to start as any." With that, he jogged over to intercept said shadow. Lady Edain followed with a little hum, dragging me with her.

It was hard to say just who was more surprised when we caught up: us three or poor Altan. I knew it was him. His son had insisted on prettying the bandages on his stump by drawing on them just the other day, and he'd asked if it was all right for them to stay. I'd seen no reason why they couldn't so long as they did not seep past the first layer, and they still remained. I think it was a drawing of some sort of beast. …My thoughts were running away from me again.

"What… are you three doing?" Altan asked, holding his lantern up higher to better illuminate the area. Perhaps he was looking for any one else ready to surprise him. "I heard about the castle. The fire. So, why are you out here?"

"I would think the question is better put to you?" Sir Midir replied, tilting his head. His eyes darted to the bandaged stump, placing him in an instant. After all, Sir Midir had been with Sigurd and me when we rescued him in the field. "Surely you need more rest?"

"I think that goes double for you all, and it's infinitely less suspicious for me to walk around my own home." Altan's immediate deadpanned response earned an apologetic smile from Sir Midir, and a sheepish one from Lady Edain. "But no, I am not going against healer's orders if that's the worry. I'm allowed light activity. Just need to adjust to not having a hand."

"Has the phantom pain lessened?" I asked without thinking, remembering his last visit. He'd complained of such, describing it as burning and crushing. He even remembered the smell of the rot and almost took the bandages off to confirm it wasn't infected. "Did the medicine help?" Unable to find a true cause besides his mind, I had given him a mild pain reliever in the hopes it would help.

"It did, Miss Alicia," Altan confirmed with a smile. It was nice to see him smiling. His mood improved significantly since he was allowed to rest at home. "Oh, uh… how's Erdene doing? Was wondering, since I heard everyone had to be moved around thanks to the fire."

"Erdene?" He… ah, that was right. They were friends. He was careful to not ask too many questions during his own examinations, so I'd forgotten. "Truthfully, he woke briefly a few days ago." Altan's immediate relieved smile made my spirits soar, despite how tired I still was. "I apologize for not informing you and his family sooner, but I wished to wait until he woke a second time to be certain it was a true step towards recovery." Too many times did a patient appear to recover, only for them to die only hours later. "I'm told he stirred during the evacuation, so it is my hope it won't be long." No matter how high my spirits were, though, I knew we were off topic. "Were you out to ask about him?"

"Kind of going to the wrong way for that." Yes, he was, but that wasn't the point of the question. "...I'm looking for Prince Jamke." He was… what?

"You are?" Lady Edain gasped, covering her mouth to muffle the sound. I wasn't sure why. "May I ask why?"

"To ask him to give you all a chance and talk," Altan answered bluntly. He looked away almost shyly. "I'm tired of fighting. Tired of it all. And I already know you lot keep your word. Figured the fire was because Prince Jamke didn't know that." He shrugged. "Thought I saw one of the royal guard disappear in the trees not long after the smoke appeared. Figured I'd see if I was right."

"That's perfect! We want to talk to Prince Jamke as well!" Lady Edain clapped her hands in delight, even laughing. "He saved me from his brother, and Sigurd desperately wants to keep his promise to Khasar, so here we are! Or, well, here I am. Midir and Miss Alicia are here to make sure I don't find myself in too much trouble." No, I was just here as a cover.

"Ah." There was a long beat of silence. "Well, I don't know if you've this saying in Grannvale, but there's one here about how wise ones think alike and fools seldom differ. Shall we find out which ones we are? I'd like to get back before my son tries to follow. Not to mention it's only getting darker."

"Yes, let's go." Lady Edain once again reclaimed my arm, assuming I would continue following. To be fair, it was a safe assumption. "Which way did you say again?'

The trees Altan mentioned were not part of the Spirit Forest. They were, instead, perfectly normal trees which grew next to the Spirit Forest, or so he explained while leading us down the path. I didn't understand the difference in the slightest, and I didn't think Lady Edain or Sir Midir did either. Yet Altan was insistent, so it was better to nod and keep moving along. Once we reached said trees, it didn't take long to find a small grove nestled within, one where a camp clearly had been set up recently. There were no tents, but even I could see where the grass had been flattened and though someone had done their best to quickly scatter the remains of a campfire, the wood still hid faint embers. Altan immediately walked along the perimeter, looking for signs of a trail, while Sir Midir examined the abandoned camp itself, perhaps hoping for clues or a convenient note. Lady Edain and I hung back to avoid getting in the way, and part of me wondered if we should simply return to town and let those two find Prince Jamke for us.

But even as I had the thought, life had other plans. Sir Midir stiffened suddenly and whirled, bow at the ready. At the same time, there was the barest movement of the far branches, so subtle one could mistake it for the wind. Yet when I looked up, I saw a young man crouched there, arrow knocked and ready. In a blink, both had their arrows fired, and both had a second arrow at the ready, though I thought the young man had a third just behind. Not that it mattered.

"STOOOOOP!" Lady Edain raced between them just after the arrows had fired and both Sir Midir and the young man froze the second they realized what she had done. My hands dropped to my medicine bag, certain she would be hit twice. Yet, somehow, she hadn't. "Bring down your bows, both of you." Somehow, both arrows thudded harmlessly in the dirt, on either side of her. It was as if they had swerved to miss her. "Prince Jamke, I am gladdened to see you again." Lady Edain, meanwhile, kept her calm throughout, as if she stepped into the paths of arrows all the time. "We wish to speak with you."

There was dead silence for a long moment, the young man, Crown Prince Jamke himself, staring at Lady Edain in complete shock and bafflement. On either side of the grove, Altan and I remained frozen by the sudden turn of events. Sir Midir, however, sighed, and walked over to recover his arrow. "I wish you would not rely on your Ullr luck so much, my lady," he chided, exasperation threading the words into a tired chorus. "I fear I need another heart each time you do so."

"My apologies, Midir." Lady Edain's smile held only the slightest hint of repentance. "Still, it seems like a good thing to rely on. The legends say during one of the last battles of the Holy War, Ullr stood alone against a storm of arrows so thick they blotted out the sun. Not a one even scratched her and she laughed at how lovely it was to fight in the shade after the grueling battles in the desert."

"Then you shall explain this part to Lord Sigurd."

"I most definitely will, and I'll remind him of his own reckless actions in the past when he squawks."

"So, you admit to the recklessness."

"No, his reckless actions, not mine."

"I cannot even begin to wrap my head around this nonsense," Crown Prince Jamke suddenly groaned, shifting so he sat amidst the branches instead of crouched. He looked like he had a headache. "Can someone with some sense explain what's going on?" Sadly, I do believe that particular condition meant not a one of us could actually answer him. Yet someone had to. The whole point of the excursion had been to talk. So, I locked eyes with Altan and nodded to Crown Prince Jamke in a quiet 'you start'. After all, out of us four, he clearly had the most sense.

Altan stared a moment longer, hesitating, before stepping forward to say, "I suppose I can try, Your Highness?" He moved his arm as if to brush his hair back from his face, but his only hand still held the lantern and he did not yet know how to mimic the movement effectively with his stump. "Pardon my boldness."

"I'll pardon anything if it gets me an explanation," Crown Prince Jamke grumbled, fussing with the arrows in his quiver. I worried he might try to shoot again, but neither Sir Midir nor Lady Edain shared my worries. In fact, Sir Midir was much more preoccupied fussing over Lady Edain. "So?"

"Well, we're out here… I'm out here… to talk. To you." Altan tried not to squirm at Crown Prince Jamke's hard stare. "I… I want you to not attack Lord Sigurd and his forces anymore, Your Highness. I'd like you to talk with him."

"You… what?" Crown Prince Jamke blinked slowly, trying to comprehend the words. "You wish… for me to parley?"

"Yes." He shrugged. "I'd like the fighting to stop. There's been enough of that. Talking seems better than killing each other."

"...You would say that even after the destroyed villages…?" Crown Prince Jamke's voice shook, his eyes sparking with terrible yet quiet anger. So, he had heard the rumors after all. "The graves? The trodden corpses? The scoured fields? I've heard it all, seen many. Yet you would ask…"

"My prince, I'm sorry, but Lord Sigurd isn't responsible for that." Altan, thankfully, spoke quickly and concisely to prevent a indignant rant. "It was the other princes, Munnir and Cimbaeth." Crown Prince Jamke looked away at the words, an unreadable expression on his face suddenly masking the anger. Yet somehow, I thought there was resignation within, as if... as if he had already suspected them to be the cause, and yet still hoped otherwise. After all, they were his brothers. "Lord Sigurd and his people have been taking in refugees, even as their own supplies rapidly dwindled, and they frequently checked the nearby villages for survivors. Many were injured in the process. Not to mention…" He hesitated before holding up his stump. "He and Miss Alicia there… after a battle, they raced back to tend to us in the field. The enemy. The soldiers who fought and killed their own. It's unthinkable, in a way. It's hell, both sides suffer, and no one does anything about it. Yet they still came out. They still saved us. They let us stay in their infirmaries until we were healed enough to go home. My best friend is still there, finally healing when all logic says he should've died in a ditch. That I should've died with a rotten arm." The flood of words faltered and he tucked his stump behind his back. "Lord Sigurd promised he would speak with you. He doesn't want war. He just wants to know what the hell is going on…" He trailed off then, the words drying up.

"Yes, that's correct!" However, Lady Edain took advantage of the end to press her own verbal attack. "I told you before, Prince Jamke," she continued, clasping her hands in front of her. "Sigurd only fought to rescue me and my people. He has no interest in invading. He is obligated to learn why the treaty was broken, but there's no need to war for that, is there? Surely, we can speak and find the truth together? Reason with your father?"

"...I am not certain on that..." Crown Prince Jamke muttered, still looking away. Another bit of emotion trickled across his face: frustration. "My father has not heard my words for some time. Not since Sadima arrived." There was that name again. Had Khasar been correct?

"Then let us speak to him together! All of us! Please? I know we can convince him!"

"..." Crown Prince Jamke was silent for a long moment, holding Lady Edain's gaze briefly before focusing on Altan's awkward yet sincere earnestness. Then, and only then, did he sigh and smile bitterly. "Well, when my own people speak so highly, how can I refuse? Much less when victims speak of peace?" He hopped down from the branches at last, landing on the ground as graceful as you please. "Are you so certain Lord Sigurd will negotiate with me? After the flames I sparked to try and drive you all out of the castle?"

"Of course." Lady Edain's smile was brilliantly bright. "He knew I was coming out here, after all. Altan having the same idea was a happy coincidence."

"Then seeing how you are willing to go so far, I will stain my name with treason." Somehow, his smile became even more bitter. "I trust you understand none will hurt my father?"

"I'm certain no one will mind that condition." In contrast to Crown Prince Jamke's bitterness, Lady Edain's happiness rapidly approached smugness. "Thank you, Prince Jamke. I knew you'd prove your people's judgment right." Of course, now we had the awkwardness of trying to figure out how to continue from here. "...Um…" Not even Lady Edain quite knew how. So, I decided to try.

"If you and yours are injured, might we discuss it on the way back?" I asked softly, speaking for the first time since Crown Prince Jamke showed himself. I did my best to keep polite and calm when everyone focused on me, as it was only proper. I did not think even Father Eirik could fault my conduct. "I wish to know what to expect." I'd probably need another room, in light of the fires. I disliked separating them, but I wanted to avoid fights.

At least they would be the last of the wounded, until we pushed forward. It should give me time to replenish some of our stock.

Despite the late and later hour, Sigurd greeted us at the gates, with a warm smile balancing relief and smugness. Lord Quan also met us at the gates, ready to strangle us for not only being so reckless and successfully tricking him, but having the gall to succeed. Some others might have joined the welcoming group, especially considering we brought back not only Crown Prince Jamke, but his closest soldiers. Altan did not join us; he had enough of our craziness for a night and had to deal with his far too curious and adventurous son. I made a point to see him off, and then slipped back into the castle to return to work. By which, I meant I had to quickly check on Lord Shannan as I had missed his late night check-up. It wouldn't be long before I wouldn't have to give him so many, given how much he had improved. In fact, at this rate, he'd soon have no need of me at all.

The thought made me pause my mending, despite how easily and thoughtlessly I usually completed such tasks. It was very deep in the evening now, perhaps closer to morning than night, with most fast asleep in their beds. This was, therefore, the perfect time to take care of the mending, while half-made medicines steeped and settled. Earlier, I had fixed the most salvageable of the blankets from before. But now, desiring a break front the blankets, I adjusted some clothes for Lord Shannan. Perhaps that was why my thoughts turned to how wonderfully his recovery was going. It was a happy thing. As a healer, I loved little more than seeing my patients recover. But it was a little sad, knowing I would not see him once he was better. But that was how it always was. Once someone was healed, they had no need of a healer and went on their way. I would see them off with a smile, as was proper for a healer, and I would not see them again until and unless they were injured and ill once more.

…Now, granted, the army was strange. I saw many who had no need of my skills thanks to the chores list and lessons, as well as everyone's oddities. But even this would end. With Crown Prince Jamke now firmly on our side, this campaign shouldn't last much longer, perhaps only a few more weeks. When it was done, there would no need of me, and I would be sent back to Yngvi, away from everyone. They would continue on, leaving me behind, and I would remain where I have always been. Of course, with my Holy Mark known, things would change, but the basics would stay the same. It was how it always…

A knock on the door startled me, and I looked up from my work to see Sigurd standing in the half-open doorway. "Should you not be asleep?" I asked, setting the half-adjusted clothes on the table beside me. He did not look distressed, merely tired, but… "Is someone injured?"

"I do not know of any newly injured, Alicia," he reassured me immediately, with a smile even. However, he gestured for me to follow him and, confused yet curious, I did. Though I did not know why he would lead me to a nearby balcony. The stars were pretty at this hour, stretched over the world like a blanket, and in the distance, one could see the legendary Spirit Forest, the final barrier to Verdane's castle. "I could, however, redirect your question to you. Shouldn't you be asleep at this unholy hour?"

"You have yet to answer mine."

"True, and that is quite rude of me." He grinned, playful and boyish. I relaxed without thinking about it, even as I remained confused. "To answer your question, I was speaking with Prince Jamke."

"Was it about the initial attack?"

"A little, though truthfully, I worried more for him and wanted to be certain he was settled and certain of his decision." Of course he did. "I figured any answers could wait until the morning, at the earliest. I'm certain Quan would love the chance to make a list." He snickered, and terribly, I had to hide a smile. "This latest bit drove him extra mad. What we've done would be tantamount to suicide many times over in Leonster from my understanding." I imagine it was tantamount to suicide in more places besides there. "And he was so annoyed Edain successfully tricked him." That… might have been my fault. I truly needed to make him some tea. "But since I have answered your question, might you answer mine?"

"I had some medicines steeping and sitting, so I was adjusting some clothes for Lord Shannan. He's almost at a normal weight again." This likely would be the last time I'd need to take them in for him. "The quieter part of the night is the best time to take care of such chores."

"Yet now, I worry on how little you have been sleeping on other nights." In response to his sudden worried frown, I only smiled. "That's not assuaging any worries. In fact, I think they spiked." Well, that was no good. It was a healer's job to ease such things. "Ah, but I've distracted myself from the reason I looked for you in the first place." He held out his hand to me and, without thinking, I placed my hand in his. To my surprise, though, he pulled a handful of bandages from his pocket and pushed my sleeve up to... to cover my Holy Mark once more. "Perhaps I am being pushy, but my assumption is you're much more comfortable with it covered."

"..." I had no idea how to reply. Truthfully, I'd never had anyone wrap it for me before. Even as a small child, Father Eirik had me cover it myself, as a means of reminding me of the weight of the secret. "Do we have the bandages to spare?"

"I remember telling, and showing, you I have a first aid kit in my office. This is from that." This only confused me further. Why use what he'd set aside for himself just to cover my Mark and help me feel more comfortable? "I'll be extra careful for the next few days so I won't need the bandages. Or borrow from Quan. He keeps a first aid kit on hand for similar reasons."

"I see." I could say no more. I couldn't even think of what to say until he had finished tying off the bandage. "I'm… certain you have many questions." How could he not? It was rare for someone with a Holy Mark to hide, and yet…

"Perhaps, but that matters little." He shrugged, smiling softly. "I want no answers you are not willing to give, Alicia. Secrets are often kept for a reason." He meant it. I knew he did. No matter what questions he had or what curiosity wriggled in his head, he would neither ask those questions nor expect answers. He would respect my wish to remain silent and say nothing more of the matter. That was how he was.

Perhaps that was why... I decided to tell him all I knew anyway. "You can guess by the color, but I am Fjalar minor." I couldn't look at him while I spoke, so instead, I looked out to the horizon. I supposed it was a nice view, but I didn't know how to appreciate it. Part of me focused on how much more time my medicines needed to steep. Another feared Father Eirik's reaction when he learned. I knew he would. Given how many had seen, and how gossips worked, I had no doubts it would reach Belhalla itself within the week. "Arvis is my older brother, and Azelle is my younger. Yes, they both know. Azelle and I never met in person before this. His motion sickness prevented him."

"But Arvis has." Despite not looking, I knew he was smiling ruefully. "Ah, I dread the lecture he has prepared for me, taking his two siblings to war as I have."

"He's aware. We actually discussed it, since his visit came after Lady Ethlyn made her offer. I wanted his opinion on whether he thought me capable." I hesitated before adding, "we also discussed why I would want to agree. I have to admit, though I did wish to assist and hoped I could assist more people marching with you, part of me agreed to help Lady Edain. We never met or even seen each other before, but I knew from Azelle's letters, and gossip, how kind she was to my little brother."

"Seems you're a bit of a protective sister in your own right." Sigurd chuckled at that. "No wonder Azelle seized everyone excuse to help you. I imagine he wished to make up for lost time." Indeed, that was the case, and I did enjoy spending what bits of time I could with him. "Since you were in Yngvi and not Velthomer."

"Yes." Now came the hardest part. "My mother was a lady named 'Sunna'. She was Cigyun's best friend and lady in waiting. Arvis often called her 'Sunny' for her bright smile, and how she was the sole light in those dark days." I doubted I needed to elaborate. Rumors of my father's crimes might have died down over the years, but everyone in the nobility had heard of them ten times or more. "Arvis tells me she was protective of him and his mother. Later, when Prince Kurth befriended Cigyun, she protected him too." That was the main thing he said about her. 'She was protective.' She used herself as a shield, and burned herself to keep others warm. "My father raped her during one of those times. I was the result." Based on months, and Arvis's vague memories, it had been around his birthday. It was the only birthday our father didn't ruin. "Like Azelle, my Mark appeared young. I was a year old, and my father was still alive. So, for my safety, I was..." I tried to think and say the most 'tactful' way to describe it, the least damaging. 'Hidden away' would've worked, but those were not the words which bubbled on my tongue. 'Abandoned'. 'Thrown Away'. Those were the words I always associated with my mother.

"So, that's how you ended up in Yngvi." He stepped to my side, though I did not know where he looked. I still couldn't look at him while explaining this. "Arvis, I am guessing, learned of you later."

"Yes, he learned through his mother's journals." Truthfully, I was still surprised he had them. From my understanding, our father had destroyed many things associated with both of our mothers, from portraits to favorite books to even jewelry, before killing himself in a tantrum. "He visits from time to time, when his myriad of duties allowed."

"Ah, so this is why you're not fearful of horses?" It was such an odd observation, and I could not help but glance at him in confusion. He wore a slight, soft smile. "I noticed when we went to check out the abandoned church; you were surprisingly comfortable riding side-saddle. More so than one would expect, since not many outside the nobility have access to horses."

"Was I? You asked me so many times how I was doing I thought I was awkward about it." The teasing slipped out before I could stop it, and his immediate grin meant I didn't regret it in the slightest. "Arvis has taken me for a ride once or twice. It's something he greatly enjoys, even if he doesn't get to do it as often as he likes." I knew why, though. When he was out riding, he wasn't anything but himself. He was not the 'Duke of Velthomer' who inherited ridiculously young. He was just 'Arvis'..

"Huh. I should drag him riding next chance I get then." He sounded, and looked, so nonchalant about it I could not help but laugh a little. "Ah, there's a smile and a laugh." He grinned once more, this time looking distinctly victorious. "I don't believe I've heard you laugh since we met." That was likely the case. I wasn't one for laughing. It was always better if I was silent. "Almost as rare as Arvis's own. It's easy to see how you two are siblings. You act more like him than Azelle, and Azelle grew up with him."

"He did his best to ensure Azelle ended up nothing like him. He wanted him happy and free, or as free as one of Holy Blood can be." Still, I couldn't help but be a little pleased. It was terrible, but I liked he could tell Arvis and I were related, and not simply because of our Holy Blood. "I imagine if I took up his offers to come to Velthomer with him, he'd eventually take the same attitude with me." At least, he would've tried. I'd put my foot down and out-stubborn him once more.

"Would it be too forward if I ask why you did not?"

"After all I've told you, I think that is the least 'forward' thing to wonder about." I was silent for a moment, my mouth going dry as I remembered once more the potential consequences. I needed... to send a letter to Arvis, hopefully before the rumors reached him. I had to warn him. "I don't want to be used, Sigurd. I will not be used. I would rather die than be used to hurt those I care about." I thought briefly of when Prince Munnir took me hostage. If Lady Ayra had not saved me, I would've set us both ablaze to keep Azelle safe and I wouldn't have regretted it. "I also worried for Arvis. He has so many duties, so much stress, and I didn't want to burden him further. Nobles may have wealth and resources, but raising another child when he was barely an adult would have been too much." He would've born it happily, of course. But I couldn't bear it. "My presence would also cause another surge in the gossips about our father. How could it not? It's a delightfully scandalous topic crafted perfectly to tear down one of the highest houses." Arvis still flinched whenever there was so much as a whisper about our father. Time, and stress, wore away the memories, but the reactions, the fear, lingered. "Given how long I was hidden even before Arvis learned of me, I worried too of how the gossips would spin it."

"So, to protect your brothers, you remained hidden. That seems very like you." He made it sound so noble. I was just scared and selfish. "I wish I could promise secrecy, but..."

"Too many people saw." It was kind of him to even offer. "So now, I simply have to deal with the consequences."

"You say that as if you will be alone." His tone was definitely chiding, and he seemed almost put out when I frowned a little. "That's another thing you and Arvis have in common. Too often, you try to walk your paths alone. Take today, for instance. If you had asked, you would've known the infirmaries were already mostly evacuated." It was terrible how much of a point he had there. "Now, granted, it worked out, and it's good we rescued Dew and the others sooner rather than later, but even then, Arden could've come with you." Instead, I got Mister Finn terribly hurt due to my recklessness. "Wait, this is sounding like one of the lectures Eldigan's given me before."

"Somehow, this does not surprise me. I have heard many a tale of your exploits." It was tempting to keep teasing him, a strange thought in of itself. Yet, I felt doing so would be rude in the face of his sincerity. "I do apologize for earlier. I fear… I am unused to asking for help." I learned long ago it would not be given. Only Arvis had even wanted.

"All the more reason to learn how to ask. After all, you're not alone." His smile became rueful. "Now, granted, in this case, I do not know how much help I can be. There's little I can do for gossip and politics. I've neither head nor patience for either. But I can keep you safe. All of us will."

"That is..." What was I supposed to say to that?

Thankfully, he didn't expect a reply. "Ah, we've been out for a bit, haven't we? Think your medicines are ready?"

"...Most likely, they are." It was much better to seize the offered change in conversation. I knew what to say when it came to my duty.

"Then, since I'll still be up for a while, may I assist?" He offered his hand to me again and, like before, I took it without thinking. "Admittedly, I know very little. Mostly only what Oifeye's excitedly told me."

"Has he truly talked of it so much?"

Talk turned to the lessons I gave, and instructions on just what to do, since of course, Sigurd insisted I return to adjusting Lord Shannan's clothes. In turn, he shared stories from his own experiences teaching Lord Oifeye, including a time Lord Oifeye somehow managed to get his sword stuck in the ceiling. They were lighter tales, and they did much for my mood, even if both of us stayed up far too late.

Quan

Class: Duke Knight

Skills: Adept

Holy Blood: Njorun Major

The 22-year-old prince of Leonster, he is a man known more for his pragmatism and loyalty than any chivalry, both traits born from the long war Leonster has waged with Thracia. However, more recently, the rumors speak of how happily married he is, or how much he adores spoiling his little girl.

His Mark stretches across his lower to mid back in a pattern reminiscent of leaves and branches. Due to the blessings of Gaia, the goddess of earth, he has enhanced strength and speed, as well as a resilience to physical damage.

His close friendship with Sigurd and Eldigan is unusual, not the least because of how isolationistic Leonster is, but it is something he treasures dearly and would not give up for anything. Though he frequently likes poking fun at both for the trouble they get into, he is always there to pull them out no matter the cost or danger to himself.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6) Shadows

Well, there it is. My biggest secret was revealed. Strangely, though, most do not ask questions. I don't know why; I know they have them. I can see it every time their gazes fall to my bandaged-covered mark. I can hear it in the whispers they think I cannot hear behind my back. But no one asks, and unlike with Sigurd, I do not feel like telling them anyway. So, I keep silent. It's better this way. I can pretend it will all go away eventually, even though I know it won't. Gossip spreads quickly and, worse, everyone has changed what they call me. It is no longer 'Miss Alicia', but 'Lady Alicia'.

Sometimes, I wonder if things might have ended differently if I'd remained hidden.

A few days after the fires, and after Prince Jamke joined us officially, Sigurd and Prince Quan sat down with him in Sigurd's office to discuss everything which led up to the attacks on Yngvi. For some reason, this coincided with my morning talks with Sigurd. For another strange reason, Prince Quan did not ask for me to leave. In fact, when I tried, he insisted I stay. He must be taking revenge for successfully tricking him the other day. I could think of no other reason why he would have me awkwardly remain. It was not as if I had anything to contribute. Truthfully, all I could do was make tea.

"I am pleased to hear repairs are going well," Prince Jamke commented as he accepted a tea cup and pot from me. He gave me an odd look, no doubt wondering why I was here, but he didn't say anything. I wasn't certain if I was grateful or not. Embarrassing as it would be, it would also provide a convenient excuse to escape. "And what of the injured? I heard your squire was one of the worst off?"

"Finn is recovering quite well, alongside the others," Prince Quan answered with a smile, accepting his own tea and pot from me. The three men were sitting around a small table, and while a fourth chair was provided for me to join them, I did not. I dared not. I knew well how little I belonged. "In fact, Lady Alicia here cleared him just this morning for light duty." I could only hope Mister Finn listened on the 'light' part. I would check with Sir Alec later.

"Already?" Prince Jamke looked quite surprised, and glanced to me as I gave Sigurd his tea. Sigurd, at least, smiled apologetically, no doubt wondering why Prince Quan would insist as well. It made me feel better. "Burns usually take much longer to heal. How was he...?"

"Magic."

"You can just say you do not... oh, wait, no, Grannvale does have ready access to magic." Prince Jamke made a face. "I forget that. Magic is rare here in Verdane." Yes, only their very few churches had any sort of magic user, and even then, it was only staves. Their knowledge on medicinal herbs, though, was beyond phenomenal. I could study their books for years and years and never be bored. "It stands to reason your Chief Healer is particularly skilled with it." I really wasn't. I simply... had magic and fire in my blood. That was all.

"Yes, it is quite our luck she joined us in Yngvi!" Prince Quan grinned, mischief evident in his expression. Sigurd ignored him for the tea, while Prince Jamke looked skeptically between him and Prince Quan. "Yes, Sigurd is the leader of the army. However, I'm the one who insisted on questioning. Sigurd was inclined to wait until everything was settled."

"Is this why the interrogation is only happening now, instead of a few days ago?"

"It's questioning. I highly doubt an interrogation would have such lovely tea, for one thing."

"Nor would it usually take place in an office, with such comfortable chairs." Prince Jamke nodded pointedly at the windows, with bright light streaming it, hinting a proper interrogation would not be so well-lit. I tried to think of why two princes would have so much experience with interrogations and decided I didn't want to know. "But I digress. Since you are the one spearheading this, you are the one speaking while Sigurd is inclined to simply let me ramble." More than that, Sigurd was content to simply drink the tea I made. I set up extra teacups on the table between them, mostly to have something to do. "Well, if this is a questioning, shall I take a guess on what the main question is?"

"I can give you three tries first, if you'd like." Prince Quan settled back in his chair, somehow appearing both dignified and like a child playing a prank. "Would you?"

"No, no, it's better to get this conversation over with." In contrast, Prince Jamke sagged in his chair, noticeably tired. "I will not lie. For quite some time, my brothers had wished to attack Grannvale. They'd long disliked how they felt the rest of the continent looked down on us for not being of Crusader descent." He spoke clearly and smoothly, with only the slightest stumbling over the tenses. He had practiced this, hadn't he? "My father, however, overruled them each time, and they yielded to him. Regardless of their thoughts, they did respect him. Probably the only thing the three of us agreed on."

"So, this means the attack was, in fact, sanctioned by King Batu?" Prince Quan's eyes hardened, and Sigurd winced. Even I knew this knowledge would greatly hurt any chances of Verdane getting off lightly. "What changed his mind?"

"It's been..." Prince Jamke paused to sip his tea. His faint smile hinted he liked it, and I was glad to see it. I worried he might not, since I'd originally tailored this tea recipe for Zaya. "It all began when an assassin almost killed my father while he was out making rounds in the castle city. He was, miraculously, saved by a stranger: Sandima."

"Well, that's terribly convenient."

"It was." Prince Jamke's voice went dry. "Even more convenient was the supposed source of the assassins: Grannvale."

"Really now?" Prince Quan raised a brow before looking at Sigurd, who in contrast to both Prince Quan's dignified mischief and Prince Jamke's tired nobility, just seemed calm and peaceful. I could only hope I appeared similar and did not let my inner thoughts show. "Which houses specialize in assassinations again?"

"Velthomer, Friege, Dozel, and the royal house of Belhalla," Sigurd rattled off with a sigh. He made to sip his tea, but found it empty, so he poured himself a fresh cup. I checked his pot to make sure it had enough, since he'd been drinking it regularly. "I can't think of why any would target Verdane. The peace treaty was only to our benefit."

"...House Yngvi does not have assassins?" Prince Jamke asked slowly, looking almost confused. It was 'almost' because there was some sort of other emotion lingering within. "The assassin was supposedly from them."

"No, Yngvi has no need for assassins. Their snipers suffice for such tactics, though they favor the mobility of their mounted units for most battles." Sigurd shrugged. "I also can't think of an assassin who would let themselves be connected to their employers. I may have no head for this sort of thing, but that seems very basic."

"Sandima claimed to have intercepted a message or... something." Prince Jamke rolled his eyes, and now I placed the emotion, if one could call it such. He had already known it was suspicious and false, but now he had another reason to call it such. Perhaps 'resignation' was most accurate? "I can't remember. But the rest bought it, and shortly afterwards, we began hearing rumors of how Grannvale was preparing an assault on Verdane."

"This would be the first I've heard of it, if so." Sigurd sipped more of his tea and looked at Prince Quan, who also happily drank his tea. I was glad he seemed to enjoy it. I still wasn't quite certain about this mix for him. "Have you heard anything, my friend? Merchants certainly love bringing gossip across Aed."

"Nothing at all, and we both know Eldigan would've questioned you immediately if he had heard," Prince Quan answered easily. He set his mug down, simultaneously smug and not. "That he did not implies the rumors were only in Verdane and never crossed the border. Strange." What was stranger was how Khasar and the others never mentioned these supposed rumors. Had they dismissed them as unimportant, or had the rumors conveniently been heard only in certain circles?

"Indeed, and worse, I could never get confirmation on where the rumors were coming from," Prince Jamke growled, pressing a fist into the table. I hoped he wouldn't punch it; he'd bruise his knuckles. "The previous lord of Evans, Subutai, had tried to investigate, but the plague took him before he made any progress. The plague also made it difficult to send messengers. So, eventually..." Prince Jamke breathed out slowly and leaned back in his chair. "Eventually, Father gave in. It was better for us to get the first strike and try to utilize hostages to force negotiations. You know the story from there. My brothers took it too far and apparently gained the ire of someone who can retake castles while severely outnumbered."

"And the one person in Jugdral willing to launch a campaign with such few numbers to do what he believes is right." Prince Quan's words were immediate, dry, and exasperated. Sigurd, for his part, tried to ignore them; the faint blush belied the attempt. "And take in the royal family of an enemy nation while he was at it. No, Sigurd, I'm not letting that one go for a while, and neither will Eldigan when he gets my letter about it."

"Wait, that rumor was true?" Oh, so that rumor had spread even among the Verdanites? I was surprised he didn't believe it, given how he believed the others.

"You likely have seen little Shannan walking about with my squire, Finn, or Sigurd's squire, Oifeye. He's the current crown prince of Isaach. And his aunt, Princess Ayra, has been practicing with the soldiers to regain her strength, so you may have seen her if you walked near the training yards."

"..." Prince Jamke just stared at Sigurd, who shrugged helplessly and drank his tea. "You are crazy. Plain and simple."

"He needed help," I protested, speaking without thinking. Prince Jamke turned his incredulous look to me, but I busied myself with checking their teas. If I had known this was going to happen, I would have arranged for some sort of snack for them. Could I use that as an excuse to escape? "He was in such a horrible state, as was Lady Ayra. Both needed sanctuary if they were to heal."

"No wonder you all helped my people," Prince Jamke deadpanned with a sigh. It felt like an odd statement, so I found myself frowning slightly. "Aren't there rules of warfare or something?"

"Wars are for warriors. I am a healer, Prince Jamke."

"He's not." Prince Jamke pointed to Sigurd. "He's very not."

"No, but Sigurd has always been the knight saving everyone," Prince Quan laughed, relaxing fully. Sigurd scowled at him, which only made Prince Quan laugh more. "Prince Jamke, I advise you to simply assume Sigurd will always do what he thinks is right, damn the consequences. Even if it ignores common sense." He looked up at me with a smile. "Also, this tea is very good. Not sure why each of us gets our own pot of it, though, even if I'm grateful for the plentiful supply. Truthfully, I'm surprised Sigurd is drinking something with so many spices." Well, that was because...

"I'm not?" Sigurd answered slowly, tilting his head. He held out his teacup to Prince Quan for him to take a sip. "See? I doubt I could handle a tea that satisfies your love of spices."

"And I can't figure out how you can stand a tea so mild. It's practically water." Prince Quan passed the teacup back to Sigurd and used one of the spare ones on the table to steal tea from Prince Jamke's pot. "And this one... wait, is this salt?!"

"I've been wondering why you two weren't reacting to the salt," Prince Jamke commented, biting back a laugh. He happily reclaimed his tea, smiling. "Foreigners never seem to like it."

"One of my patients requested it after some medicine, and told me it was a traditional drink here," I explained with a shrug. It had taken quite a lot of trial and error to make it. "I thought you might prefer it. Sigurd's mix is one I made up for him, as is Prince Quan's. That is why there are three pots."

"That's kind of you." Prince Jamke focused on me; it let me ignore Prince Quan's startled look. "Do you have a mix for everyone, Lady Alicia?"

"No, I do not. It started as simply gifts for my brothers." It was so strange speaking of Arvis and Azelle so openly. "I made some for Azelle's best friends, and then Sigurd and Lady Ethlyn. Prince Quan's is a work in progress, I fear." I made sure to smile. "I am glad everyone seems to like their teas. Should I make another pot?"

"...Please." He watched me as I worked, probably to ensure I did not add anything strange. I pretended to not notice and just focused on the mixtures before returning their pots to them. "Lady Alicia?"

"Yes?" What was it? Did he want more salt? Less? Less would be more difficult at this stage, but if I add more water and tea, then perhaps...

"Is it possible for you to bring your medicines with us when we march?" That... was not a request I expected. I even glanced at Sigurd to see if I had heard correctly, but his own little frown hinted I had. More to the point, Prince Jamke's eyes were solemn and serious. "Whatever can be spared? I do not..." He looked down at his cup, gripping the handle so tightly ripples appeared in the tea. "I do not know what Sandima has done in my absence. I fear it even."

"...I see." He did not ask in anticipation for battle. He asked because he feared, and perhaps even expected, Sandima to have harmed the servants and soldiers left behind. "I believe so, but in this case, might I beg leave. I would like to go through the inventory as soon as possible."

Sigurd, thankfully, gave me permission, though Prince Quan looked almost disappointed he could no longer keep me trapped. So, with a polite smile, I stepped out of the room and closed the door. Then I checked the surrounding area before breathing a small sigh of relief. That had been... terribly awkward. The worst part was I did not like Prince Jamke. I could not like him. I hated he had set us aflame. I hated how he was part of why my secret was no longer secret. I hated how his flames had hurt so many. I hated how he had simply acted on rumors, and had not talked to his people. Part of me squirmed at how selfish and hypocritical it no doubt was, but I could not stop my feelings. I could only hide them, as best as I could. It would be improper if anyone were aware.

So, I took one more moment for myself, to even my nerves, and then walked down the hall to return to the infirmary. Technically speaking, I should not be alone, but with Prince Jamke on our side, my need of an escort was not enforced as strictly as it had been before. Besides, given how many soldiers we had, it was rare for the halls to remain empty for long.

"Alicia!" Take now, for instance. I only had to walk past three doors before Lord Lex rushed over to greet me. "Hey, sorry, but we had a few soldiers get a little too overzealous with their training," he explained, grinning. He looked flushed and maybe more than a little elated, like a little boy. I wondered if he pulled a prank. Azelle's letters hinted he liked them. "Well, maybe a lot."

"I take it the circumstances were amusing, Lord Lex?" I asked, already thinking of what I would need. Those thoughts paused, though, when he started sulking. "What is it?"

"Everyone knows now. So your original reason for refusing no longer applies." What was he...? Oh, wait, I knew now. He had requested I drop the title with him near the beginning of all this. "Come on. It's just weird hearing it from you."

"Should you not be used to it by now?" The only reply was more of a sulk. "Oh, goodness, you win, Lex." I had other things to worry about, and agreeing was a much more efficient use of my time and stamina.

"I usually do." He immediately went back to the grin; I could only shake my head with a slight smile. "And the circumstances are hilarious, yes. Here, I'll explain as we walk. To start with, this was not my fault. I was just the audience."

I had to have Lo... Lex repeat the explanation three times to make any sense of the mess. How the soldiers ended up slipping in mud all the way down the hill was certainly beyond me. I would tell Sigurd in the morning; perhaps he would make more sense of it.

I truly needed to learn how everyone sent messages so quickly. A day after the fires, I asked Sigurd if I could send Arvis a letter. Truthfully, it was only two words: 'I'm sorry'. Azelle had paired it with his own letter, though I did not know what he wrote. Sigurd had sent them out the very day, and somehow, not only had they already reached Arvis, but he had written a reply. ...Well, I at least knew how the reply had gotten here so quickly. One of Arvis's personal falcons had scared the daylights out of the messengers and soldiers. Why and how Arvis trained it to fly in through windows and down through halls to find the intended recipient, I did not know. I did not know how they were trained to find their recipients to begin with. But it flew straight for me, in my workshop, and I had to keep it from disturbing my medicines and mending. Then I had to find Azelle to give him Arvis's reply to his letter. Thankfully, Azelle had taken the falcon from there, so I could return to my workshop and read the letter while pretending to be studying.

'There is nothing to apologize for, Alicia. You did nothing wrong.' So, he disregarded the usual greeting to strike at the heart of the issue. I wasn't surprised; he knew how terrifying this was for me. We had debated it many times, over the years. 'From what I heard, the mark was revealed after you took an injury protecting a baby. Who could possibly be angry about that?' Ah, if he knew this, then Azelle must have written about everything that happened that day. He truly did keep few things secret from Arvis. 'If anything, I am happy. I can finally brag about how wonderful my little sister is!'

"Oh, you'd better not," I muttered to myself, even as I smiled and shook my head. This sort of thing was... just like him. "You're being purposely silly..."

'Did that get you to smile? I hope so. I'm certain you have spent far too much time fretting over this.' He was ridiculous, plain and simple. 'I know how much this has weighed on you. I remember how you had cried when we first met, overwhelmed by everything. I remember how even then, you had thought yourself a nuisance.' That was right, I had. It had been the harvest festival, and I had forgotten to wrap my arm before heading to the market to look at the herbs on sale. He had happened to be near, visiting Duke Ring about some policy he wanted to implement, and had seen the Mark when someone accidentally bumped me. He then chased after me when I'd run in fright. That had been the first time anyone had ever hugged me. 'But I will tell you again what I told you then. You are never, and will never be, a nuisance to me. I have never been ashamed of you. In fact, I have always been proud of you. All will be well. Just focus on coming home, safe and sound.'

It was a simple letter, all things considered. I had no doubts he wished he wrote more, but this had been written with some haste. I could tell by how a few words were scratched out. But he had wanted to be certain this reached me as soon as possible. I'd likely receive a much longer later once everything was settled. That was just how he was. What would the future hold, though? The thought was uneasy. Hiding in Yngvi may not work anymore. So, what would I...?

The sound of someone running down the hall barely caught my ear, and I looked up just in time to see Mister Dew swing inside. He was flushed, breathless, and for some strange reason, he shut the door behind him. Considering I rarely, if ever, shut the door of my workshop, this was more than a little odd and more immediately important than vague worries of the future.

"Mister Dew?" I called, wondering what had happened. He turned towards me with a giant grin, leaning against the closed door. "Did something happen?"

"Oh, it's nothing, really," he reassured, waving his hands about. He remained firmly by the door. "I'm hiding from Jamke. Says I should be more responsible, since I'm with the army and all."

"Have you not told him you're my helper?"

"Oh, I did." Mister Dew paused for a second. "But I kinda pulled a prank."

"Did you?" I had to smile a little. "What kind? Do I need to find bandages?"

"I don't think so?" Mister Dew flashed a grin. "But Jamke is on laundry duty today. He insisted on joining the duty roster. And it kinda made a mess. The prank, I mean." There was another pause. "A big mess. Particularly of their clothes."

"Ah, so he intends to have you help him since you contributed to said mess." That was not the same thing as 'be more responsible'. Ah, but I knew exactly who I would side with in this situation, terrible as it was. "Is it not a shame, then, that I am in need of my little helper?"

"I'm not little!" He sulked for all of two seconds before snickering. "But yeah, I figured you'd have something for me to do and-" He was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Oh, drat. He figured out my plan." I had little doubts it was because, again, I never had my workshop door shut. Even he would know this by now. Still, there was no need to point it out.

"Head to the storeroom and count how many antidotes we have." Mister Dew still did not know how to read or write yet, but... "They should be in the blue ceramic jars in the back right corner, marked with two stars." But, thankfully, my childish tendency to label things with stars helped Mister Dew know where most everything was anyway. "Their smell is sharp, like pine needles."

"And if it's not, tell you immediately." There was another knock. "Hiding!"

I waited for Mister Dew to duck fully into the storeroom and marked my place in my book to better pretend I had been studying. Then I stood up and headed to the door, just in time to head off a third attempt of knocking. In fact, Prince Jamke almost 'knocked' on my face.

"My pardon, Lady Alicia," he greeted very politely. It was almost polite enough to pretend he had any sort of dignity as muddy and soaked as he was. It appeared he had been a victim of Mister Dew's prank as well. "But I am looking for Dew."

"I fear he is in the middle of something for me," I answered after a moment, pretending to be thinking. This was so awful of me; it truly was. "I needed another's eyes on the inventory, to see how much could be spared when we marched."

"Well, that's convenient."

"Hmm?" I tilted my head, as if confused, and was rewarded by his exasperated sigh. "Ah, let me fetch you a towel and some medicine. You're forming a puddle." He was, a very muddy one at that. Just what sort of prank did Mister Dew pull?

"Why medicine?"

"Do you want to risk catching a cold?" I waited for him to reluctantly shake his head. "Then it is better to take some preventatives. It shan't take long."

"Will these be bitter?"

"No, I do not think so." Now, I could give him bitter ones if I wanted, but I refused to be so childish. I may not like him, but I did not want him to suffer. Besides, if he threw them up due to it being too bitter, that was just a waste. "One moment."

As I predicted, neither took long. Prince Jamke barely had time to wipe off the worst of the mud and water before I handed him the medicines, and I sent him off with the towel so he no longer stood awkwardly in my doorway. When I went to fetch another towel, though, to clean the puddle he left behind, small hands took it from me and I looked down to see a grinning Mister Dew.

"In my defense, he was definitely not there when I started the prank," he 'explained', as pleased as a cat. Still, he went to wipe the puddle for me. "It hit more than it should've. I think a bunch showed up."

"Is that so?" I asked, barely keeping the dryness out of my voice. I did feel another smile twitch onto my face, and hoped it was at least a proper one. "If we have an influx of colds, you will be helping me with each of them." Mister Dew's response was to laugh. "I hope no one slips either, but that will be a worry for later. Do you have a number for me?"

Days like this... were not bad at all.

Soon, it was announced we would march for Verdane's castle. There was some debate on just how many should go, and surprisingly, Prince Jamke was the one who said it should be most of the army. He expected Sandima to plot something, and thought having more soldiers on hand was best. No doubt we would set up camp just outside the fabled Spirit Forest before they moved forward with attempted negotiations, as I imagine approaching with so many forces was the exact opposite impression Sigurd wanted to give. But, regardless of how or why, the decision was made and everything needed to be accounted for. In my case, it was ensuring the health of my patients even after I left. Sigurd wanted me to travel with everyone, in case King Batu needed more specialized healing than what Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain knew. Thankfully, all of the current patients were at a point where I could safely leave them in the hands of caretakers. ...Even more thankfully, between Lady Ethlyn's Return staff and Lady Edain's Warp, I was only a short message away should anything unexpected occur.

This did mean, however, I dealt with quite an influx of visitors, wanting to confirm treatment plans for their sick family members or to get extra medicine. In the case of my two worst off, Erdene and Zaya, it meant more visits to simply reassure themselves all was well. Though, in the case of one, it was to see them at last.

"Thank you for letting me bring her here," Altan mumbled, smiling a little sheepishly. Next to him, Erdene's sweet little daughter, Enkh, all but vibrated from excitement as she clung to his pant leg. I could not blame her; it was the first time she had seen her father since he had been conscripted. Altan's wife had been watching her all this time. "I knew I should've waited to tell her that her dad was healing fine."

"There is nothing to thank or apologize for," I reassured, doing my level best to keep my smile perfectly polite and calm. It was much harder than it should be. "She is not the only young visitor we have today. Sarnai brought Zaya's baby." Though, this time, we were definitely staying close to everyone. Who knew if anyone else would act only on rumors to set the place aflame? We were still fixing the damages. "Shall we head to the infirmary?"

"Yes, my lady." He looked down at Enkh and ruffled her hair. "Come on, little pixie. Let's see your dad."

I led them, though Altan no doubt had the path memorized from his own visits, and I barely took two steps before Enkh let go of Altan's pant leg to slip her hand in mine. It... was small. Her hand was so small. It made sense. From what Altan had told me, she was only two years old. It was a surprise she could walk and talk. ...Well, maybe it was normal for two-year-olds. I didn't know; I had never interacted with one so young. I had certainly never held the hand of someone so small. She could only hold two of my fingers in hers. Someone so small... had almost become an orphan. Altan had told me Erdene's wife died a few months ago, and if Sigurd and I had not listened to our conscience and helped those who had been our enemies, she would have lost her father. She would...

I tightened my hold on her hand, just slightly, and did my best to smile. She grinned back, wide and bright. I hoped, when this was over at last, she would grow up in a world where she could always keep that smile. I hoped she would always smile, just like this.

We held hands the entire trip to the infirmary where Erdene rested. When we entered, though, I was nervous. Would Erdene be too exhausted for this visit? I had, of course, informed him of his daughter's desire to see him, and he had even forgone his usual pain medications to ensure he'd stay awake. Still, his recovery would be steady and lengthy, given the number of health problems he had before someone's lance gored his side out, and recovery and healing always made one tired. So, I was relieved to see him still up when we came to the infirmary. Enkh bounced in excitement, barely able to clear the floor, though she did manage to land on my feet and nearly fall. I righted her quickly, and ignored the pain in my foot as I helped her those last few steps.

"Papa~! Hiiiiii~!" After all, what was a little pain when I could hear a sweet little girl greet her father so cheerfully?

"Hey there, pixie." What was a little pain when I could hear her father answer back, in a weak, tired, but loving voice? "How have you been? What have I missed?"

"Lots, lots!" Enkh tried to climb onto the bed, but I directed her to a chair instead. Erdene wasn't recovered enough for her to sit on the bed with him. "A bunny!"

"You saw a bunny?"

"Yes!"

From there, she babbled about anything and everything to him, and Erdene listened with a smile, nodding along and asking questions to show he was listening. I watched for a moment, gauging Erdene's health, before turning to... well, I had intended to ask Altan if he wanted a check-up since he was here. Seeing him beam at the father and daughter, though, on the edge of tears, I decided to not offer just yet. It was clear to me he wanted ample time to burn the scene into his memory.

Eventually, he tore his gaze away, and instead turned his attention to the others in the room. After all, Erdene did not room alone. Across the room, Zaya was propped up in her own bed, recovering well from her surgery to repair her abdomen, and as I had told Altan earlier, she also had guests. She cuddled with her baby, as carefully as she could through the pain and bandages, and Sarnai cooed and fussed over them both. I went over to adjust her blankets, and study her complexion. If she continued recovering at this pace, then she could be moved to her own room soon.

"Apologies for the noise," Altan murmured, following me over. He even bowed, with a sheepish smile, though he remained careful to keep his stump out of sight. I wondered if it would be a habit he'd keep his whole life. "She's a bright one."

"That's why you nicknamed her 'pixie', isn't it?" Sarnai asked with a flash of a grin. Next to her, Zaya muffled a laugh, wincing from the pain. I frowned worriedly, but she shook her head. She did not want more pain medication yet. "We don't mind. Zaya's hurting a little too much to outright say it, of course, but I promise, she thinks the same." Zaya even nodded to emphasize the words. I began mixing her up some tea, since she was due for her other medicines soon. Did I have enough salt?

"Still, I probably should've warned you first."

"Why? The cheer was a lovely surprise." Sarnai kept grinning, and I was glad to see it. Today was the first day she could walk into the castle without shaking; I knew she'd spent the days since the fire resting and recovering. The smoke inhalation had been terrible. "Especially from her. I remember how quiet she was at her mother's funeral."

"Ah, yes, that's right. You both attended." Altan smiled at Zaya. "In fact, didn't Yesui scold you for such?" Zaya's only 'answer' was to duck her head to hide her smile. "Not good for a pregnant woman to push herself."

"It's also not good to risk irking the spirits." Sarnai sulked, just a little, before gasping and turning to me. "Oh, my lady, I'm sorry." ...What was she apologizing for? "In Verdane, everyone attends everyone's funerals, even those of strangers, to protect themselves. The veil between worlds becomes particularly thin during them, and some spirits will sneak through to cause mischief. There's safety in numbers."

"Yet those with medical conditions, and their family members, are exempt, and it is part of our funerary duties to check on them." Altan shook his head, smiling despite the clear exasperation. I went to find more salt for Zaya's tea. "Pregnancy counts."

"Well, we went, so no use scolding." Sarnai shrugged, back to grinning. There was something pained to it, though. "Besides, considering how it was only a few weeks later the conscriptions started, I'd say some very mischievous spirits slipped through this time."

"Not all evils should be blamed on spirits." Indeed, Grannvale had plenty of 'evils' and as far as I knew, no spirits lingered there. "But that is neither here nor there."

"True." Sarnai leaned forward to get a better look at Erdene and Enkh. She still babbled, absently kicking her legs since the seat of her chair was so high, and he still listened and nodded along. "Looks like he's gotten some weight back since then." ...This was 'gotten weight back'? No wonder he had been so frail when I first treated him. "Thinner than a twig, he was."

"Well, both he and his wife took ill. He just managed to survive, while..." Altan shrugged, finding no need to finish the sentence. "Still don't know what took her."

"They got sick after heading into the Spirit Forest, right?" Sarnai frowned thoughtfully, tilting her head even. I returned to Zaya's side to finish up the tea. "Could a spirit have gotten offended? Our mother died that way. Stepped on a root by accident and not two steps later, a snake bit her." That seemed less like a 'spirit' and more 'disturbing the snake', in my opinion. But, then again, perhaps that was how spirits worked.

"I suppose, since Erdene remembers seeing something cloaked and dark amidst the trees. But I have to wonder just what sort of spirit they crossed to be sick like that. They would've died outright if not for that silver spirit catching my attention and leading me to them." Altan shuddered at the memory. "Uyanga swore her bones were shattering in her body, by the end." ...Wait, I knew that symptom. I had read about it, and it was in my notes. Now, where did I...?

"Lady Alicia!" There was no time to think of the answer. Without warning, one of the messenger boys swung into the room, one I knew fairly well. Batbayar was one of the three Dew had saved from the flames, and I had treated him for the burn on his face. To my surprise, and relief, he actually kept the eye. There was scarring, of course, but so far, there was no sign of damage to the eye itself and he had full vision in it. "Message for you," he blurted, noticeably out of breath. I poured him some water and handed it to him. "Miss Yesui wants your help. Some emergency with one of her patients."

"Might you let Lady Edain know she needs to watch the infirmary?" I requested, mind already whirling. Just what had happened? "I need to fetch my bag and staves."

"Of course, my lady!"

Batbayar was very prompt. I had just finished gathering my things when Lady Edain rushed in, Sir Midir trailing after her to provide any assistance. In fact, he offered to serve as my escort, since it was technically still too dangerous to go out alone, but I gently refused. After all, if Mistress Yesui was asking, then it likely had to deal with a birth and I had learned that in Verdane, no men were allowed in the house during a birthing. Not even male healers were allowed except in the most extreme of circumstances. The house wasn't far anyway. It felt like Batbayar had me there in a blink, and in another, I was in a back room where Mistress Yesui efficiently, yet quickly, prepared her herbs and surgery tools. I did not remember either journey at all.

"You're here...!" she breathed when she saw me, smiling in relief. Though it did not suit the situation in the slightest, I could not help but realize this was the first time my help had been 'requested', not 'demanded', by someone more experienced than me. It was also the first time the response to said request/demand was a smile, not a scowl. "Thank goodness."

"What happened?" I asked, trying to put pieces together. While the energy of the house was frantic, it was not chaotic. That implied nothing immediate occurred. "Rather, what is going to happen?"

"Surgery, for an early delivery. Given what happened to Zaya..." Ah, yes, this made perfect sense. Zaya's infection had required me using my magic to burn it away. Nothing had taken until I had done so. "As for why there's a surgery, well..." She looked down at her herbs before returning her attention to me. "Severe pre-eclampsia, and eclampsia."

"She waited so long?" Eclampsia... if I remembered Mistress Yesui's lessons, that meant seizures. She also said she usually tried to induce birth prior to things deteriorating to that point.

"I knew she shouldn't have, that I shouldn't have, but she was so insistent..." Mistress Yesui grimaced, looking away guiltily. "Her husband was... he's like Zaya's." So, he had been one of the conscripted, and one of the dead. "Altan said you tried to save him. Most wouldn't have."

"Did I?"

"Yes, but he'd had a hole in his neck." Oh. He had been that one. I remembered him. He had struggled so hard; I mourned how I was not skilled enough. "It's an early birth. The surgery. The babe likely will not survive. Too premature." That was why our patient had protested, but now, we had a situation where either one was lost or both. I... did not like it. It was painful. But our job as healers was to save all we could. "Not only that, but these conditions can impair fetus growth. Makes it all the more likely."

"...Is the mother aware?" Was that even the right term for her? Did one stop being a 'mother' if their child died in the womb, died in their first seconds of life?

"She is." Mistress Yesui's smile was pained. It had not been an easy conversation. "She agreed for her sister-in-law's sake. She had begged, not wanting to lose all three. Two… will be hard enough."

There was nothing more to be said. There wasn't any time. I helped Mistress Yesui prep for the surgery and then followed her into the room where our patient was asleep on a bed, wearing a loose dress. She... was swollen. I could not help but notice. I remembered the lessons mentioning swelling was a common side effect of pre-eclampsia, but it was another thing to see it. Her hands and face... they were both terribly swollen. Though, I could see the tearstains still on her cheeks, so some of the swelling around her eyes must have been from crying. She had cried, as the medicines put her under. This had to have been... such a difficult choice.

I assisted Mistress Yesui as best as I could, following her instructions faithfully. The abdominal incision led to a lot of blood, but no more than expected. The baby was delivered, and the cord clamped and cut. I used both magic and medicine to disinfect the area while Mistress Yesui removed the placenta and checked every 'piece' was accounted for. Then we both cleansed the cut one more time before she sewed her up. It was not a long procedure. At least, it did not feel long.

The baby was wrapped in a blanket off to the side. They made no sound, not even when Mistress Yesui had cleared their noise and mouth of fluids. They did not twitch at any noises. They were paler than a statue. When it became apparent Mistress Yesui had no immediate need of me, I picked them up, noticing how cold they were. They were also incredibly small. I swore they were smaller than my forearm, and my medicines weighed more. Even with me picking them up, they did not react. They appeared... perfectly dead. It was just as Mistress Yesui said. Yet I could not... I could not let it be. Even with Father Eirik's warning ('The newly born are too fragile for your flames') echoing in my head, I had to try. I had to, for the sake of the mother who cried as she went to sleep. I... I wanted to, for her. I wanted to save everyone, not just 'all I can', even if it was only a fool's notion. So, I called to my magic, as I would for any standard check-up. To my surprise, it... it took. Healing magic... did not take to the dead. But it did here. So, despite all appearances, despite all logic, the baby... was somehow still alive.

I went to work, even as my mind reeled and scrambled to remember each and every little thing from my books and lessons. They were cold, so I hugged them close to try and keep them warm. Their heart fluttered, barely enough to sense, so I strengthened it with my magic. Their lungs were weak, struggling, so I used my magic to try and clear their airways more. To my surprise, I was soon rewarded with the quietest, tiniest mewl and a small amount of squirming. They were anemic, but I used my magic to give them a little boost. There was something with their eyes and I could not... I could not figure it out! All I could do was give them my magic to try and help!

"Alicia?" Mistress Yesui appeared in front of me, looking so kind and chiding. "Alicia, I appreciate it, but the baby..." she began, no doubt to say how the baby was lost. All logic said so. Yet she paused, noticing what I did. "Wait, are they...?"

"There's something with their eyes," I blurted, unable to think of a polite way to explain. I could barely think at all. I knew so very little about this, yet... "Their airway was clogged still, but I think I cleared it enough. They are cold and anemic, but I can keep them warm. Their heartbeat is faint, but I can strengthen it. Their eyes, though... I can't..."

"Retinopathy, perhaps?" WIthout the slightest hesitation, Mistress Yesui went to work, fetching some eye drops from her bag and pulling the baby's eyelids open to dilate the pupil and look at them. The baby tried to squirm away, but I held them still. "Yes, there are early signs. I will need to do follow-up exams to see if surgery is needed." She ran her fingers over the baby's face, nodding to herself. "The cold is not unexpected. Premature babies lose body heat very quickly. Anemia is also normal, and I'm not surprised by how weak their heart is. The breathing..." Frowning in thought, she undid the blanket, just enough to rest her hands on the baby's chest. "Respiratory distress... also not uncommon. If we're quick, we can fix it. Their lungs just need more time to develop." She looked at me, even as she continued checking the baby over. "Any bleeding in their brain?" I shook my head, even as I double-checked. "Good." She chuckled suddenly, amused and pleased. "Well, seems the baby is a fighter. Good of you to check. I'm not sure I would've had the time, treating his mother as I was."

"I... I suppose..." Now, however, I looked away, mortified by the risk I took. "I... I'm sorry."

"For what? Taking a chance that you could heal him? That's what healers do, Alicia. We take chances to try and help."

"Yes, but my magic... it could have..." Again, Father Eirik's warning rang in my head. Then it was followed by the memory of his lectures for tripping over my words so much. A healer should never stutter, should always be clear and concise. "It could have hurt them. It's like fire, so it could have..."

"Blessed Spirits, what are you talking about?" Mistress Yesui gently touched my cheek and turned my face back to her. Her eyes were warm and kind, and her smile was relieved and proud. "Your magic saved them."

That was the last she said before switching back to 'work', this time with a focus on preparing everything for the baby. Since the baby remained cold, I was tasked with holding and warming them as I moved about to help Mistress Yesui with everything. Most pertinent, of course, was checking the new mother. Sleeping medicines were terribly finicky, especially the ones used for surgery, and we had to be vigilant to catch any sort of reaction as she slowly woke up. I also checked her incision numerous times for any hint of infection, not wanting her to suffer as Zaya did. It was awkward while holding someone so tiny. Mistress Yesui had to help me adjust my arms and hands numerous times to ensure I did not hurt them. But... I managed. Somehow, I managed, and eventually, the mother... woke up.

"Mmm..." she groaned, blinking slowly. Mistress Yesui went over to help her sit up, propped by a plethora of pillows. I lingered awkwardly nearby, the baby still in my arms. I was all too aware of how small they were, like this. "Is...?" She looked up at Mistress Yesui, with an expression so tired her eyes appeared dead. "Ah, so it's over?"

"Yes, the surgery is finished," Mistress Yesui confirmed, fussing over the pillows. I guessed they had to be at the right angle to minimize potential pressure on the incision. "No complications."

"I see." A terribly bitter smile quirked onto her face as she let her head fall once more. It was hard to call it a 'smile' at all. "What do I need to do to...?"

"Well, first, why don't we see if your baby can latch?" Mistress Yesui smiled so warmly, and somehow, it only grew warmer when the mother jerked her head up. "I can guarantee nothing. They were born premature, and there's a plethora of health problems we must fight. But Alicia's magic here gave them the boost they needed to keep on fighting. So, we shall do all we can to help, with your permission."

"My baby... is alive...?" She stared, dazed and shocked. But there was a light in her eyes, a light that brightened when I crept over, her baby's quiet cries emphasizing Mistress Yesui's words. "My baby is...?"

"Yes, and a mother's milk will be quite good for the little one." Mistress Yesui helped the new mother sit up a little higher, and then took the baby from me. "Here we are... oh, and just look at that smile!" Yes, they were smiling. Both mother and baby were smiling so brightly, so beautifully. It was hard to call them 'smiles' because the word was too simple a description. "Here, like this..."

I believe the baby did have trouble latching. Neither Mistress Yesui or the new mother seemed discouraged by it, though. In fact, during the process, Mistress Yesui confirmed it was safe for me to leave. She could take it from there. So, I did, giving one last smile to the mother and baby before departing. One of the neighbors helpfully escorted me to the castle, and I waved to the guards at the gate as I passed. At least, I think I did. Honestly, I did not comprehend much in the aftermath. If I had not memorized the path to my workshop, I might have even gotten lost. But I did not, and I managed to set my bag on the table before sinking into the chair, my mind still whirling from everything. Yet the thing it latched onto most was Mistress Yesui's words: 'your magic saved them.'

It was such a simple statement. She probably thought nothing of it. But to hear it from someone older, from someone I learned from... I had no idea how much weight such words could have. Yes, Arvis had mentioned so many times how he envied my healing, but that was different. He was my brother. This was a stranger, an acquaintance. No stranger or acquaintance had ever said... Father Eirik had never said...

"Alicia?" Sigurd's worried voice jolted me from my thoughts, and I looked up to see him lingering in the doorway. "Is everything well?" he asked, frowning. "I heard there was an emergency."

"Yes, one of Mistress Yesui's patients needed an emergency surgery due to pregnancy complications, and she wanted me on hand thanks to what happened to Zaya," I answered, smiling. I knew it wasn't a proper smile. It was too wide, pulled too much at my face and made my eyes narrow. I was certain I looked like a mad woman, not a calm healer. Yet no matter how hard I tried, I could not smile properly. "We managed to save her and her child, though. At least, we did for now. The baby will have quite the fight on their hands to be healthy, but Mistress Yesui was hopeful." Those smiles... oh, I would remember those smiles forever.

"That's wonderful news!" Sigurd smiled back, as delighted as can be. "Should we delay marching for a few days so you can check on them?"

"No, I think all will be well." As much as I would want to tend to both directly, if only for my own worries, they were in much better hands with Mistress Yesui. "She and the other doctors have confirmed they can watch over our patients here, after all." The best thing we could do now was end this for them. Then they could heal properly. "Did anything happen while I was away?"

"Nothing serious, mostly gathering information with Prince Jamke, but I was thinking about a market walk with Shannan." He walked over and held out his hand. "Want to join? I think you deserve a break and I know he'd prefer having you around."

"I..." I hesitated before taking his hand and letting him help me up. "Oh, very well." Truthfully, I should refuse, as there were many things I needed to do, but I found the offer far too tempting. Lord Shannan would be fully recovered before long, and I doubted he would wish to take walks with me once he was. "Let's find him, then."

Eventually, it was time to march. Half of our forces ended up remaining in Marpha. The other half was split into two groups: a small number of both Granvalle and Verdane soldiers led by Sigurd and Prince Jamke and the rest would follow in a few days. That way there were reinforcements, if needed. I, and most of those I knew, were part of the first group, so in what felt like a handful of days, we were off. Those who did not have their own horses rode with others. I rode with Azelle. He was my little brother, after all, and he was quite proud of his riding ability. Though, for some reason, both Lady Edain and Lady Ethlyn had suggested I ride with Sigurd, and Lord Quan had seemed surprised when I refused. Did they want to keep the two 'troublemakers' together to better watch us?

Such speculations had no answers, of course. They just lingered in my mind as we traveled, mostly to keep from thinking of the trip itself. Surprisingly, the Spirit Forest was just as eerie as the rumors claimed. It was terribly dark and surprisingly cold. The trees loomed over the path, like they wished to swallow us whole. This place... it did not feel part of the world at all.

"Alicia?" Azelle's voice broke through my thoughts. "Are you well, Alicia?" he asked worriedly. His hands were tense on the reigns. "Am I going too fast?"

"I am just fine, Azelle," I reassured, pushing such my meandering thoughts away. Then, I twisted so I could smile at him. "I rode with Arvis many times."

"Oh, I knew that. Arvis used it as a way to get me to keep up my riding lessons." Did he now? I might need to scold him for using me as a carrot. "Which turned out to be a very good thing, since that's how we figured out I didn't get nearly as sick when riding a horse." …Well, perhaps I would scold him a little less. "But that's not important. I know I'm not as skilled of a rider, so..."

"You are as skilled as Arvis was at your age."

"Really?" He seemed both surprised and dubious. "That..."

"Do remember, Azelle, that Arvis is seven years older than you, and thus has seven years more training than you." There was also how Arvis had thrown himself into lessons to try and maintain some sort of control over his environment while our father was alive, meaning he studied like a madman. Azelle took his studies seriously, but not obsessively.

"We probably spent a little too much time playing pranks instead of studying too," Lex commented, coming even with us. Lady Ayra rode with him, astride the horse and behind Lex, unlike me, who rode sidesaddle in front of Azelle. She was… remarkably quiet. "Or, well, I did and dragged you along."

"Glad for the clarification," Azelle grumbled, scowling at him. Lex only grinned. "Still say the buckets were too much for Danann."

"Oh, come on! He takes himself too seriously. Needs to learn how to laugh at himself before he crumples under the pressure."

"You just want to make him look ridiculous."

"Most siblings do. You've got a weird relationship with yours, Azelle, but mine is fairly normal. Even if I haven't seen him in a couple of years." Lex shrugged, and Lady Ayra glanced at him in confusion. Azelle, however, looked very sad by the words and I remembered receiving a letter from Arvis about how Lex suddenly started staying with them two years ago. He didn't say why; he wrote he purposely didn't ask. Given how Lex would flinch when someone came close, I could… take a few guesses. I only needed one to know what Arvis suspected. "Besides, I didn't prank him for his wedding. Do you know how much self-control that took?"

"What self-control? I had to yell at both you and Tailtiu to behave yourselves the whole day!"

"Tailtiu's prank would've been so much fun, though. Maybe we can pull it on Bloom instead? Has he proposed to Hilda yet?"

"He's planning on it. Tailtiu writes that he's indecisive on the ring. Something about…" Azelle made a show of thinking. "No jewel fits her shining resplendence?"

"That sounds like him, the smitten idiot."

The two might have continued along that vein for a while, given how easily they spoke, but I noticed how Lady Ayra sat so stiffly with a grimace on her face, and thus, could not help but ask, "are you not used to riding, Lady Ayra?"

"Huh?!" Of course, maybe I should not have said anything, since Lady Ayra jumped and nearly fell off the horse. Lex maneuvered the horse to keep her on, and Azelle reached over to steady her. "I… uh…" Lady Ayra stammered as she recovered. "What was that?"

"I asked if you were not used to riding, Lady Ayra," I repeated, worried now. Perhaps I should not have said anything.

"I… no, that's… um…" Never had I seen her at such a loss for words. She even refused to look at anyone. "I… never learned." So, was that a 'yes', then? "I… I would freeze during my lessons, remembering Setanta, so I never learned."

"Setanta?"

"My best friend." Her eyes grew sad, and that alone told me what had happened. Surprisingly, though, she actually kept talking. "Od had twin daughters, both of whom inherited the blood of Tiamat. The elder, Hnoss, was the Major, and Gersemi, the younger, was the first Minor. Both were later blessed by fairies, with Hnoss receiving power from the stars and Germesi, the moon." Now that I thought about it, Lord Shannan had mentioned the 'blessings of Tiamat had been augmented' by her attendants. What did 'power of the stars and moon' mean, though? No other Crusader tale had anything similar. "Afterwards, Germesi chose to remain near the mountains where they met the fairies, and thus founded Sophara. It had a practical aspect as well, since it guarded the only safe passages through the mountains."

"Guessing this friend of yours is from Sophara, if you're bringing it up," Lex noted, reaching up to push a branch aside. I wondered why he did not simply duck, before realizing Lady Ayra might not have realized it was there until it was too late. She was firmly stuck in her memories by this point. "Yes?"

"He was. Because of our history, the houses were always close. It was no surprise to anyone Setanta and I got along. We were friends since we met, when I was barely a year old." She sighed, smiling slightly. "The family was always famous for... well, all those of Od's blood have a strong attachment to animals. Tiamat is the goddess of beasts, after all. But Sophara's ruling family always seemed to have the lion's share of that particular trait."

"Cute pun."

"What are you... oh." Lady Ayra glared, and Lex snickered. Azelle maneuvered close enough to lightly hit Lex's shoulder in quiet reprimand. "That was not... oh, never mind. This is ridiculous."

"No, no, keep talking. I'm curious."

"You're always curious." She sighed and shook her head. "I suppose I was getting on a tangent, though. The point I was trying to make was most of the family learned how to ride very young, much younger than other nobles, thanks to that bond. So, Setanta would always take me riding when we saw each other. We'd race down the paths, the wide-open grasslands stretching out into beautiful forests and mountains... it was exhilarating. It was fun. They remain my fondest memories of my childhood."

"...But then he died, huh?"

"He did. He, and his family." Lady Ayra drooped, the weight of the memory too much to keep her posture. I was a little surprised she was sharing all of this, but perhaps she didn't think much of it. It was an old scar, one that ached, but only that. "I was about seven at the time. I was supposed to go visit within a few days, and I was eager. We'd had a stupid, childish argument last time, and I wanted so badly to apologize. But all of a sudden, Father was rushing out with troops, taking the pass towards Sophara. He didn't tell me why, but Mariccle did. He told me there had been a coup. Sophara was in flames, and Father was going to assist. Mariccle left later the same day to do the same."

"It must've moved fast to take so many by surprise," Azelle noted, adjusting his grip on the reigns. His horse wanted to move a little faster than Lex's, probably out of boredom. "Do you remember how?"

"Infiltration, bribery, hostages... it was everything Isaach stood against," Lady Ayra growled, clenching her fist. Lex glanced back at her, worried at how much she stiffened. "I remember... waiting. Waiting and waiting, wondering just what was going on. Wondering when they'd be back. Wondering and waiting. It took days for them to return with news."

"None good, though."

"No." She breathed in slowly, and just as slowly breathed out, no doubt to keep calm. I saw the remnants of tears in her eyes. "Father tried to keep the full extent from me, to protect me, but Mariccle went against him. Told me how my best friend's parents were dead, how both his younger sister and brother were dead, and how he was missing."

"Missing?"

"Yes." She smiled bitterly. "I clung to that word for so long. He was only missing. He wasn't dead, just missing. Surely, he had escaped to the mountains or the forests. He was always wandering, to say hello to all the animals."

"...The wild animals?"

"Yes." She said it like it was obvious; I tried to think of how he didn't get eaten by a bear or something long before all this. "So, surely, he was there, safe. And he'd wander back, maybe a little bruised and scraped, but fine. I believed it. I believed it for many, many months." But he never did. "When it came time to begin my lessons for horseback riding, I could only think of those precious memories. Think of how the last time I spoke with him was an argument. Think of how my hope had burned until it was nothing but ash. So, I never learned. Father never forced."

"That was kind of him."

"Perhaps, but I wish he did now." Lady Ayra looked up ahead, where Lord Shannan rode with Sigurd. Lord Shannan asked questions about this and that, his eyes sparkling in wonder, and Sigurd did his best to answer them all. "The flight from Isaach would no doubt have been easier if I knew. I could've protected him better."

"That's..."

"I think you give yourself too little credit there, Ayra," Lex surprisingly replied. He, too, focused on Lord Shannan, smiling at the little prince. "Maybe you didn't do as good of a job as you'd like, but you did protect him. You got him all the way here, and yes, things were rough. But honestly, given how far you ran? It's a miracle neither of you died."

"That… is true," Lady Ayra reluctantly agreed. I could tell she still blamed herself for Lord Shannan's health issues, even if he was almost fully recovered. "Perhaps Hekate of the Crossroads guided me."

"That's the fairy who protects and guides travelers who are lost in the darkness, right? Think that's what Shannan said."

"Ah, yes?" Well, someone was startled. Lady Ayra looked like someone had hit her over her head, and Azelle reached out to steady her in case she fell. Again. "I thought he only told you of Hestia of the Hearth, and her castle."

"Azelle and Shannan talked a lot about fairies." Lex glanced over his shoulder to grin at her. "But yeah, maybe she did. I think I told you this, but Sigurd's the best damn protection the kid has in this situation. Everyone knows he will do what he thinks is right, no matter the cost to himself, and everyone knows he's got the strength of arm to cut down any in his path."

"And I believe I told you that only made me worry more for Sigurd." Though she scowled with the words, there was no heat to them. "Besides, didn't you mention there were some who could overrule him? Or maybe that was Quan."

"Likely Quan, but you're right. His father, Lord Byron, and King Azmur are the only ones who can." Lex's grin widened. "Isn't it lucky, then, that despite Lord Byron's eternal exasperation, he never actually stops his son? Or maybe it's luckier King Azmur has quite the soft spot for him?"

"Huh?"

"Supposedly, Sigurd takes after his mother when it comes to the reckless loyalty, and Lord Byron admires the trait, so he never does worse than scold. Ever. As for the soft spot..." Lex shrugged. "Can't verify it directly of course, but it's in the gossips. According to them, King Azmur is soft on both Sigurd and Arvis."

"I've heard the same, but whenever I ask, Arvis gives me a 'what are you talking about' look," Azelle commented absently. I think it was more to let Lady Ayra recover than any real interest in the topic. "Alicia, what do you think?"

"I think even if it were true, Arvis would not recognize it," I answered after a moment. After all, Arvis had difficulties believing in people's good intentions. There had been too many cruelties masked with niceness in our father's court. "Still, he respects King Azmur. One of the proudest days of his life is when King Azmur appointed him commander of the Royal Guard. He scribbled me a note and sent it via falcon the very day." I wondered how to continue, if I even should, when a flash of silver in the trees caught my eye. When I twisted to look properly, though, there was no sign of anything but leaves and shadows.

"Sister?" Azelle looked as well, even slowing his horse to get a better look. "What is it?"

"...Perhaps it was nothing." After all, there was nothing now, and if there was one thing I had learned while being in the army, it was that others had far better sight and ears than me. "Ah, I am reminded. Should I tell you three of the time Arvis got himself lost finding herbs for me?"

"He did what." Azelle grinned, instantly amused. Even more amusing, Lex immediately slowed his own horse to fall back in line with Azelle's. Lady Ayra frowned, perhaps confused as to why this was so hilarious to the two. "Tell, tell!"

Our first day through the Spirit Forest proved to be quite lively. I could only hope it was a good omen for what was to come.

The Spirit Forest was vast, so vast that it was impossible to traverse in a single day. As such, we had to camp. This led to me rather awkwardly trying to stay out of the way while everyone set up the camp in whatever order it was supposed to be in. I truly had no idea. Even on the journeys between castles, I had not set up a tent. I had studied by candle and moonlight, staying just inside the camp's boundaries so I would not bother the watches. With so many people, however, I felt like I was in the way even when hiding on the outskirts. I was careful to avoids roots, though. I remembered how Sarnai said her mother had died.

"Oh, Lady Alicia, there you are!" At some point during the set up, Lady Edain rushed over, smiling brightly. Did she like camping, or had she simply enjoyed the easy excuse to stay so close to Sir Midir? She had ridden with him, after all. "You certainly chose an interesting place to hide," she teased with a light giggle. "I have been looking all over for you."

"My apologies," I murmured, glancing around. No one appeared hurt by my eyes, and certainly no one spoke as if anyone was, but why else would she come to me? "Did you need something? My understanding was this was too temporary a camp to set up an infirmary."

"It is, which is why you and I have our own tents instead of pairing up like everyone else. Just in case of an emergency. Until then, though, we're off-duty!" That was... concerning. I did not want anyone to hide their injuries. Sometimes, something minor was merely a prelude to something catastrophic. "So, I was thinking we could have some tea?"

"Tea?"

"Yes!" One could practically see the sparkles surrounding her. "It won't be a proper tea, of course, since we're camping, but I thought it might be nice."

"I see." Why would she want my company for such a thing? Regardless, it seemed like a... well, I could not call it a 'waste' of time, as she clearly would enjoy it, but for me... "I fear I must refuse. I have to check if the medicines traveled properly." As Prince Jamke had requested, I had packed all which could be spared and I did not want to risk any breaking before we arrived. "Then I have to check on Lord Shannan. He may have fully recovered by this point, but his stamina is nowhere near what a child his age would like."

"Oh?" Lady Edain noticeably drooped at my refusal, and I immediately felt bad. Yet what else could I do? Ignoring how I could spend the time studying and mending, I dared not think of what everyone would think if they saw their Chief Healer acting so frivolously. Now that my heritage was known, I had to work all the harder to prove I was not my father. "Perhaps next time, then?" Now how was I supposed to answer that? Given how the campaign was almost over, there likely would not be a next time. I... would never see any of these people again, except at a distance, when this was over. The healer was always left behind. Yet I could not simply say that. Even I knew it was rude. So, I had to hope for some convenient distraction and...

"Lady Alicia~!" ...Ah. Well, here, in fact, came the convenient distraction, in the form of Lady Ethlyn skipping over. While I wondered just why she was looking for me, I appreciated her appearance. "Hey, where is your tent set up?" she asked without any sort of greeting. "I couldn't find it."

"May I ask why you were looking for it?" I asked in return, mostly to avoid answering. How was I supposed to tell her where it was 'set up' when I did not have one? "I do hope I am not the intended target of a prank."

"No, though I did hear a few discussing it. Dew pointed out how stupid of an idea it is to play a prank on your healer." ...That was not meant to be serious. Please let there be no pranks here in camp. "But no, I just wanted to hang this there." She pulled out a sachet from her pocket, simple yet fragrant. "Khasar passed these out; the people of Marpha made them." Was that so? "They say it's to keep spirits away, but it also serves as an insect repellant." Well, that was fascinating. What herbs did they use for it? "So, every tent gets one!"

"I see." I suppose I could keep it on my person, then? "Then I can take it." When I held out my hand, though, Lady Ethlyn shook her head. "Lady Ethlyn?"

"I want to hang it in the best spot!" If there was a specific place it had to be set, I believed I could do so, especially since I had no tent. "Besides, since I couldn't find it earlier, I want to see it now." That was... this was... oh, I knew the look in her eye, too. It was the same stubborn determination Sigurd had.

So, I bit back a sigh and accepted the inevitable. "I don't have one."

"Huh?"

"I do not have a tent."

"Eh?!" Lady Ethlyn flailed with the yelp, nearly flinging the sachet into the trees. Only Lady Edain's quick action saved it. "Why not!?"

"I do not know how to set one up." This was… mortifying. I almost preferred trying to figure out how to reply to a disappointed Lady Edain. "So…"

"Then you must ask for help!" Lady Ethlyn suddenly grabbed my hands, squeezing tightly as she looked up at me with all the sincerity in the world. "Though, honestly, the soldiers should've offered. They must already know, after all."

"No, they do not." Why should they have offered even if they did? "I went to bed later and woke earlier than all but the watches."

"Then you camped without a tent?!" Lady Ethlyn could be terribly loud; her shrieks echoed off the trees. I could only hope most were too busy to hear. "I can understand when we moved from Genoa to Marpha, since you and Sigurd rushed off without anything, but it's many days between Evans and Genoa!"

"We traveled fast." I suppose there was a worry of illness, but the weather had been surprisingly nice.

"That is not the point!" She was getting even louder. At this rate, someone was going to come investigate and…

"Er… Lady Ethlyn, why are you yelling?" And there was Lord Oifeye, our investigator. It made sense for him to be the first to approach, given Lady Ethlyn was the source of the racket. "You're scaring the soldiers," he explained, frowning worriedly. He glanced between her and Lady Edain, clearing looking for some sort of answer. I wondered if I could escape unnoticed. Yes, Lady Ethlyn still held my hands, but her grip had loosened some. "Particularly the Verdanite ones. They say the spirits get angry and scared when there are loud noises. Whether or not you believe, it's best to be respectful, yes?"

"But Oifeye, how am I supposed to be calm?!" Lady Ethlyn immediately protested, whirling to face him. Surprisingly, though, she just as quickly wrapped her arms around mine to cling. No, there would be no escaping this time. "Lady Alicia camped without a tent on the way to Genoa!"

"She… huh?" Lord Oifeye had to blink a few times, far too stunned by the words. Was this truly worth such a fuss? "Do… do you prefer such, Lady Alicia? Were the tents too small? You have a great many books and medicines, so perhaps…"

"Since she does not know how to set one up, I do not think she had a chance to check," Lady Edain muttered, scowling. She crossed her arms and nodded a few times to herself. "Well, we cannot change the past, but we can rectify this now. Oifeye, can you fetch… I think Naoise is free right now? Fetch him and Arden." This was beyond mortifying at this point. Father Eirik and Elder Reisin both would've scolded me for causing such a ruckus. "With all of us, I think we can manage a tent."

They did, with far too much noise. I suppose it did not help I didn't even have a tent, so we had to steal one from the inventory. Then it was finding an open space. Sir Naoise and Sir Arden grumbled the entire time about 'too oblivious soldiers', for some reason. I hated making such trouble. Worse was how I could not help at all. I could only watch with Lady Edain while the others pitched my tent for me. She held onto my arm the whole time, perhaps to keep me from running away from embarrassment. I certainly wanted to, even though I knew it was improper for a healer to run away, but I didn't have the time. In a time that was both too long and too short, the tent was in place and declared 'sturdy' and I was thankfully left alone to 'settle in'. Well, I thought I was, but when I turned back to the entrance, I saw Lord Oifeye had lingered, studying a corner for some reason.

"It is a little small..." he mumbled to himself, eyes darting from corner to corner. It took me a second to realize he had taken that particular worry personally, and was now mentally measuring out everything. "I think there are larger ones in the inventory, so perhaps..."

"Lord Oifeye, it is fine," I reassured, hoping he would not actually snatch a different tent for me. This tent was actually larger than the room I had when I lived in the church, and the ground was no harder than a wooden floor. Truthfully, it was much too large for only me. "You fret too much."

"They say students will take after their teachers, so I guess it makes sense if I'm fretting as much as you do." He said the words without thinking, with all the absentminded honesty of saying the sky was blue. Still, they made me pause because it was only then I fully realized I… I had never taught anyone before Lord Oifeye. No one had wanted to learn from me. No one had thought I knew anything worth teaching. The closest was me catching someone else's mistake and correcting it. "Ah, speaking of which, can we have a lesson after dinner? I know it'll be harder without everything, but…"

"...Of course." I turned to smile at him. "We can go through my books, and talk more about when to use what medicines."

"That sounds amazing! I'll let Finn and Dew know!" With a grin and a laugh, he raced off to do just that.

I watched the tent flap flutter shut and shook my head before attempting to return to setting my things. There was so much room. I could set all my books without stacking, arrange all my medicines without worry for space. I could even set up all my medicine-making supplies in the corner. Why was there so much room? This was far too much for me. Maybe I should ask for a smaller one? I shouldn't be taking up so much space. It was wasted on me.

"Lady Alicia!" As I marveled at just how much room I had, Lord Shannan suddenly burst in, a little breathless but beaming. "Here!" he blurted, holding up a bouquet of flowers. "For you!"

"These are… for me?" I repeated slowly, taking them hesitantly. Why would he gather them for me? Were they medicinal? I did not recognize them.

"Yes!" Lord Shannan continued grinning. "Oh, I checked with Prince Jamke that these were safe to pick. The spirits here sound like the fairies in Isaach, so I didn't want to risk offending them. But they were so pretty! I had to get them for you!"

"You did?" He picked them for me because he thought them pretty? "I see." I couldn't help but soften, even as the gesture confused me. "Then I had best find some water for them." Later, I would press them, so I could keep them with me always. "Would you like to come with me?"

"Sure!" He seized my hand, the grip a little weak but otherwise certain. "There's a river not far, Lex showed me, so we just need to find something to use as a vase!"

Together, we found an empty jar no one had yet appropriated for use, and accompanied Sir Alec to the river. He was fetching water for cooking, and Lord Shannan... attempted to help carrying the various buckets. Between his size, and lack of strength, he did not truly do much, but Sir Alec praised him anyway, and I fussed over his reddened hands. So, by the time I returned to my tent, and set the vase of flowers safely in the far corner, it was time to get ready for dinner. Well, everyone else prepared for dinner. My plan was to study, as I always did. However...

"Ah, Lady Alicia?" However, Sir Midir soon appeared at my tent, smiling sheepishly. "Lady Edain tasked me with ensuring you made it to the group meal," he explained. I could only stare in surprise. "And I do fear I must insist. I've been worrying about your meals for a while now."

"You have?" I asked, mostly so I could stop staring like a fool. What was with today? It had been a long time since I felt so...

"Yes, you have never eaten at the same time as the rest of us and the cooks mention they have never seen you fetch so much as a snack for yourself." Why would I steal from the kitchens? "In fact, no one has seen you eat if they didn't bring you food themselves. It would be harder not to worry in that case."

"I assure you I am perfectly healthy." People were strange. I should simply accept this. "However, something tells me there is no convenient way to circumvent this order."

"Not a one."

"Then at let me fetch my books. I'm giving a lesson after dinner." I should at least use this time to study as well. I could not bear wasting time.

"Of course, my lady."

Sir Midir only allowed one; I had to sneak two more. It was completely bizarre, but at least I was able to tuck myself into a quiet spot during dinner itself. At least, it was quiet until Mister Dew found me, but that was mostly because Lord Oifeye, Lord Shanna, and Mister Finn soon joined him for the promised lesson. It was... a very strange night. I wouldn't complain, though.

Time had no meaning in the Spirit Forest. Logically, I knew it had only been two days since we entered, but it might as well have been yesterday or yesteryear for how it felt. According to Prince Jamke, we still had one more day's travel before we reached the other side. The return trip was certainly going to be interesting. Perhaps I might request warping via staff instead.

"I feel like I'm in Lady Ayra's tale," Sigurd noted softly, glancing around. I looked up at him curiously. After all, today, I rode with him. Azelle's horse might have pulled something earlier, stumbling over a hidden root, so it was better he not have a passenger until we were certain all was well. "Ah, right, you were handling that emergency with Mistress Yesui when she told Prince Jamke and me. He was describing the Spirit Forest, and she thought it sounded similar to a tale from Isaach."

"What was the tale?" I asked, glancing around for anyone who might also be curious. No one was near enough to join the conversation, though. Prince Jamke was far ahead, talking with scouts to ensure we remained on the 'safe path', while everyone else was very loosely grouped together. Mister Finn, with Lord Shannan as his passenger, was closest and both might have been curious, but they chatted with Lord Oifeye and Mister Dew, and whatever the topic, it was lighthearted enough to make all four smile, even as Mister Dew struggled to remain on the horse behind Lord Oifeye. I did not want to interrupt. "Do you remember it?"

"You should hear her tell it in full. She's a delightful storyteller." Was she? Perhaps she and Lex should tell stories to Lord Shannan together. I knew he'd enjoy it. "But she spoke of a village of fairies, where time passed much slower than it did outside. One year there was the equivalent of a hundred here. If one got lost and meandered there, then they could not return to the land of mortals. If they stepped foot outside, back in the mortal realm, the passing years would catching up, and they would instantly wither away."

"That's a rather fascinating concept." I supposed time held all in its grasp, and did not suffer anyone's manipulations. "Did she say where the village was?"

"Past Hestia's Castle. That's all their stories say. Hestia's Castle apparently marks the final 'safe place' for mortals, and... some other fairy whose name starts with an 'H' keeps them from wandering too far."

"Hekate?"

"Yes, that one." He grinned and I smiled back, even as I wondered how I remembered the name when he did not. "Though, Isaach supposedly does have a hidden village in the 'mortal realm', Od's birthplace."

"It is the birthplace of a Crusader, yet it is hidden?" That seemed... well, I certainly couldn't see that happening in Grannvale. "Is it hidden by their fairies?"

"I didn't ask that part. I should, though. She only said it was named 'Tirnanog', and lied far to the north." So, they knew it was to the north, knew the name even, and yet it was somehow still hidden? This story had far too many holes for my liking. "How are you holding up, Alicia? This has been quite a bit of riding."

"I am fine, Sigurd." My lower back ached some from the constant sitting, but there was nothing to be done about that. "Are you well? I believe you complained about the cold earlier today."

"Why do you think I stole you as my passenger of the day?" He grinned, showing he was joking, and ducked down to avoid a low-hanging branch. "You're a walking fire."

"It's the Fjalar blood. Arvis and Azelle also radiate a lot of heat." It remained so strange to say such a thing so openly. "I am surprised no one else snatched him as their own fire."

"We didn't want to interrupt your time to bond." Sigurd's grin softened to a smile and I found myself smiling back. "So... ah, Quan!" Hmm? Why was he...?

"Sigurd, what a surprise, I thought for sure you would be shivering still." Prince Quan came even with us then, expertly guiding his horse with the barest of movements. Sigurd must have seen him approach. "Did the ride warm you up?" he asked, laughing softly. It was almost like there was a joke behind the words, but I wasn't sure what.

"I don't need to hear that from you, Mister 'I have to wear six layers simply to survive Grannvelian winters'," Sigurd instantly retorted, rolling his eyes. He looked to me with a smile. "Leonster's weather is very mild, compared to Grannvale. Had to purchase him an entire winter wardrobe once because he was too stubborn to at least wear more layers and almost froze."

"I did not almost freeze." Prince Quan scoffed and Sigurd grinned. "But yes, our weather is milder. Its a reason why we have such a long harvest season. Sometimes, we're not quick enough and it rots on the vine. The animals enjoy it, though."

"Yes, which is why Leonster farmers have such trouble with the wildlife. As a certain prince knows first hand."

"Sigurd, it was you and Eldigan who thought it was a good idea to chase after the shadow." Prince Quan grimaced. "Still not sure how I was the one who had to run from the bear. I stayed back like a smart person."

"Eldigan and I climbed out of the way, of course, and it decided you were a much more convenient target once we were out of sight." Sigurd snickered and Prince Quan leaned over to whack his shoulder. "Regardless, yes, I am fine. Alicia's quite warm."

"Is she?" There was... definitely something to Prince Quan's smile there. I didn't know what, and a glance to Sigurd proved he was just as confused. This felt distressingly common lately. "Perhaps we should arrange for her and Edain to share. She can ride, after all, and dislikes the cold as much as you do."

"My friend, you would deny her the most perfect excuse to cuddle with Midir? So heartless! Are you jealous because you cannot ride with my adorable little sister?"

"Yes, and as such, I must hatch a dastardly plot to regain the hugs I am losing out on." Prince Quan groaned dramatically. "I miss my wife!"

"You two share a tent."

"That is besides the point, Sigurd! You'll understand when you're married. If you marry." Prince Quan sighed gustily. "At this rate, Eldigan is never going to be your best man."

"You sound like my father." Sigurd made a face. "Will you lecture me as well on how I need to marry for the good of Chalphy and all that nonsense?"

"You do need an heir. It's one of the responsibilities of nobility to ensure a smooth line of succession."

"Oifeye can take over. He'd certainly be better at it than I ever could." Sigurd grinned then. "Or I steal one of your kids, once Altenna gets a sibling or three."

"You can't kidnap my children!"

The two dissolved into clearly playful bickering, laughing far too much at each other for any sense of heat in the words. I let it wash over me and thought I might try to study. The horse's gait was smooth enough to read. Yet, even as I had the thought, despite the warmth of the chatter in my ear, a strange chill slowly settled into my very bones. It was like my blood itself was freezing. Unsettled and confused, I looked around wondering if something was wrong. Yet nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No one else had reacted... no, wait, that wasn't true. Though he was closer to the back of the group, with Lex and Lady Ayra, I could see Azelle looking around with a frown on his face, visibly disturbed by something. What was it, though? Why would both of us feel uneasy at the same time? Why only us two? That made little sense. It made even less sense the more I looked around and saw nothing unusual. All was as it should be... on the ground.

I do not know what made me look up. It was almost like a little voice in my ear screamed 'up, up'! Even then, through the thick branches and dense foliage, it was nearly impossible to see the swirling black mass of light blocking what little sunlight tried to make its way through. It was nearly impossible to see it swirl into the shape of a skull. It was nearly impossible to see the dark flames flickering and writhing like maggots within.

It was completely impossible to make a noise. I knew I should scream a warning of some kind, but my voice was frozen. It was like when Crown Prince Munnir took me hostage. Even though I knew I should scream, the memories of how no one had ever answered my screams with anything but a scoff kept me silent. But at least there was one thing different. I had the presence of mind to jerk Sigurd's sleeve, and he thankfully did not question anything. He simply looked up too and shouted a warning as soon as he saw what I saw. That, at least, made it so not everyone was hit when the 'skull's' jaw dropped and the spears of black light rained down.

It was random, as random and whimsical as the wind itself. One beam nearly hit Sigurd and me, but yanked his horse's reins to the side to urge it to dodge and then he rode ahead, wrapped protectively around me to minimize any chances of being it. I clung to his shirt with shaking hands, the screams of terror and pain echoing in my ears, my mind frozen. What was this? What was this?!

There were no answers. Even when Sigurd stopped and turned his horse to check on the others, there were none. All he and I could do was stare in horror as we watched it all unfold. It was... a nightmare. So many were hit, and they tumbled to the ground, screaming and sobbing. Of those who somehow escaped, through luck and luckier dodges, many were thrown because their horses were not so lucky. Others had to desperately maneuver so they did not trample the fallen. Still others ended up pinned by fallen branches and trees, because of course, the spears of light did not discriminate. All of our soldiers… they were…

"Prince Jamke..." Sigurd slowly began, his voice shaking. It took far too much presence of mind to turn and see Prince Jamke was now beside us, staring with wide, horrified eyes. "I don't suppose this is a defense you forgot to mention?"

"Not at all," Prince Jamke replied, his voice trembling just as much. Belatedly, I thought to look and see who else escaped as we had. Mister Finn and Lord Shannan had dismounted, with Mister Finn holding Lord Shannan tightly to keep him from seeing. Lord Oifeye stood next to them, holding both of their horses' reins with his eyes squeezed shut. Mister Dew had collapsed to the ground and covered his ears to block the screaming. Prince Quan... ah, he was with us too. He was just further ahead, his eyes darting this way and that. Was he... looking for the source? "I don't know..."

"Neither do I." Sigurd reached up to grip my hand still clinging to his shirt. I thought he might remove them, worried I was clinging too much, but he simply held my hand to ease their shaking. "Neither do I."

The rain of light stopped just as suddenly as it started and chaos erupted in its aftermath. So many were hurt; so many were dead and dying. An emergency infirmary was hastily set up, really a canvas propped up with some sticks and piles of blankets strewn about so we could get to work. A secondary one for all the other injured was pieced together nearby, but they were treated by their fellow soldiers. They had to be. The ones directly hit by the light... they held all of our attention. Lady Ethlyn, Lady Edain, and I... we could not afford to tend to anyone else, not when the effects were so terrifyingly abnormal and flabberghasting.

They were hit by magic. It was the only logical explanation for the spears of light. I knew this. I had seen this. Yet there were no injuries I expected from a magical assault. There were no burns, no frostbite. There were no gashes with particularly ragged edges, nor was there damage scattering from a single point. In fact, there were no injures save for bruising where some fell from their horses. Instead... instead, they gained fevers. They gained terrible, itchy rashes. They were wracked with a throbbing, aching pain, some with only headaches and others unable to twitch without whimpering. Some vomited a strange black substance. Some complained of sore throats. Some were unable to breathe. It was... an epidemic. Yet magic had struck them, I was certain of it.

I worked tirelessly, treating each symptom as best as I could, even as my mind whirled. What was this? What sort of thing was this? I didn't know. I didn't know, and there was nothing more terrifying. If I didn't know, then could I heal it? If I didn't know, could I save them? The questions weighed heavy on my heart, and the few times I caught Lady Edain's worried eyes or Lady Ethlyn's tearful ones, I knew they felt the same. But I... would not give up. There had to be something I could do. I could not give up just because I was afraid.

"What spirit did we anger for this?" one patient sobbed under my hands. They were one of the worst off, and already close to death. In truth, I probably should give them pain medicines and leave them for the next, but with so few clues on what this was, I... "Worse than when I broke my leg..." Their pain-muddled gaze met mine, and they reached up to grasp my hand. I had been reaching for my staff, but froze at the touch. "...Save the others, my lady... please..."

Two seconds later, their hand fell from mine. Two seconds after that, they breathed their last. I stared for a moment before pulling a blanket over their face, a quiet signal to the others that they had passed, and stepped away. Yet what they had said lingered, and not just the request. Their last complaint... I had heard such a symptom before. I had heard it once... no, twice. I had heard it twice before. This was the third time. That was too many to be a coincidence. I had to figure it out.

It took me some time. After all, there were many, many patients. There were many deaths. As soon as everything was stable, though, Lady Edain and Lady Ethlyn went to rest. Usually, I would remain in the infirmary anyway, too worried to simply leave. Today, though... today, I did not stay. Today, I left as well, changing and washing up in a little tent someone set up for me, with a wash basin and table, before finding spare pen and paper. The first step was to write down everything and...

"Lady Alicia?" Just as I began scribbling down each and every symptom our patients suffered, Mister Finn poked his head into my little tent. "Are you well?" he asked softly, and I could see he was worried. Why wouldn't he be? I rarely left the infirmary. "You were..."

"Am I needed?" I asked softly, not sure how to answer. Truthfully, I could simply be finding a connection without meaning. No, worse, I could simply be hoping for one. But it would not let me be. "Do we have more wounded?"

"No, there are no new ones." He watched me for a moment longer and then looked me right in the eye. There were no questions, no hesitations. "Do you need help?"

"...Can you fetch my bag for me?" Wait. Usually, when I requested such, it was for my medicine bag, not… "I mean my other bag, with my books. I do not know where my things are." I had left them with Sigurd when I rushed to the infirmary, taking only my medicines and staves.

"I'll be right back."

He was. It felt like I had just finished writing everything down before he returned with my bag. He helped me pull everything out, and then stood guard at the entrance. He would tell me if something changed outside, so I could focus solely on this. So I could focus on going through every single book, every scrap of notes I had taken, to find just what I was looking for. It took longer than I liked. I had so many books, and so many notes, and in this case, I was looking for a single needle of words in a haystack of ink. But I wouldn't give up. I couldn't. Ignoring my own ideals, that patient's last request... I would honor it. Somehow or another, I would. So I kept hunting, kept reading, and eventually, I found it. I found it, and realized why it had settle so uneasily in my heart.

These symptoms... matched the plague which had hit Evans last year.

"Lady Alicia?" Mister Finn called to me again, this time because he had noticed my pause. "Did you find what you were looking for?" he asked softly. I nodded slowly, comparing the lists to be absolutely certain. Each one matched perfectly. No wonder no medicine had been effective. It had been no 'plague' at all. The variance in symptoms, though… was it due to resistance to magic? Was there another factor? What sort of spell was this anyway? "Do you want me to fetch anyone?"

"...Might you let Prince Jamke know I wish to speak with him?" If I was right, then I absolutely needed to inform him. If for no other reason than to give him answers, I had to. "I will find Sigurd after checking on the patients. He will need to hear this theory too."

"Of course."

"And Mister Finn?" I hesitantly looked over at him, and saw him tilt his head. "Thank you."

"For…?" He looked honestly confused. "I knew whatever you were working on was important. Why would I not help?"

"I suppose…" I could not think of how to word my thoughts. "I suppose I am thanking you for trusting me."

"Of course. I trust you completely." His eyes shone with sincerity, his expression surprisingly similar to Sigurd's. "Your work ethic and devotion to your duties and ideals is inspiring, Lady Alicia. I greatly admire you for it." He paused suddenly and became surprisingly sheepish. "That sounded different in my head. Um…"

"Hmm?" Now what had him embarrassed? "Ah, we are going to talk in circles at this rate."

"True, so I shall find Prince Jamke. Should I inform anyone else?"

"No, please, just tell him for now. I want to keep this quiet until I have their opinions first." With that said, though, I looked back at the list. I looked back at the notes Evans's previous doctor had made, their meticulous notes of every medicine they had tried and how none had been effective. With all of them eliminated, and with my current knowledge, then the only medicines left to try were... "However, once you have found him, might you tell Lady Edain and Lady Ethlyn to treat this as a poison and administer antidotes?" The only ones left to try were antidotes. Would they finally have an effect?

"Of course." He frowned slightly, though. "Do we have enough for all of them?"

"Thankfully, Lord Oifeye gave me fresh ygg venom glands when we were in Evans, and we have had very few cases of poisons, so there is quite the stockpile."

"And we have them here?"

"Yes." Truthfully, I had brought most of what we had. Of course, I had brought it in case Sandima had resorted to poisons, but if it saved our soldiers now...

"Then I will tell them at once." He smiled brightly. "It shouldn't take long. I know where Lady Ethlyn was, and if she's not still there, I can just follow her yelling at Lord Quan because he refuses to have his wounds checked again." The surprisingly light words startled a laugh out of me, one I quickly muffled, and his smile grew. "Until later, Lady Alicia."

I made a point to wave him goodbye before neatly stacking my notes, weighing them down with my pen to ensure the wind did not blow them away. Once I was certain, I checked on the patients one more time, to make sure nothing unexpected occurred, and then walked as briskly as I could through the camp to find Sigurd. He was… surprisingly hard to find. I had reached the edge of our hastily set up camp before I caught even a glimpse, and even then, I had barely blinked before he was gone, as he had walked out of the camp and into the woods. Without thinking, I chased after him, hoping to catch him before either of us went too far. It… didn't work. He walked quite fast. I had to run to catch up, and I could hear Father Eirik scolding me for it. I suppose I could have called out, but the thought did not occur to me until much later. No one had ever heard my yells, so why would they now? Eventually, though, I finally did catch up and I snagged his sleeve. He jerked and whirled, startled. He even had one hand up as if to strike. But he softened quickly when he realized it was just me. I was more pleased he stopped and I could finally catch my breath.

"Alicia, what are you doing here?" he asked, searching through his pockets for something. He pulled out a handkerchief and passed it too me, letting me wipe the sweat off my face. "Did Quan send you after me?"

"No?" I replied, doing my best to not sound breathless. I needed to be calm. A healer must always be calm. This was much more difficult when my legs keened and my lungs burned, and was not helped when I realized just what had happened. "Why would he?"

"He and I... we had an argument." Sigurd shrugged helplessly. I tried to think if I had ever heard of such a thing. "Well, it's not an argument by most people's standards. Just ours. Both of us misspoke, so I walked away to cool my head before I did something even more foolish."

"Would this theoretical foolishness be less or more compared to wandering into the Spirit Forest, off the path, without a guide?" A healer must always be calm and bite back dryness. Sadly, I only succeeded in feigning the former. "I fear I did not mark the path. I was too busy trying to keep you in sight."

"...Ah." Sigurd looked around, as if truly noticing for the first time just where we had walked. I wondered if he saw anything; I could barely see my hand in front of my face. It was very dark, and surprisingly cold, like no light ever reached here. "Well, actually, this seems like just the sort of foolishness I was trying to avoid."

So, we had the leader of the army and his chief healer lost in the shadows of a forest infamous for how many entered and never returned. Oh dear.

Finn

Class: Lance Knight

Skills: Pursuit, Miracle

Holy Blood: None

A commoner by birth who was orphaned in the 'not-wars' with Thracia, he is Prince Quan's squire, and is noted to having a 'knight's heart' that is sincere and resolute in equal measure. He's well-known for his terrible tendency to overwork, as he is well aware of how unusual his circumstances are. After all, the heirs of Leonster do not normally take squires, and it is unheard of for a squire, or knight, to be of common birth.

As a squire, he has many things to learn, and he takes to his lessons quickly. His greatest strength is his uncanny ability to dodge what should be lethal blows, and his ability to strike quickly and efficiently. The result is a knight who will surpass all others, if he has time to gain experience. His seriousness can lead him to not see through ruses, though.

Despite his polite and serious mien, he has little idea how to actually interact with people. In the church, he stayed apart from the other children, and as a soldier, then squire, he devoted himself to his studies and only has two friends: Glade and Selphina. Though given the friendliness of the army, he's rapidly learning how to be social. The other knights refuse to let him be alone for long.

Chapter Text

Interlude – Girl of the Spirit Forest

The campaign pushes forward, this time through the Spirit Forest to reach Castle Verdane itself. At least, that had been the plan. While we actually traveled through the dense trees, we were struck with a terrible magic, one that defied all comprehension. What sort of magic sparks an epidemic, not once but thrice? Given what happened in Evans, how did it spread? It was hard to say, and when I tried to tell Sigurd of the connection, we ended up lost in the Spirit Forest where all who enter never leave.

This wouldn't have happened if I had called out. It's my fault.

Sigurd and I did try to retrace our steps. After all, there were some broken branches and crushed leaves which may have marked our path. However, it was futile. It was too dark; we could barely tell up from down. It felt like we were going in circles. So, we decided to stay put until there was a little more light, and neither of us spoke aloud our fear no light would ever reach us.

"Here, it's quite cold," Sigurd murmured, tucking his cape around me. After coming to our decision, we wandered just enough to find reasonable shelter, the hollow of a tree with the most fascinating moss growing inside. I wondered if there was anything about it in my notes. "Let's see... should we risk a fire? I could maybe clear enough debris? Then again, I don't have my firestarter..."

"Sigurd, I don't think that is necessary," I replied, tearing my attention from the moss. He was frowning; he wasn't suited for frowns. "I certainly have no appetite right now, and if it is for warmth..." I held up my arm so there was space underneath his cape. "You did say I am a walking fire."

"That is true." He scrutinized the hollow, no doubt wondering if there was room for us both. "Well, we'll try it, at least." He plopped down beside me, and the two of us shifted around so we were both semi-comfortably under his cape and secure in the hollow. "Reminds me of when I'd hide under tables after Eldigan accidentally started a barfight."

"You say that as if he does it often." I knew he only said it to take our minds off the current situation, including how the hollow was barely big enough for both of us. We only managed it by sitting with our shoulders pressed together and our knees to our chest. Well, I had both knees to my chest, with my arms resting on them. He had opted to stretch one leg out to keep from feeling so scrunched.

"Not quite as much as he did in our Academy days, but it's almost as regular as the tides. We'd walk in, someone would comment on his pretty face, he'd retort something without thinking, and the next thing I know, everyone's fighting."

"Somehow, I doubt you were under the table for long, if Lord Eldigan was in the middle of everything."

"I'd drag him with me, of course. Usually how he avoided the first punch. Then we'd hide as Quan found an escape route, usually with Eldigan trying to figure out what he said this time." Though he said it with good humor, I could see the faint grimace towards the end, and remembered just why he had even walked away from camp.

"May I ask about the argument?" I watched as he stiffened. "You do not have to, of course."

"No, but I owe you for getting you in this mess." He owed me nothing. He'd never owe me anything. "As I said, by most people's standards, it wouldn't count as an argument. Both of us simply misspoke about..." This time he winced, his head dropping. "Logically, I know I did what needed to be done. When the light fell, there was nothing I could do. It took every drop of skill I had to keep you safe. But..." He sighed and his hand fell in the tiny space between us to dig into the soil. "But in my heart, I feel like I ran away. I feel like I abandoned them."

"Ah." I could thread the tapestry from there. Lord Quan, no doubt, had tried to assuage his friend's guilt, leaning towards pragmatism. But Sigurd, surrounded by all the injured and feeling all too helpless, did not want to hear such pragmatism. All it did was hurt his heart more. Lord Quan would have realized it too and let him walk away to cool his head, until he could hear such things without the words feeling like daggers. That was why he was alone. "I know nothing I say would assuage the guilt you feel." I wished there was, but if Lord Quan couldn't, then I certainly could not. "So, instead, let me simply say this." I reached down and gently pried his fingers from the dirt to hold. "Thank you, for protecting me."

"...Always." His thankful smile gave the word more weight than most would think, even if he changed the subject. "So, since we're asking questions, may I ask why you followed? You said Quan didn't send you."

"Why would he anyway?"

"Probably to try and make sure I didn't do something stupid." He flashed a grin and I ducked my head to hide my smile. "A shame you weren't quick enough."

"To be fair, I do not think he expected you to walk into the forest."

"Point taken. But may I ask?"

"It is nothing immediately important." I thought of my theory and my last instructions to Mister Finn. Would the antidotes work as I hoped? "There was simply a theory I wanted to share about the attack. It serves no purpose out here." Furthermore, without the notes, would he believe me? It was simply too bizarre.

"All the more reason to somehow find our way back, when we can." He might have said 'when', but the 'if' loomed over us. "This is going to be quite the uncomfortable night. Did you really camp without a tent?"

"Please tell me that hasn't spread to every corner of the army."

"Naoise was most unhappy to hear of your struggles. Not to mention Oifeye kept fretting over the size of the tents." So, that was a 'yes', then. "Why did you not say something? Even if the soldiers should have noticed, and they really should've, was it not uncomfortable?"

"I didn't want to bother."

"You can never be a bother." He playfully made a face. "In fact, you could stand to 'bother' others more often!" The thought made me queasy. "Ah, you are far too used to doing things alone and hiding."

"...I do not hide." That had to be the worst lie I had ever told in my entire life.

Sigurd's wry smile hinted he knew it. "During the first wave of refugees, back in Genoa, you hid in your storeroom to cry." The words were soft, but they made me freeze. How had he...? "It makes me wonder when else you've hidden."

"Sigurd, I fear I must ask why you know." No one had said anything that day. No one had even noticed my brief absence and I knew how to hide any sign of tears. So, how had he known?

"Simple. I saw." His smile became a little sheepish. I could only stare. "I had gone to check on you. I knew it was a lot, and I had to do something. I was going mad, too aware of how my efforts to find a peaceful solution led to such losses."

"It did not." I truly had no filter around this man sometimes. "Prince Munnir was responsible for his own cruel decisions. He would have done something similar if you had marched, and he would have blamed you for it just the same."

"Quan said the same." Yet it was easy to hear the guilt in his words. I knew, like before, there was nothing I could do to ease it. It was a guilt born from how kind he was, after all, and was akin to the guilt I felt when I could not save a patient. "So, I went to check on you. When I couldn't find you in the room, I headed to the storeroom to see if you were fetching medicines." Thus, he had seen me crying.

"You didn't say anything?"

"I thought about it, but I feared you would feel ashamed of them." He reached up to tap my cheek with his free hand. I still held the other. "I did not want that. Tears are nothing to be shameful over. But you are very responsible, very devoted to your duties, and you take great pains to always appear calm no matter the circumstances." He said the words with simple sincerity, and I was reminded of what Mister Finn said earlier. "If you knew I was there, you would have scolded yourself for them."

"...I have to be calm." I couldn't exactly refute his assumption, so I fell into explanations instead. "You know who my father was."

"Last I checked, your name was Alicia, not Victor." Sigurd frowned now, but I knew it was not at me. "You are not your father."

"Blood will always tell, Sigurd." How many times had Father Eirik said that? When I... when I was little, I would shout back, but it only got me scoffs and lectures. It had only served as proof.

"Even if that is the case, and I do not believe it is, why would you necessarily take only after him? Why would you not take after your mother?" He was blindingly sincere and earnest with the words, yet they did not make me feel better. Worse, though, I did not know how to explain... "...Ah. Wait, given what you've told me, you might have complex feelings about her. How long were you in Yngvi again?"

"I was a year old when she abandoned me."

"Yeah, there... might be complicated things there." He looked so fretful now; I could not quite bite back a laugh. "Well, I was trying to cheer you up, so I'll take the victory. Even if I talked myself into a hole there." Now I definitely couldn't bite back my laughter. "Can't even remember the point I had to the whole topic."

"You were fretting over how much I hide." He was... so ridiculous. "I... used to cry a lot, when I was younger."

"Did you?"

"Yes." I had cried over everything. I had cried because I was lonely, cried because I was cold. I would cry after lectures, and cry when a request for hugs was denied. "Eventually, I stopped. It just made everything more miserable." It only emphasized how little everyone cared. "So, I appreciate the discretion."

"It's an odd thing to thank someone for." Perhaps, but I did it anyway. "Ah, but now I definitely remember what led to this. As I said, you could stand to bother..." All at once, he stiffened and shifted to crouch in front of me.

At first, I was confused, but eventually, I realized there was a noise. It was terribly soft, but steadily growing louder, meaning the source was coming towards us. Sigurd intended on protecting me again, but I worried how much of a liability I would be. I could not fight, and no matter Mister Finn's comments during the fire, I doubted I could run fast in these conditions. I did not even have my staff to heal any injuries. So, all I could do was hope he would not have to defend me. To my surprise, that hope was answered. After all, the source of the noise turned out to be someone we knew.

"Huh? Sigurd? Alicia?" Deirdre called, just as startled by our appearance as we were by hers. Her eyes were wider than plates, and it took her a moment to think of freeing her hair from a nearby shrubbery. For our part, Sigurd and I only stared back. "I... what are you two...?"

"That is... a story?" I answered slowly, mind spinning from the sudden whiplash. I couldn't handle this; I had to lean my head against Sigurd's back to keep from feeling dizzy. "That is quite the story?"

"Is it? May I... oh, wait." All at once, she blushed. "S-sorry, I interrupted, didn't I?"

"Interrupted?" Sigurd repeated, taking control of the conversation. I was glad as my mind was whirling a little too much by now to speak. "Interrupted what?"

"I... well..." Poor Deirdre stammered, her face turning redder than an apple. The blush went from the tips of her ears, to the back of her neck. "You two seem to be in a... private moment?"

"Private moment?"

"Yes, um..." Somehow, her blush grew darker. I worried she might faint. "I... I've read that couples sometimes... um..."

"...Couple?" Sigurd glanced at me, frowning in confusion. I could only lift my head to stare back, just as bewildered. I shouldn't leave my infirmary. I kept stumbling into weird situations when I did. "You think... Alicia and I... are a couple?"

"Yes?" Her voice was so squeaky at this point. "Aren't you?"

"I... that..." Sigurd struggled to retain his composure, and I knew I tried the same. Yet, because we were both terrible people, we failed miserably, and started laughing so hard we had to lean against each other. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! No offense, Alicia!" I struggled to reply, but only managed to shake my head to reassure him as I was laughing too much.

I had never laughed so hard in my life. Who thought such nonsense anyway?

Sigurd and I both laughed until we were just as red in the face as Deirdre, to her complete confusion. But somehow through the guffawing, we managed to explain that no, we had not snuck off for some romantic rendezvous, but were in fact lost. She then kindly offered to escort us to a nearby lake, since it would be much more comfortable than a tree hollow lined with pretty moss. She was right, of course. Not only did we get pieces of star and moonlight thanks to an opening in the treeline and a beautiful view of a lake sparkling like silver, but it wasn't nearly as cold here as it was amidst the trees. The grass by the shore was surprisingly soft and dry, and a rock formation jutting slightly over the lake made for comfortable seating. In fact, one could easily sit on the edge and let their feet dangle in the water. I knew this because I became very curious while Sigurd and Deirdre 'argued'. For some reason, she remained very, very convinced the two of us were a couple.

"But surely you are!" she protested, hands on the ground as she leaned forward insistently. I glanced back and saw Sigurd looked equal parts bemused and confused. "The market gossip was full of how lovely you looked together!"

"Is that why they kept sighing and giggling?" Sigurd asked, shaking his head. He looked over at me, perhaps seeking assistance, and I shrugged, more focused on sending ripples across the lake's surface. I remained as confused as before; I had no idea why anyone would think such. "I thought it was because Shannan is adorable. Or they were envious of Alicia's poise and developed crushes on her." I maintained, even with this, they had been infatuated with Sigurd, not me. "She's very beautiful, after all."

"She is, but that is not the point!" Deirdre frowned, petulant. Absently, I noticed she was almost close enough to Sigurd to touch noses. "The ones who were in the castle would share how often you checked on her!"

"Is it weird to check on friends in Verdane?"

"And the two of you spent your mornings together in your office!"

"Ignoring how it started because she reported which soldiers could march, is it weird to spend time with a friend?"

"While making a tea she mixed up just for you?" Did... did that seriously make it to the gossips?

"She's got personal mixes for her brothers, my little sister, her little brother's best friends, and was working on one for my brother-by-marriage." Sigurd glanced over at me again, this time in clear help. "Did I miss anyone?"

"No, you did not," I replied, swinging around to face them at last. I slipped my shoes back on as I did, not wanting to lose them. I did not have another pair. "Besides, the tea may be personalized, but they're medicinal as well."

"Right, I think you said something like that," Sigurd murmured, thinking. Deirdre still looked skeptical. "Preventatives, was it?"

"Yes. Your mix is actually very similar to Arvis's." I had no idea anyone knew about it. Who would have told? It wasn't very interesting. "What it sounds to me is the soldiers had too much time on their hands and decided to make stories from innocuous events."

"That and probably my reputation exacerbating the issue." Ah, now that he mentioned it, it likely was. Sigurd was infamous for not showing interest in anyone romantically, and truthfully, not being close to many women at all. Of those few women, his interest was strictly platonic. Therefore, when he appeared to show 'interest' in a woman who was not a childhood friend nor his sister, the gossips speculated he 'had' to be romantically interested in her. When thought in those terms, it was terribly easy to see the conclusion. "So, I suppose I should apologize."

"If I require an apology, I believe I would ask it from those who made assumptions." I frowned a little, remembering the very odd looks and smiles we had received these past few weeks. "Do you think this is why Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain kept insisting I ride with you?"

"I would hope they know me better!" Despite the words, he sighed gustily. "Then again, they both tend to be on the romantic side and I suppose there's something story-like of a knight and healer."

"So I have heard, but as I believe I told Mister Dew before, my occupation is nowhere near as romantic as stories like to portray."

"Wait, why did that come up?"

"Some believed Azelle's insistence on spending time with me was due to romantic inclinations." That was still awkward to think about. He was my little brother.

"People have too much time on their hands sometimes." Shaking his head, he turned back to Deirdre with a smile. "I know of no other way to tell you we're not a couple, Deirdre. But we're very not." I still found it laughable, personally.

"Th-then what are you two doing in the woods alone?" Deirdre stammered, red in the face yet again. She quickly sat back on her heels, putting some distance between her and Sigurd once more. Perhaps she had only just realized how close she'd been. "Is that not suspicious?" Honestly, at this point, I wondered why she was so fixated with the topic.

"We got lost," Sigurd reminded her easily. He was all back to smiles, and he looked happier than I'd seen in a few days. "I swore I told you this."

"You were on the main road, though! Prince Jamke was leading you! How did you get lost?"

"Wait, how do you know that?" Sigurd tilted his head, and Deirdre immediately looked away sheepishly. My eyes darted to her hair, noting the beautiful silver once more. "The first is an easy guess, but I didn't think Prince Jamke's joining had spread this far yet."

"W-well..."

"Ah, you're the flash of silver I saw the first day," I murmured, piecing it together. Deirdre squeaked and flailed backwards, thankfully landing on the ground. Sigurd quickly muffled a laugh. "I thought I saw something. It was right before I told Azelle, Lex, and Lady Ayra about how Arvis got lost in the woods."

"Which the rest of us eagerly listened to because it was hilarious," Sigurd snickered, grinning. I could only shake my head, as I hadn't realized the eavesdroppers until Lady Edain asked a question about it. "So, have you been following us, Deirdre?"

"It would explain how she so conveniently found us."

"That it would."

"I... w-well, yes, I was following you..." Deirdre finally mumbled, looking away. She was red to her ears again. "My intention had been to sneak back to Marpha to see y... see if everyone was well." She very much swallowed a word or three there. "But I saw you all, so I... um..." She had traveled near, no doubt because she had to go this way anyway to return home. "I wandered away because we're close to my village, but I headed back when the spirits started screaming. I worried something had happened. Did it?"

"I am not sure if it's why the spirits screamed, but yes, something did happen," I answered. I did my best to sit properly, but found myself drooping anyway at the memory. "We were attacked by a strange magic. A black skull appeared above us, and light rained down. The symptoms, however, appeared like a plague."

"A spell that causes plague?" Yes, when she said it like that, it truly sounded ridiculous. Yet it was- "It sounds like the Poison spell." Deirdre brought her hand up to her mouth as she thought, and that let her conveniently ignore the surprised looks Sigurd and I were giving her. "The light raining down sounds more like Fenrir, but then again, Poison is its sister-spell. While Fenrir was designed to lay siege, Poison infects and corrodes. I know those people have it; they used it recently. That poor couple..." Now who was she... wait...

"Ah, the silver spirit Altan mentioned was you, wasn't it?" I smiled, feeling almost silly for not realizing it sooner. "He said one led him to Erdene and his wife."

"Were those their names? I never learned. I just knew the couple needed help." She looked down, her hands twisting in her skirts. "Did... did either make it?"

"His wife perished, sadly. But Erdene survived. He ended up conscripted and near death afterwards, but he recovers in our infirmary in Marpha."

"I see." Though her hair veiled most of her face, I still saw her faint smile. "I'm so glad... one survived."

"Pardon, but before we travel down this conversation further, do you mind if I return to the previous topic?" Sigurd asked, frowning slightly. Deirdre nodded and forced herself to look up. "Ignoring the 'those people' part of what you said, what were the spells you mentioned? I don't think I've heard of either." He... was right. I did not recognize them either, and I actually knew the names of most spells thanks to Arvis. Grannvale was home to many magic users, after all, and there were even academies devoted to magical theory. Only Silesse could rival Grannvale when it came to magic, and even then, it was only with wind.

"I would be surprised if you did. They're dark magic," Deirdre answered easily, careful to speak softly. The words hit hard anyway. 'Dark magic'... that was the primary weapon of the Loptrians in the stories. Only they could wield them. Only they knew how. "I had to study it, so I would know if any of Loptr's people came to the forest."

"Why would they?"

"That..." Deirdre fell silent, noticeably uncomfortable. But before either of us could reassure her she did not have to answer, she nodded to herself and took off her right sandal. Then she twisted so we could see the bottom of her foot, and the surprisingly dark red mark there.

"Oh, were you injured?" I asked, leaning forward without thinking. I barely had a thought in my head aside from 'if it is that dark, it must hurt', as if I did, I would realize the question did not fit the flow of the conversation. "Here, let me look..." But when I touched the mark, to check for scabbing and lumps, I felt a spark of power buzz all the way up my arm. It even made my teeth hurt. "Wait, is this... a Holy Mark?"

"I've never seen one so small," Sigurd commented, leaning over my shoulder. Deirdre, for her part, remained silent and kept her head down. "A red Holy Mark... another with Fjalar's blood, then?"

"...No..." I frowned, studying the color of the Mark. It was... most would assume what Sigurd did. It was a vibrant red, like Fjalar's own Holy Marks, and it was even the same shade of vivid crimson as the famous 'Fjalar-red' hair and eyes common to the Velthomer region. But I… I knew the color of Fjalar's Holy Marks intimately. I had spent hours upon hours studying it in the past, wishing and hoping it might miraculously disappear and I would no longer be a living chain on Arvis. So, I knew, knew, the color of Deirdre's Holy Mark was close, but not the same.

As soon as the thought bubbled into my head, I pushed my sleeve and undid the bandage on my right arm to reveal my own Holy Mark. Sigurd made some noise in surprise, but I ignored him. Instead, I held my arm, my Mark, next to Deirdre's to directly compare the colors. It only confirmed my conclusion. The difference was slight, but it was noticeable. Both were red, but Fjalar's leaned a little more towards 'orange' and Deirdre's leaned a little more towards 'crimson'. They were distinct. They were different, and everyone knew each Holy blood had its own corresponding color. This was not Fjalar's. This was not any of the known Holy Bloods. No other Holy Blood had red colored Marks.

"...There are, in truth, thirteen Holy Bloods," Deirdre finally whispered, realizing the conclusion Sigurd and I had reached. I knew he had. I looked up and saw his wide eyes staring at my Mark and hers. "If one can call one of them 'Holy'. But Loptous also gave His blood, and I... am one of those descendants."

"The stories say the last Emperor of the Loptrian Empire, the last Gair, died without siblings or children," Sigurd replied slowly. I tried to figure out how we ended up in this situation in the first place as I wrapped my arm once again to hide my Mark. This was beyond bizarre. "Was there a convenient survivor? A child erased from history?"

"No..." Deirdre shook her head, still looking down. "Years before the Miracle of Darna, before the rebellion which became the Holy War, another raised their own rebel flag. A member of the Imperial Family."

"Saint Maera, I remember. He's credited with saving many, despite his rebellion's ultimate failure, and his followers continued to protect the empire's citizens for many years to come. Both Heim and Bragi counted themselves among his disciples." Sigurd paused, a light of recognition in his eyes. "Ah, but of course, he had the Blood as well. Minor to the emperor's Major."

"Yes." Thus, it eventually was inherited by Deirdre? "If Prince Jamke is with you, then you no doubt know of Sandima. He and his ilk came to Verdane to look for me."

"He is? They are?"

"Yes." She closed her eyes for a moment before continuing. "All I know comes from the old woman who took care of me, and even then, it's only what she whispered on her deathbed. Somewhere in this world, there lies an ancient order dedicated to the ancient dark god, Loptuous, and they will seek to use my blood to resurrect their once-fallen god." She lifted her head but did not look at either of us. Instead, she looked at the trees gently swaying in the wind. "That is why Saint Maera, and all his descendants, hid here, deep in the Spirit Forest where all others are lost. They must never find us. They must never find me."

"Is this... why you ran before?"

"Yes." She smiled bitterly. "I am one who will bring catastrophe. I am not allowed to meet people. Sneaking even to Marpha takes weeks of planning. I cannot bring such trouble on you two. You're both so nice."

"...While I am glad to hear it is not because I offended you, I have to say I am skeptical of this..." Sigurd frowned, no doubt struggling for his words. "Not of the blood, of course, or of other people's plans. Of course, I have to wonder if they'd even have such goals if the continent didn't hunt them like animals."

"You..." The bitter smile dropped for surprise. "I know of the Hunts. Verdane hosts them regularly." How ironic was it, then, that one of Loptuous's own blood hid in their forests for decades? "I have heard Grannvale is particularly... zealot about them."

"Most territories are, but Chalphy and Yngvi haven't hosted one in..." Sigurd paused, mentally calculating. "Actually, I believe Chalphy has only had one, in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Third Princess Rinda at Crusader Bragi's funeral." Crusader Bragi had been the last of the Twelve Crusaders to die, so emotions had already been high. Even I knew of the bloodbath which followed the death of the little princess. She had only been two at the time, and nothing moved people faster than the death of a child. "Regardless, I was always taught they're immoral, a stain on the Crusaders' legacy. They never sanctioned any Hunts, after all."

"I... I see..." A sweet little smile bloomed onto Deirdre's face. "I should have guessed you thought that way. That's why I..." But all too soon, that smile withered. "I'm not allowed to love. I'm not." ...Wait, was she saying... what I thought she was saying? Because I could only think of one way that sentence made sense in context.

"Deirdre..." Sigurd leaned forward and, very carefully, rested his hand on hers. "I feel the same."

"You shouldn't."

"I do."

'You really shouldn't."

"That doesn't change that I do." He smiled a little helplessly and shifted just a little closer. I found myself staring, slowly piecing things together. "I have thought of you every day since I last saw you."

"I... I have thought of you as well." A faint blush crept onto Deirdre's face. I was mentally scrambling to figure out how we got from 'a' to 'b' in this conversation. Did I miss something? Maybe I missed something. "I tried not to. I tried to forget. Love may have found me still, but..." I definitely must have missed something.

"I understand you're afraid of what your destiny might bring, but living in fear serves nothing." Sigurd ducked his head a little to look her in the eye. "I will protect you. Come what may, I will. So, will you come with me? Since you feel the same as I do?"

"I..." She leaned towards him, almost unconsciously, though she still looked hesitant. Yet she looked at him so softly...

This was... very odd. I may have little to no experience with relationships, only what little I knew from gossip and observation, but I was still reasonably certain this was odd. They had only met once before. At my most charitable estimation of time, said first and only meeting was a few weeks ago. Was this a common thing for relationships? I somehow doubted this. ...But, again, I knew very little. It would not be the first time I was wrong. People were strange. Did not everyone in this army prove that statement? It was far better to focus on what I did know and what I thought of Deirdre's situation. Someone else could handle the relationship part, if it needed to be handled at all.

"Personally, I think you're being used as a scapegoat," I finally said, focusing Deirdre and Sigurd once more. Both seemed startled; perhaps they had forgotten I was here. "Ah, my apologies for interrupting. When my thoughts wandered, you two were debating in circles. Was that not still the case?"

"No, it was," Sigurd confirmed with a rueful smile. Deirdre's was far more timid. "May I ask you to repeat yourself? I think I caught something about a goat?"

"Scapegoat. I think Deirdre is being used as a scapegoat because of her heritage." It was... the more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed to me. It was the same reasoning behind the Hunts, only coached in nicer, more polite language. "She is a convenient target, and there may be some truth to what she was told." Though how a fallen god somehow returned, I had absolutely no idea. It sounded more like a theological discussion than anything. "Regardless of whether it is true or not, however, Sandima is already here. He's already close. You're in danger no matter what. You might as well leave with the one person in Jugdral who would protect you, no matter your heritage."

"Along with the healer who will treat you no matter what." Sigurd grinned at me, clearly teasing, and I smiled and shrugged. He wasn't wrong, and I knew he brought it up because I would protect her in my own way for that reason. "So, Deirdre?" Sigurd offered his hand. "Will you?" Deirdre still hesitated. "I won't force. But I do think Alicia is right. She usually is."

"I am not?" I gave him a weird look, which he shrugged off. "Regardless, Deirdre, you should do what you want, and not simply what you think everyone else wants." I looked back to her with a smile. "If you want time to think, please say so. I can remind a certain lord of his manners."

"Oh, will you shove me into the lake here? Sounds like something Ethlyn would do."

"I doubt I could." The thought made me uneasy, truthfully. "Though, if that is the recommended cure for rudeness, then perhaps I could try?"

"If you do, I'm dragging you with me."

"Please don't. I can't swim." I might have said more, or perhaps he might have, but Deirdre suddenly began snickering at us, so my attention returned to her. "Ah, I suppose we should be quiet and let you think, shouldn't we? I'm sorry, Deirdre."

"You know... I never heard my name so many times before today..." Deirdre managed through her barely suppressed laughter. I tried not to wince at how much my heart hurt, because I knew what that was like. "And I... I do want to be with you, Sigurd..." She brought her hand up to take his still-outstretched one, though she stopped just before. Her fingers trembled over his palm. "But I..."

"If you and I feel the same, Deirdre, then we have nothing to fear," Sigurd replied softly, smiling so sweetly. That seemed to give Deirdre the last courage she needed to take his hand at last. He kissed it and then raised it to his forehead, as if in worship or prayer. "If this love is a crime, then I will shoulder all the punishment and never shall I regret it."

"My lord..." Deirdre's eyes shimmered with tears, but she smiled brilliantly. "Thank you..." Now, if I were anyone else, I might have let the touching moment last a little longer. However, I was not, so I didn't.

"Well, if you're going to be coming with you, you'll need your things," I declared firmly, pushing myself up. I busied myself with dusting off my skirts to give them time to recover from my rudely jarring them out of their reverie. "We had best do this quickly lest you are discovered."

"That does sound like a good idea," Sigurd agreed, making to stand as well. He stilled when I shook my head. "Hmm?"

"You're staying here."

"Huh?"

"You are staying here." I repeated the words firmly, and Sigurd immediately adopted the look of a child trying to charm their way into a sweet. "I am easier to explain away than you."

"I suppose..." Still, he sulked and turned his pitiful gaze to Deirdre. She promptly giggled, though she covered her mouth to try and muffle it. "Well, I know better than to try and win an argument against you, Alicia, so simply promise to be careful. Both of you."

"I will ensure your fiancé returns in one piece, Lord Sigurd."

"Wait, you're not calling me by title again, are you?" Now he was playfully scowling at me. "No, no, I told you. We're conspirators too much! This is the third... or is it fourth? You and Edain did recruit Jamke together."

"I was a third-party to your conspiracy with Lady Edain."

"It counts, so fourth."

"Yes, yes..." I turned to Deirdre, who looked rather curious by what we said. "I'll explain on the way, Deirdre. It's better we get your things quickly."

"Ah, yes, of course!" Deirdre agreed, looking a little startled. Perhaps she was still overwhelmed by everything. "It's... this way, then." She almost pushed herself up, but I offered my hand and she shyly took it to let me help her. "We'll... we'll be back soon, Sigurd."

It would be nice if this went smoothly, but somehow I doubted it.

When we arrived in Deirdre's village, I was surprised by how normal it looked. I wasn't sure what I expected, but somehow, the array of wooden houses neatly arranged was not it. The wood was darker than the houses in Yngvi, and there were many more vines and moss growing on the outside walls than the housewives of Yngvi would ever tolerate, but those were truly the only differences. Well, it was quieter, but no more than Yngvi was at night. It was easy to imagine how it might be bustling, once everyone was awake.

Of course, we didn't walk through the town itself for me to confirm any other similarities. Hand in hand, Deirdre and I skirted along the outskirts until we eventually came onto a small house noticeably distant from the rest. The inside was only one room, with everything mostly neat and orderly. A small stove was tucked in the corner, and some dishes were scattered about. It was... it was very similar to my own house, back in Yngvi. The only thing missing, aside from personal items, was a blanket dividing the room.

"I suppose I should bring whatever I can carry…" Deirdre murmured, letting go of my hand to fuss about the room. Then she went to a small cupboard in the back corner, and opened it to reveal a handful of dresses hanging over a small pile of underwear. "It won't be much, but maybe I can…"

"I assume you do not have packs," I said, looking around the room. My eyes fell on her blankets and I tugged them free of the bed. She was the type to make her bed in the morning, it seemed. "So, let's use this as a makeshift one. We can tie it up."

"Oh, that's a much better idea." She smiled brightly and pulled everything from the cupboard. "Do you think it's… I mean, these clothes… I like them, of course, but…"

"If you like them, you should wear them." I took one of the dresses and folded it. "Lady Ethlyn no doubt will drag you off for shopping, but she certainly will not mind if you want them in a similar style." I paused in my folding, noticing the mended tears. They weren't bad, but certainly not up to my standards. I would fix them when we returned; now was not the time. "Since we are marching still, it is best you have enough clothes to feel comfortable. Anything new can wait." I grabbed another dress to fold. "Do you have another pair of shoes?"

"I don't, so that is one less thing to pack."

"In that case, gather what else you want to bring. I can handle this part."

"Thank you!" She darted to another corner of the room, one with a small table with drawers and something wrapped in cloth leaning against the wall. "Let's see… since we will no doubt face Sandima…" She pulled open one of the drawers and grabbed a white and gold which pulsed with power. No, it did more than 'pulse'; it all but glowed. "Hey there, Aura…"

"Aura?"

"It's a light magic." She tugged a leather holster out of the same drawer and awkwardly hooked it and its belt around her waist. I finished folding another dress and then went over to help her. "Thank you…" She smiled sheepishly and slipped the tome into the holster. "Light magic is the only counter to dark. In terms of the magic triangle, they exist outside, trump both, and are equal and opposite." Ah, yes, that was mentioned in the stories of the Crusaders' final battle. The dark magic of Loptous's followers devoured the elemental magic of the Crusaders, and only after Naga of Light poured all her power and blood into Saint Heim's Holy Weapon were they able to pierce the black heart of the last Emperor Gair. "As such, Saint Maera decreed all his descendants learn it to protect themselves. It's probably the one thing I'm talented at. Well, that and…" She reached for the cloth-covered object, and pulled the cloth away to reveal a silver staff. "This. I'm not too bad with staves."

"I don't think I've seen that one before." Then again, most of my knowledge of staves was limited to the healing types.

"It's called Silence." She picked it up and cradled it against her. "So long as my own magical power can overcome the target's resistance to magic, I can prevent them from casting spells. Or, well, talking in general. Which stops spells." Arvis had mentioned most spellcasters had to incorporate a verbal component to cast their spells. The only ones who could cast silently were those with Holy Blood. "Between both Aura and Silence, if someone came for me, I could buy enough time to kill myself."

"You could what?" I… I had to have misheard. I had to have.

"Hmm? Ah, yes…" She tried to meet my eyes, but couldn't quite. "That's… what I was told to do, from when I was little. If one of that order found me, I was to kill myself before they could take me away." Who… who told a child that?! Not even Father Eirik had told me that! In fact, he worked frantically to save me the one time I tried!

"Please don't do that now." Without thinking, I reached over and rested my hands on hers. "I will be most irate if I have to heal you from something like that."

"You'd heal me?"

"That's what I do. I'm a healer, Deirdre."

"Oh, yes, I know that. Everyone talked over how lovely a healer you are, though most worried if you ever did anything for fun." They what? I knew Mistress Yesui had fretted, but what did she mean by 'most'? "I… sorry…" She finally met my eyes, with a shy smile. "It's… strange to think of someone healing me, I suppose."

"I understand." I did. I wished I didn't, if only for her sake, but I did. "So, I will remind you." I made sure smile. "Let's finish packing. I have most of the clothes folded."

"Ah, yes!" She passed the staff to me, and then reached into the other drawer. "Truthfully, though, this is the only other thing I would want to bring." Inside was a book, one with a cover so battered I could barely tell the original color, much less the title. "This was my mother's. It and the circlet I wear... are the only things anyone ever gave to me."

"Is that so?" My heart ached at the thought. Though I protested, Arvis had gotten me many gifts over the years."What story is it?"

"I think I mentioned it to you before. The protagonist shares your name, Alicia." She clutched it to her chest with a shy smile. "I'm told it was her favorite, and it's mine as well. The idea of someone born in darkness finding happiness in the light nonetheless... it was my salvation, growing up." She turned to me, and her smile brightened. "Who would think someone with the same name would encourage me to seek my own happiness? Isn't life funny, sometimes?"

"...Maybe I should read it, one day." Back at her bed, I held out my hand for the book. "Here, we'll go ahead and pack it, so it is not forgotten."

"Yes!"

Deirdre handed me the book and did a quick sweep of her house to check if there happened to be anything else she wanted to bring. She also very carefully put everything back as it was, to hide how someone had taken everything out. Clearly, she had practice at it, but I didn't comment. Instead, I focused on folding everything and then folding the blanket so we tie it off into a makeshift pack while not being too awkward to carry. It took a few attempts, but we managed and before long, we had left the house behind and started on our way back. Somehow, I ended up carrying her Silence staff. I think I had picked it up to hand to her, but instead, she took it as our cue to leave and leave quickly. However...

"Ah, there's..." Deirdre murmured, not far past the treeline. Her gaze went to a very small path, almost overgrown with roots and flowers. If she hadn't said anything, I doubt I would have ever noticed it. "...I need to visit a place before we leave."

"If you're certain, then let's be quick about it," I replied, nodding. It was probably not a smart idea to agree, but how could I deny her? She was leaving the only place she knew. She had to be frightened, even if she had made her choice. "I would rather not be caught with your things. That shall be very hard to explain."

"Very." Her smile was scared; I took her hand. "Just down the path."

Deirdre lead me down the path, holding my hand so tightly her knuckles turned white. I merely squeezed back, ignoring the pain, and helped her when her hair got caught by branches and bushes. It was not long at all before we stepped into a beautiful meadow, though it was not dotted with flowers. Instead, it was dotted with stones. Graves, I realized, once we had gotten closer. It was hard to see, and not a one had a name written on them, but I knew the signs of packed earth under the grass. This was a graveyard, one Deirdre knew well. She easily picked our way through, until we reached one by the far end. Like with the others, I saw no name. There was only a lone flower, one with beautiful silver petals, resting on what appeared to be a faded drawing.

"I know it is silly..." Deirdre whispered as she knelt down by the grave. She set her blanket-pack on her lap and reached out to touch the stone. "But I wanted to say goodbye to Mother."

"I see," I murmured, not knowing what to say. The idea of visiting a grave was... I knew it was important to people, but I never had anyone I wanted to visit. I didn't like graves; I didn't like graveyards. I wanted to save everyone; graveyards were a reminder of how impossible that foolishness was. "I don't see a name."

"We don't mark them with them, for the same reason we change where the dead are buried every so often. It lessens the chances of being found." Graves implied living people were near. Only the living could bury the dead. "Instead, they're marked with a personal item and a type of flower. Aevlise blossoms are used for Saint Maera's descendants."

"Aevlise blossoms?" So, that was the name of the silver flower? I had never heard of it.

"They are one of two which only grow here, deep in the Spirit Forest. The stories say they bloom from the spirits' tears." She fussed with the stem, and then plucked a single petal to tuck into her holster, with Aura. "Mother, I... I'm leaving. It's scary, but I'm leaving. Did you feel this way when you left, all those years ago?" So, her mother left too? Why had she returned? Had she been too afraid? "They say you were tired and worn when you returned, more of a doll than the girl they remembered. I'll admit; I'm scared of the same. But I... I won't be alone." Deirdre snuck a smile at me before returning her attention to the grave. "I'll be leaving with Sigurd and Alicia. Alicia's the one here with me, and Sigurd is by the lake you loved so much. So, I think... I think I'll be okay. I hope you'll watch over me as I find my way, and not be too upset I can't visit anymore. I couldn't bear to make you sad." The wind suddenly gusted then, almost in answer. "Goodbye, Mother."

"Have you said all you wanted?" I offered my hand to help her up, and she took it before brushing the dirt off her skirts. Her blanket-pack nearly fell, but we caught it before it hit the ground. "I think it's safe to linger a little longer." That was probably a lie, but if she wanted more time to say goodbye...

"No, this is fine. I'm not sure what else to say." She shrugged. "I never knew her, truthfully. She died soon after giving birth to me. I was told..." She trailed off, clearly trying to remember. "They told me it was like she was holding onto life just long enough to see me born. Her health was in such tatters that she should've died long before, but she struggled to hold on anyway. I don't know why."

"...Perhaps your father was someone she loved dearly." I thought of the new mother in Marpha, who had tried the same. Were she and her baby still well? Did they both still smile?

"I think so too." Deirdre's smile was pained; I knew she wished she could've asked. "Maybe she's with him now. And her best friend. Supposedly, she talked a lot about her in her final days. Of course, no one tells me more. They never wanted me to be tempted into finding her."

"Is she why you sneak to Marpha?"

"...Maybe." Her smile became a little mischievous, and I could only smile back. Never underestimate a child's curiosity. "Of course, I found nothing. Mother must've run far when she left." Then she ran all the way back. What had scared her so? "So..." All at once, she stiffened and whirled back to the path with wide eyes. "There's... someone coming down the path." She clutched her blanket-pack, already trembling. All I could think was 'of course someone was'. "I..."

"Hide." I took her arm and nudged her to the surrounding trees, pushing the Silence staff into her hands. "Go on and hide. We'll leave once I've shooed them away."

"But..."

"Now." It took a few more nudges to get her to obey, but she finally did, slipping into the trees like a phantom. A lock of her hair got stuck in a bush, but we freed it and she ducked completely out of sight just in time.

"Who are you?" Not two seconds after Deirdre hid, a strong voice rang out through the clearing. "You..." they growled, eyes narrowed as I turned to face them. Absently, I noticed they looked a lot like Deirdre. Their features were just as delicate, and their hair was just as shining a silver. The only difference, aside from hair length, was their eyes, a pale gray to Deirdre's violet. Were the features and hair common for denizens of the Spirit Forest, like how my hair color was common to the Velthomer duchy? "You are not one for the trees, my lady. There's too much fire in your blood."

"What an odd thing to say," I replied, keeping my voice even. My healer's mask was firmly in 'place'. I would not be anything but calm here. I refused. "It is certainly not a greeting I am used to."

"It is the truth, is it not? You are of Fjalar's blood, blessed by Salamander of Flames." Their gaze was sharp, and I glanced down to my arm to confirm it was covered with bandages, as always. "I do not need to see your Mark to know. Those of Holy Blood have different scents and auras compared to the rest. There is the smell of fire through the herbs, and your aura flickers and glows despite the shadows. Who else could you be, but of her blood?"

"I was not aware any could sense Holy Blood."

"We were taught how by the Spirits." Well, that was convenient. "I have heard those blessed by Skadi of the Mountains and Forseti of Wind are also sensitive to it, but I obviously have not confirm it myself." I had best avoid any with Dainn's blood or Forseti's then. "None of this changes how you do not belong here. Why are you this far in the Spirit Forest?"

"I fear I am lost." In this case, it was best to be as technically truthful as possible. "While wandering, I managed to find my way here."

"You found your way here?" Their eyes narrowed suspiciously, but they could only scoff. After all, I told no lies. I simply did not tell the whole truth. "How convenient."

"It certainly is convenient for me to find someone." I smiled as calmly as I could. "Now I can ask for a way back, yes?"

"I take it you're with the army marching its way through the forest? Come to deal with the shadow strangling the king? Yes, I can tell you, but first I need to…" He sighed, shaking his head, and looked around the graveyard. "Damn, she's not here."

"Hmm?"

"No one you need concern yourself with." They looked around again more slowly, as if it would change how empty it was, before sighing once more. "However, if you happen to see a silver-haired girl around your age on your way back, tell her to return. It's for everyone's safety and happiness."

"...Everyone's?" The word was out before I could stop it. "Does that include her own?"

"Hmm?"

"Does 'everyone' include the girl you speak of?"

"..." They looked away. They actually looked away. "For the good of the many, we do what we must."

"That sounds like belladonna." They... understandably gave me a weird look then. "Do you know of the belladonna plant? Its berries are very sweet, and dreadfully poisonous. Many accidentally kill themselves mistaking it for something else."

"And you think my words are the same?" They arched a brow. "Sweet yet poisonous?"

"Are not all ideals?" Yes, I strove for the ideal of saving everyone. But I was perfectly aware of how foolish it was. I was perfectly aware it was impossible, and I would never fully be satisfied with my work because of it. But I still strove for it anyway, believing I would have fewer regrets seeking it than I would simply accepting the inevitable. "It sounds more logical than most ideals, but is it not an ideal nonetheless?" It was just as impossible. There was no such world where the 'many' prospered after only a 'few' sacrifices. Those 'few sacrifices' would occur again and again, and the 'many who would be saved' would dwindle and dwindle. If anything, I thought the words were even more poisonous than my ideal, because you could so easily trick yourself into believing it was 'for the best'.

"You..." They stared at me for a long moment. "You are a very strange person, my lady." They looked down before pointing to the trees. "Follow the silver blossoms and you'll find yourself at a lake. Stay there until the morning. By then, the klelia blossoms will open and show you the way back to the main path."

"Klelia?"

"They and the aevlise only grow here in the Spirit Forest. They're a dark blue, and close their blossoms when the sun sets. At sunrise, they open once more." They shrugged. "No one knows how they can tell, given how little of the sun's light reaches us here, but they do. It's useful for keeping track of time."

"I see." That was actually quite fascinating. Why would they do that? "Thank you."

"It's selfishness. Strangers should be avoided." That was fair. "Especially strangers like you." That felt a little less fair, especially when they were studying me so closely. "...Like a drawing..."

"Drawing?"

"It's nothing." They took a step back and, surprisingly, bowed. "A pleasant evening to you, but I must resume my search."

"Good night." Yet though we exchanged farewells, they lingered. "Are you waiting for me to leave first?"

"No…" They hesitated before nodding to themselves. "Just… you should pick one."

"Pardon?"

"One of the klelia blossoms. You should pick one." With that, they abruptly left, with absolutely no explanation whatsoever.

I waited until they disappeared into the trees before breathing a sigh of relief. However, that mention of 'drawing' did turn my attention back to the grave, where the flower rested on a piece of paper. I had to admit I was curious if it was the drawing they referred to I was even curious enough to creep closer and see if I could look at it. But it was terribly faded; I could barely tell there were two people. I might have been able to discern more if I picked it up to study, but I wasn't that curious. Besides, Deirdre was no doubt worried. So, I turned away and headed for the trees where Deirdre had hidden.

"Alicia?" Just as I got close, Deirdre quietly poked her head out from behind one of the trees. "Are you all right?" she asked me worriedly, tugging at my sleeve as soon as she could reach. Silence was stuck awkwardly in the crook of her elbow. "Eogan can be rather awkward with his words."

"I am fine, Deirdre," I reassured, taking Silence back to keep it from falling. 'Awkward with his words'... I wasn't certain if I would've described him as such. It would explain the abrupt departure, though. "I do think he's aware I will not relay his message, so we might want to hurry."

"Definitely. He's very good at finding me. That's why the Elder usually sends him when they can't find me." She made a face. "No doubt he's been searching for a few days. They check my whereabouts regularly." Was this a village or a jail? To her, it was likely both. "Still, it was sweet of him to tell you to pick a klelia."

"Was it?" I pointed into the trees as a silent indication that we really should be moving. She took the hint and snagged my hand to lead me through the forest. "I have to admit my confusion."

"Klelia blossoms are born from the spirits' hopes, and to carry one is to ask for their protection. Telling you to pick one was an awkward way of wishing you well." Was it? It sounded more to me he simply thought the strange girl needed all the help she could get. "For that reason, they're often pressed and preserved as tokens in the village."

"If that's the case, then we should press it with the petal you took." An impish thought came to mind, and I couldn't help but voice it. "They can be like you and Sigurd, silver and blue."

"Huh?!" Well, that was a loud yelp. "Alicia!"

"Actually, if we do that, you should pick a full blossom. Is that allowed? What does the aevlise flower symbolize anyway?"

"Peace and healing." Still, she was red in the face. She blushed very easily. "I can pick one."

"Then you should." I smiled innocently. "Hope and protection, peace and healing... what a pretty pair you will make." Her blush went darker. "Hmm? What's wrong? I was talking about the flowers there."

"You're mean. Meeeeeeaaannnn!"

"So, is that a no?"

"...I didn't say that."

"I thought so." I kept up the innocent smile and Deirdre sulked. "Where's an aevlise?"

"There should be one near… ah!" Deirdre dove behind a tree to push aside some of the grass, revealing a silver blossom shining in the shadows. "Here we are."

"That was fast. Do they grow all over the forest?" Then again, Eogan had mentioned using them as a path to the lake.

"We pick the graveyards based on proximity to them, so… yes and no?" Deirdre tucked her blanket-pack on her lap to free her hands. "This will take a second. Their stems are surprisingly tough."

"I see." I looked back to the graveyard, noticing it was not quite out of sight. Yet there was someone else already visiting. Standing in the middle was a woman with long silver hair just like Deirdre's, though I couldn't tell much else from here. I did think… she was looking right at us, though. "Deirdre?"

"Almost… there!" Deirdre held the blossom up triumphantly, smiling brightly. She almost fell, but I reached down to steady her. "What is it?"

"I think…" I looked back to the graveyard, only to no longer see the woman. There was… no sign of anyone. Had I imagined her? "We should get back to Sigurd before he tries to follow us."

"Probably a good idea." She looked at the flower in her hand and unexpectedly reached up to tuck it behind my ear. "That's probably the safest place for it for now. I need to hold your hand and my things, and you need to carry the Silence Staff." She paused and studied me. "You look nice with flowers in your hair."

"I shall take your word for it." It was better to not argue. "Lead on, Deirdre."

She took my hand to do just that and I glanced back at the graveyard to see if I saw that woman again. But there was no one, and no one followed us. I must have just imagined it.

We made it back to the lake with minimal problems. It was surprising, since Eogan was actively looking for Deirdre, but there wasn't even a hint of him by the time we returned to the lake.

"Hmm? Oh, he won't check the lake again for another day or so if he's checking the graveyard," Deirdre explained when I voiced my confusion. We had just stepped out of the trees and were trying to free her hair from a particularly clingy bush. Her hair caught on everything. "Alicia, how does your hair not get caught? It's not much shorter than mine."

"Maybe the plants fear the fire in my blood," I replied without thinking. Honestly, I had no idea why. Perhaps it was the same reason why I could get away without brushing my hair for a few days without dealing with matts and tangles. "But he won't look here?"

"Eogan checks the lake twice before looking at the graveyards, so by now, he's watching the path to Marpha. Which is no doubt complicated by your army." Deirdre muffled a giggle as we finally freed her hair. "He's the best at finding me, so I had to learn his habits to sneak to Marpha." Then hopefully, this would not be the day he decides to change said habits. "Ah, Sigurd, we've returned!"

"Welcome back!" Sigurd popped out of nowhere then and hugged us both. "I was starting to get worried," he admitted easily, with a slightly sheepish smile. "Is everything well?"

"We may have to deal with someone looking for Deirdre, but she thinks we're in the clear," I answered, deciding quickly to not mention the direct encounter in the graveyard. Deirdre's smile hinted she was grateful. "I am most pleased you listened and did not follow."

"I managed to keep hold of my faith while my worry tried to drown it." He let go of us both and took Deirdre's blanket-pack from her before offering his free hand. She took it with a pleased blush and even more pleased smile. "By which I mean I kept myself busy marking out a campsite. I set up a firepit as well out of habit, but it seems warm enough we don't have to risk it. Unless you two are cold? I still don't have a firestarter, of course, but..."

"Do we need one? If you need warmth, you two can simply sit by me." I followed the two over to the surprisingly tidy campsite. It looked neater than the army's, despite only being set up by one person in a relatively short time. "I'm still not hungry."

"Are you certain, Alicia?" Deirdre asked, twisting to face me. She made sure to keep holding Sigurd's hand, even as she sat down. Their touch lingered as they pulled away at last. "The area is good for foraging, and the fish in the lake are pretty tasty. I already ate, but I can gather something for you."

"I assure you I am well," I reassured, sitting down across the fire pit from her. Sigurd tucked Deirdre's blanket-pack safely on some rocks and then took the Silence Staff from me to set next to it. "Sigurd? Do you need food?

"Delighted as I would be to eat Deirdre's cooking, Quan made sure I ate while you were busy saving lives, Alicia," Sigurd answered with a grin, joining us on the ground, the third point of the triangle. Deirdre blushed once more at the word 'delight'. If she blushed at things like this, she would end up with a permanent blush before long. "I will accidentally skip meals when fretting, since my stomach gets twisted into knots. It's a known habit, so those around me take steps to make sure I don't collapse from hunger. Again."

"Then it seems we do not need a fire." That was a relief; I did not want smoke to show our whereabouts. However, now that we were sitting and had nothing immediately to do, I came to an awkward realization. I had nothing to do. I did not have my books or my mending. There were no patients. What was I supposed to do? I shouldn't waste time like this. Should I see about identifying the nearby plants or...?

"Um… Sigurd? Alicia?" Deirdre called, drawing our attention back to her. She had her knees to her chest, smiling shyly. "What... is the plan for when we return?"

"Plan?" Sigurd repeated, tilting his head. Both of us tried to think of what she meant. "For the army? That will depend on how everyone is. Actually, Alicia, do you have any ideas on numbers?"

"I am curious about that as well, but um..." Now her smile was awkward. "How do you plan on explaining me?"

"Explaining...? Oh, introducing you to everyone!" Sigurd scooted closer to her and gently rested his hand on her back. "I'll need to introduce you first to Ethlyn. She'll pout terribly if she's not first. Little sister and all. Quan will likely be with her, so you'll meet him at the same time. He's one of my best friends, and her husband. You technically already met Edain, miss apple fairy, but you can meet her properly now. She's my first friend. We've known each other since we were toddlers crawling about."

"Ethlyn... Quan... Edain..." Deirdre already looked overwhelmed with just those names. "There was that little boy who rode with you. Will I meet him too?"

"Shannan no doubt will be with Finn and Oifeye, so you'll meet all three. Finn is Quan's squire, and Oifeye is my cousin. And squire. Then there's... well, there's a few people." Sigurd rubbed her back, no doubt seeing Deirdre's mind spinning just as much as I was. "Ideally, you'll meet them one at a time. My knights will eventually make their oaths to you, but that ceremony can wait."

"Oaths?" Her voice was getting squeaky again.

"Knightly custom. You'll be my wife, thus the lady of their lord."

"Ah." Oh, Deirdre was actually swaying now. Poor Sigurd looked panicked. "So..."

"You know; none of that actually answers her question, Sigurd," I commented, deciding to intervene. Sigurd gave me a gratefully confused look, and let Deirdre rest on his shoulder. "I believe in this case, she was asking about how we plan on explaining how and why you hid a fiance from your little sister, best friends, and most trusted knights." Confused as I was, I was reasonably certain telling everyone they had only met once before was a decidedly unadvised course of action.

"That… is a very fair point," Sigurd conceded, becoming thoughtful. Deirdre just sighed in relief, and leaned a little more into him. "Hmm... well, I think we can explain the quiet by not wanting to overwhelm her?" He looked to Deirdre to confirm if she would be all right with that, and she nodded after a moment. Give her two seconds in our army, and I had no doubts everyone would have all the 'evidence' they needed to believe that little lie. "Though, the timeline..."

"...We can say I was helping." Arvis had told me, once, how my mother had smuggled letters between Cigyun and Prince Kurth and that was how their ill-fated friendship and love began. She had been their shield and messenger, until it killed her. "Many already feel sheepish for carelessly assuming Azelle's wish to spend time with me was for romantic reasons. They will easily believe they made a similar mistake here." If anyone asked directly, I could say we met on one of the walks. No one needed to know which one. "We can also reveal how those of the Spirit Forest aren't supposed to interact with outsiders to further explain why it was limited to me."

"Thus making everyone awkward enough to not ask more questions." Sigurd grinned and I found myself smiling back. We truly were conspirators too often. "I think that will work nicely. Quan might try to get me drunk enough to tell more, but I've a higher alcohol tolerance than him, so we'll be fine." He looked to Deirdre and snagged her hand to kiss it. "Is that fine with you?"

"I think so," Deirdre murmured, blushing prettily. Again. I truly did fear for how much she would blush in the coming days. I should research if one could faint from blushing too much. "It is enough of a story to cover most questions, and all of it is truthful enough so I won't stumble. I am not very good at lying." Honestly, the biggest question after giving the story would be 'how did she hide traveling with us?', but hopefully, no one would be rude enough to ask directly. If they did, should we remind everyone of the refugees? Would that be enough for them to fill in the gaps on their own?

"I'm rubbish at it myself, so I think this will also suit me fine." Sigurd's smile was blinding now, and he turned his attention back to me. "Also, Alicia, you look very nice with a flower in your hair. What flower is it?" Now, what was he...? Oh. Right, I had the aevlise flower tucked behind my ear still.

"Oh! I forgot all about it!" Deirdre scrambled over to take the aevlise flower from my hair. "We're going to press it, but didn't have time before. And our hands were full."

"That doesn't actually answer my question, but I'll wait." Sigurd hopped to his feet with a stretch. "Instead, I'm going to do a quick patrol around the area for any signs of people. Just in case."

"Be careful. Snakes like hiding in the roots." She waved him goodbye and carefully slipped the aevlise flower into the top part of her blanket-pack. "There. We'll work on pressing it properly in the morning, after we've picked a klelia for you, Alicia." With the flower safe, she shyly made her way over to sit next to me. "Um... thank you."

"...For?" I asked, twisting to face her better. She appeared almost unbearably fragile in the moonlight, like she would disappear in a blink.

"I don't think I said it earlier, so thank you."

"I seem to recall you saying it quite a few times." In fact, I would go so far as to say it was 'many' times. "I will, therefore, assume this is for something different than those times?"

"I... yes." She smiled prettily. "Telling me how you thought I was being used as a scapegoat, encouraging me to do what I wished... those gave me the courage I needed. Then you helped me pack, helped me escape, talked back at Eogan, and even helped come up with a story..." She looked away shyly, turning her gaze up to the stars. "Growing up, I was always the mistake. I should not have been born. It would have been better if I didn't exist. I would hear it under every word. I clung to hope Mother had held on so long to give birth to me because it made me feel they were wrong. In her eyes, at least, I was not a mistake."

"...No one is a mistake, Deirdre." This, I firmly believed. That was one of the reasons why I believed everyone should be saved. "If anyone is a mistake, it would be me. I was born when my father raped my mother, and that wasn't even the worst of his crimes." Then she threw me away. Surely, she thought of me as something unwanted. "Someone like you, who simply inherited a tainted legacy, is not a mistake."

"I would say the same to you. You're much too nice to be a mistake." She beamed and I could not bite back my smile. "Regardless, with you and Sigurd, I don't feel like way. I believe there will be happiness on this path. So, thank you."

"I could argue I did nothing worthy of gratitude, but that will start a circular argument." Her smile gained a touch of smugness, so I knew I was right. "Instead, would you like to hear a little more of the people you'll meet? I do not know many well, but perhaps it will be enough so they won't surprise you too much."

"I'd love that!"

So we spent the night, with me telling stories and her asking questions. When Sigurd rejoined us from his patrol, he added his own tales, mostly to make us laugh. It was... a strange night, and I knew the morning would be even stranger. But this was the result of our choices, so we would simply keep on walking. It was all we could do.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7) Stay

Thus we spent the night. I wasn't certain how much sleep Sigurd actually got, since he was still awake when Deirdre and I dozed off, and had 'woken' before either of us once the klelia blossoms opened at sunrise. They were very pretty, with dark blue edges slowly fading into a white center. I barely managed to keep from commenting how similar to Sigurd they looked, since he favored white and blue clothing. There was no need to make Deirdre blush more, especially when Sigurd managed to turn her face beet-red without even trying.

Instead, we picked a blossom and then picked our way through the trees to return to camp. I hoped everyone was well.

I have decided I say what's on my mind too much when in the company of Sigurd. Too many times, I thought aloud when around him, and consequently was forced into unexpected conversations.

"Oh, you gave antidotes to your patients?" Take now, for instance. According to Deirdre, we were close to the safe path and, from there, we would figure out which way to walk to return to the camp. I had wondered about how the patients were doing, and hadn't realized I'd said the words aloud until Deirdre asked her question. "That was very smart!" she chirped, smiling warmly at me. "It may be a spell, but Poison is aptly named. I read the broad-spectrum antidote is very good at curing its effects."

"I think its more 'luck' than 'intelligence'," I demurred, not wanting to explain how most of the work had been done by a dead person. After all, I remember being told Evans's doctor had succumbed to the plague. Back then, I had assumed it was because they had worked with the sick and dying, and simply caught it from them. It would not have been the first time a healer took ill while treating the sick. Now, I wondered if it had been deliberate, to keep them from discovering the truth. "This reminds me. You learned light magic, and the theory behind dark, but did you learn about the elemental magics?"

"Oh, yes! It was part of our basic education!" Well, that was a distinct difference from the rest of the continent. "In fact, I learned to read from magical theory books."

"You should chat with Azelle. He's a mage, and likes discussing theories." I made sure to smile when she appeared hesitant. "He's also my little brother, so I can promise he's nice. Truthfully, he's on the shyer side, but he can become quite animated when speaking about interesting topics, like magical theory." He also adored folklore and no doubt would want to pick her brain about the stories she knew, but he could introduce the topic himself, once he became comfortable.

"Your little brother, huh?" She smiled shyly. "I think I would like that. No one wanted to discuss theories with me back in the village. I... understood them too quickly, and would read too far ahead. Th-then when I tried to tell them about it, they thought I was showing off..."

"Sounds exactly like Azelle." I remembered he wrote how Tailtiu always bemoaned how 'ahead' he was with his lessons. "We'll make introducing him a priority, then, after you meet those closest to Sigurd." I may have said more, but my foot found a hidden root and I immediately tripped. Deirdre caught me before I fell. "My apologies..."

"It's no trouble! I used to trip all the time." Now, she moved through the woods like she was a spirit herself, with absolutely no sound at all. Only her surprisingly clingy hair showed she wasn't. It managed to get caught on a shrub not two seconds later; I helped her free it. "One of these days, I will cut my hair short like the others."

"Why do you wear it long if they kept theirs short?"

"I... well..." She smiled sheepishly. "I heard my mother had long hair." Ah, so she wanted to emulate her. In that case, would it catch as much with frequent brushings? "Sigurd, are you well up ahead?"

"I think my toes have been bruised to the point of numbness from all the hidden roots and rocks, but otherwise, yes," Sigurd joked, twisting to smile at us. Though Deirdre was the one who knew the way, after we walked three times into spider webs and I nearly twisted an ankle thanks to a leaf-covered hole, Sigurd insisted on being in front. I had no idea why; I assumed it was related to the chivalry most knights pretended to follow. "I have not led us astray, have I?"

"No, we're following the klelia quite nicely," Deirdre reassured with a smile. She 'subtly' held onto my arm as we continued to walk. "In fact, we should be on the road just past those trees."

"Really?" Sigurd looked a little skeptical, but sure enough, we stepped past the trees and suddenly found ourselves in open space. "Wow, there was... absolutely no indication at all." I supposed the dense foliage made a mess of our depth perception. "No wonder most those who wander in are lost."

"Some end up in our village, and we help them return. Or, well..." Deirdre shrugged. "Some stay. Those ones tend to be people who were running away from home, or came into the forest to die. I think that's where the stories of us kidnapping people came from. But we don't. Promise."

"Of course not. Given how your village needs to hide, kidnapping people is the worst of ideas. That brings investigations." Sigurd turned to help Deirdre and me onto the path proper. "Now we need to figure out which way to walk. I don't see any signs of passage, so my guess is we're ahead on the path."

"Then we'll need to head that way." Deirdre pointed down the path. "That's the way to Marpha."

"Taking your word on it, dear." Sigurd set forth confidently, conveniently ignoring how red Deirdre turned. It was amusing how easily he could make her blush. "I imagine when we find the others, there will be a war meeting. Deirdre, Alicia, one of you two mentioned the staff Deirdre is carrying was called 'Silence' and it blocks magic?"

"I-it keeps someone from speaking, which prevents casting." Deirdre walked closely to me as she explained. "It does not block magic."

"Ah, that'll change the half-plan in my head. Still, it sounds like it will be key to protecting... hmm?" Sigurd suddenly stopped walking and when Deirdre and I caught up, we saw why. An out-of-breath Lord Oifeye was up ahead, dirt and mud staining the hem of his pants. "Ah, we must've been closer than I thought. Morning, Oifeye!" Sigurd smiled and waved, both gestures carefree and easy. It was a very normal greeting, not a greeting one would expect from someone who technically had been missing for a night. "I'm sorry. I stepped away to cool my head and... whoa!" And none of it mattered to Lord Oifeye. Lord Oifeye just screwed up his face like he was about to burst into tears and nearly tackled Sigurd off his feet with a hug. "Oifeye?! Are you all right? Did you have a nightmare?" So, whatever explanation Sigurd planned to give had to wait, as he was much too busy trying to comfort a silently crying Lord Oifeye. "Easy, easy... it's all right..." Sigurd returned the hug and stroked Lord Oifeye's hair. "It's going to be all right..."

"Oifeye, what made you rush... oh." This was when unexpected-arrival-number-two showed up: Mister Finn. He stared at us, looking a little dazed, before smiling brightly. "So, that's why..." he breathed, voice thick with unshed tears. They shimmered in his eyes, and one even slipped down his face as he turned back down the path. "Lord Quan! Lord Quan, up here! Lord Sigurd and Lady Alicia are safe!"

Thus, arrival-number-three appeared, an absolutely breathless Prince Quan who looked as if he had not slept a wink. "You're... both all right..." he whispered, staring at us. Then he breathed out slowly and sagged, like he was releasing all the worries he'd built up since yesterday. "Ah, thank you, Gaia..."

"Hmm? Quan, are you well?" Sigurd asked then, looking up from Lord Oifeye. He was noticeably confused. "You look like you didn't sleep. Was it too cold for you? Ethlyn stole an extra blanket, but maybe that wasn't enough."

"This is... just like when you waltzed back in after that damn flood." Now exasperation seeped into Prince Quan's voice. "Does it really not occur to you how worried we were?"

"About...? Oh, being attacked again! That makes sense; I should've-"

"Sigurd, I love you, but one more word, and I think I will hit you." Prince Quan was definitely exasperated now. "Let's... just return to camp. Please. Before Ethlyn has another fit."

"Why would she-?"

"Camp. Now." He grumbled something under his breath, and pointedly turned his attention to me. He paused for a half-second, no doubt noticing Deirdre, before deciding to simply focus on me and get answers later. "Lady Alicia, I am pleased to see you are safe, especially since you no doubt had to deal with Sigurd's obliviousness." I smiled and shrugged. I really had nothing to say to that. "Are you well enough to walk?"

"I am," I confirmed, stepping to the side just enough for Deirdre to better hide behind me. I knew she needed a little more time to brace herself. "Might you lead the way?" Prince Quan bowed and did just that, walking briskly down the path, with Mister Finn jogging to catch up. Sigurd followed more slowly, mostly because Lord Oifeye refused to let go for even one second. He still had his face buried against Sigurd as they walked side-by-side. I, however, turned my attention to Deirdre. "Deirdre, the first one was Lord Oifeye, Sigurd's squire and a distant cousin. The second was Mister Finn, Prince Quan's squire, and the third was Prince Quan himself. He's one of Sigurd's best friends, and the husband of his little sister, Lady Ethlyn. Prince Quan and Mister Finn hail from Leonster, in the Munster District to the south."

"Right, those were some of the names Sigurd mentioned last night," Deirdre whispered, still hiding behind me. Prince Quan and Mister Finn had disappeared from sight by now, but Sigurd had noticed we hadn't followed and now waited for us. "Oh, there's going to be a lot of people."

"Yes." Hesitantly, I reached down to squeeze her hand. She squeezed back. "You'll be fine. I promise."

"Right, I just... need to dive right in. Like diving into a cold lake." She took a shuddering breath and nodded. "All right. Let's go."

We walked slowly, to give Deirdre as much time as we could. Prince Quan and Mister Finn actually had to return and make sure we didn't get lost again. But, eventually, we made it back to camp and it was... very lively. This was mostly because Mister Finn happily, and innocently, announced our safe return to the whole camp, and just about everyone swarmed Sigurd within two seconds of him stepping within the boundaries. The only thing I could say about the group was they were polite enough, barely, to not dislodge the still crying Lord Oifeye from Sigurd while excitedly greeting him. Though, this may have been because the first to reach him were his three personal knights.

"My lord, you must stop giving us heart attacks!" Sir Naoise scolded, tears in his eyes. Next to him, Sir Alec nodded vigorously, a scowl on his face, and Sir Arden wept openly and without shame. "How do you always end up in such trouble without us? There was the flood a couple years ago, and now this! I'm grateful you returned safe both times, but this will not do!"

"I did as I usually do, which is as I wish, and ran into problems," Sigurd laughed, mostly to hide how confused he was by the turnout. He glanced at me over everyone's heads, and I simply waved and led Deirdre away from the crowd. We, thankfully, had not gotten caught. "Admittedly, that seems to be how I always end up in trouble, but nothing for it."

"My lord, this is exactly the problem!" Sir Naoise scowled and Sigurd simply laughed again. I noticed Lord Oifeye now only clung to his shirt, and was finally just sniffling. I should give him some headache medicine later. "It... ah, there you are, my lady. We made sure you had a spot." I couldn't see who he was referring to, but the sudden shriek of 'stupid brother' told me anyway. It was kind of the knights to ensure Lady Ethlyn could make her way through the crowd.

Shaking my head, I moved a little more to the side as the crowd bloated, and Deirdre kept very close to me to avoid the crush. Her wide eyes hinted she was already overwhelmed by the number of people, which struck me as odd since it was less than Marpha. Then again, her trips to Marpha no doubt were 'quickly in, and quickly out', so perhaps she never noticed how crowded it could be. Part of me wanted to ask, but I decided against it. She could tell me later, if she wished.

"So, the one who was scolding is Sir Naoise," I whispered to her instead, helping her with names. She nodded to show she heard, though her attention remained on the crowd. "The one next to him, wearing the white cloth on his head, is Sir Alec. Beside them, crying, is Sir Arden. They are Sigurd's personal knights and are intensely loyal to him. They are not above pointing out when he is being ridiculous, as you can see and hear."

"What's the difference between a 'personal knight' and regular?" Deirdre asked me, tilting her head curiously. Through the crowd, we could barely see Sigurd stroking the hair of someone. I guessed Lady Ethlyn, though I still couldn't see her. Was Lord Oifeye still with him? "Or, well, I suppose I'm more curious about their different duties."

"I fear I know little, but I believe they swore their oaths to Sigurd, not his house, and that is why they remained behind when the rest marched with Lord Byron." I was about to suggest she ask them directly, once she had been introduced to them, when something thudded into my leg. Well, when 'someone' thudded into my leg, as when I looked down, I found Lord Shannan had firmly attached himself. "Ah, Lord Shannan?"

"Shannan, why are you... ah, that's why." Not long after, Lady Ayra rushed over, surprisingly followed closely by Lex. "We heard you had returned and were coming to greet everyone when he suddenly bolted in a different direction," she explained with a rueful smile. "I suppose he figured it better to hug you now and wait for the crowd to thin before he hugged Sigurd."

"Azelle should be here soon," Lex added, his voice surprisingly hoarse. I frowned a little at him and he shrugged. "What? He was in the middle of... wait, no, not what you're frowning about. I've been telling Shannan stories since sunrise. Kept him from panicking."

"It wasn't since sunrise. You've told him stories since sunset yesterday." Lady Ayra scowled up at him. "I told you to go rest once he went to sleep."

"What if he woke and wanted another story?" Lex shrugged her off and rested a hand behind his head to briefly stretch his neck. "Anyway, Azelle was making me tea when we heard, so he's finishing up so we didn't have a fire. Pretty sure you wouldn't want that as a 'welcome back' present."

"No, I would prefer to avoid fires," I agreed, not... quite sure what to say. Truthfully, I had only half-expected Azelle and Lex to come greet me. Lord Shannan and Lady Ayra were a surprise. "I do apologize for disappearing."

"From what Finn said, it's Sigurd's fault," Lex immediately dismissed, even waving a hand. Lady Ayra, however, frowned. "What? It is. She went looking for him, and he obliviously wandered into the woods." There was no way to even try to argue the point there. "He'd be the first to admit it. Probably is right now. Poor Ethlyn. She spent so much time crafting a lecture, and I think her tears drowned it."

"I'm certain she's just relieved he's well," Lady Ayra murmured, with a slightly bitter smile. Lex and I both stiffened when we realized why. She, no doubt, would give anything to reunite with her own brother one more time. But it would... it would never happen. "Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring the mood down."

"No, I really should've worded that better." Lex shrugged and smiled awkwardly. I hid my discomfort by stroking Lord Shannan's hair. He hadn't budged from my leg. "My bad."

"Since when do you apologize?"

"When I accidentally put my foot in my mouth. No point in apologizing when it's purposeful." He pointedly turned back to me to 'conveniently' ignore Lady Ayra's scowl. "Also, who's the lady hiding behind you, Alicia? I know I haven't seen her before. She's distinctive." Yes, Deirdre was quite striking, especially with her delicate features making her stand out no matter who was near. They were apparent even as she tried to hide more behind me. "Did you two get lost in the woods and recruit someone? Because that does sound like something that would happen to Sigurd."

"Sounds more like a tale."

"That only reinforces the whole 'this would definitely happen to Sigurd' comment, Ayra." Lex grinned and Lady Ayra only scowled further. "We're getting distracted. Alicia, who is... ah, no, there's another distraction." Now, what was he talking-?

"Sister!" Ah. Azelle was here. I hadn't seen him approach since Lex blocked the path. "Sorry, I was making tea and... oh, never mind," he rambled breathlessly, smiling in relief. "How are you? Are you tired? You're probably tired. Do you need anything? I was making tea for Lex, but I can make you a cup too? It won't be nearly as good as yours, of course but-"

"Azelle, remember to breathe," Lady Ayra deadpanned. It sparked a laugh from Lex and a yelp from Azelle. "That will conveniently give her time to answer."

"Er... right, sorry..." Azelle looked away sheepishly. "And I'm sorry. I interrupted something, didn't I?"

"Why are you apologizing for coming to greet your sister? Is this a thing in Grannvale?"

"Huh? No, I'm not... umm... sorry..."

"I should count how many times you apologize in a day. Might be amusing."

"Record is thirty-two in an hour," Lex 'helpfully' revealed. It led to more yelps from Azelle, and a peal of laughter from Lady Ayra. Deirdre looked between the three of them in confusion, and I mostly ignored them to continue fussing over Lord Shannan, who kept his face buried in my thigh. "Tailtiu and I got bored after that." He grinned and then pointed to Deirdre. "All right, with the distraction out of the way, I remain curious about... oh, Soteria of the Shield, what the hell?" Now, what distraction were we getting this time? The answer was 'Lady Ethlyn'. She practically flew over here, from my view, and wrapped me up in a hug tighter than any I had ever received.

Very confused, I awkwardly patted her on the head and peeked over to the crowd still surrounding Sigurd. I no longer saw the three knights, and given Sigurd had both hands up in a placating fashion, I guessed Lord Oifeye was no longer clinging to him. Instead, Sigurd was now dealing with a very irate Lady Edain, with an equally exasperated Sir Midir watching the show.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were?!" Lady Edain's scolding briefly wafted over the crowd so we could hear even at this distance. "If something happened to you because you came to Verdane chasing after me, I...!"

"You're doing a very good job telling me all about it, Edain," Sigurd quipped then, perhaps to try and make her laugh. Unfortunately, even from here, I saw Lady Edain's expression darken. "Uh... so..."

"Sigurd, you absolute imbecile!" That was... loud. It even echoed off the trees. It was almost a shame I didn't hear the rest, but I had other things to focus on then.

"Glad Edain is better able to word what I wanted to say," Lady Ethlyn chirped, stepping away from me and bringing my attention back to her. Despite the chipper tone, she looked... to be blunt, she looked terrible. I didn't think she slept at all last night, and her face was swollen from long bouts of crying. Even her hair, normally neat in a ribbon-tied-ponytail, was haphazardly pulled back. Without thinking, I reached behind her to fix it. "Ah, thank you! I'd still been abed when word reached me. Took forever for me to sleep. Only managed it after drinking the tea mix you made me." She looked around curiously, no doubt wondering why Lex appeared annoyed, before focusing on Deirdre, still behind me. "Oh, blessed Neit, take me, where are my manners?" She managed a bright smile for Deirdre, and I caught Lex's sigh of relief over finally learning who she was. Lady Ayra and Azelle simultaneously elbowed his sides to keep him from actually commenting. "I didn't even see you."

"She is hiding a little," I demurred, glancing over to Sigurd once more to see he was still being yelled at by Lady Edain. Even if he weren't, the crowd remained as large as ever, and it did not look as if it would disperse any time soon. This left me in an awkward situation, since it would be terribly rude to not introduce her now. It was even worse considering Lady Ethlyn was the one asking now, and Sigurd earnestly wished Deirdre meet his little sister first. So, the best course of action was likely... "Regardless, Deirdre, this is Lady Ethlyn, Sigurd's little sister." I stepped and twisted to the side, as much as I could without dislodging Lord Shannan from my leg, and gestured to Deirdre. Azelle, Lex, and Lady Ayra all looked confused as to why I focused on introducing Lady Ethlyn alone, but I hoped they would soon realize why. "Lady Ethlyn, this is Deirdre, Sigurd's fiance."

"Oh, hello, it's very nice... to meet..." Lady Ethlyn slowly trailed off as the words processed. Curious, I glanced at Azelle, Lady Ayra, and Lex and saw all three gaping. "Um... Lady Alicia, could you repeat that last part?"

"Deirdre is Sigurd's fiancé."

"Fiancé."

"Yes."

"Sigurd's."

"Yes."

"Sigurd's fiancé."

"Yes." There was a very long moment of silence. Lady Ethlyn stared as if I suddenly developed the pox, unable to fully comprehend what I said. Poor Deirdre squirmed as the silence stretched on and on, and quickly hid behind me once more.

Then, finally, the pieces thunked into their proper places and Lady Ethlyn shrieked, "FIANCE?! WHEN DID HE EVEN COURT?!" The answer was 'he did not', but I would never tell. "SIGURD! WHAT THE HELL?!" She rounded on the crowd, just as Sigurd miraculously wriggled out. I guessed he took advantage of their distraction, since Lady Ethlyn was being very loud. "SINCE WHEN DO YOU HAVE A FIANCE?!"

"Since... yesterday, I suppose," Sigurd answered blithely, joining us at last. He made a point to take Deirdre's hand to kiss it, and Deirdre shyly stepped closer to him. "But Alicia, you told?"

"It would have been rude to not answer," I explained with a little shrug. I reached down to ruffle Lord Shannan's hair, as he kept clinging through all this. "I also feared Lady Ethlyn might not be the first to learn considering the circumstances."

"Oh, I'm not scolding. If anything, I'm grateful you were able to humor my request. Where did this crowd come from, anyway? I'm glad to be loved, but why were so many worried?"

"Yes, whyever would any soldier be worried about their leader suddenly disappearing into the night?"

"Okay, point taken."

"Whoa, no, you two do not get to distract from the topic at hand!" Lady Ethlyn shrieked, coming right back into the conversation. Her color was very high, and she looked equal parts frantic and annoyed. Poor Deirdre ducked behind me once more, instinctively hiding from the loud noises. "Sigurd, you kept her secret?! From me?! I'm your little sister!"

"I seem to recall you and Quan keeping a similar secret from me," Sigurd noted lightly, with a giant grin. He was having fun with this. "In fact, I even recall-

"That was different!"

"Because it was you?"

"Because you got swept away by a freaking flood the day I tried to tell you!"

That was when I slid away, as best as I could since Lord Shannan still held my leg, mostly to give Lady Ethlyn more room to flail as she bickered with Sigurd. Besides, thanks to her volume, word spread very quickly and Lord Quan appeared in a rush with a surprisingly childish sulk, no doubt because he had just been teasing him about marriage and yet Sigurd hadn't said a word. ...Of course, that was because Sigurd wasn't courting Deirdre at the time, but I would take the secret to my grave until and unless Sigurd and Deirdre told someone first. Besides, at the moment, reassuring Deirdre everything was fine was far more important.

"I promise, Deirdre, she is not mad at you or your presence," I told her firmly yet softly. She eyed the trio warily, worst-case-scenarios clearly whirling through her head. "She's mad because her brother hid such a pretty sister-to-be from her."

"You're teasing me," Deirdre mumbled, ducking her head. I caught the shy smile, though. "...Do you think she'll accept me?"

"So long as you make Sigurd happy, which you do simply by existing, she'll adore you. They both will."

"You're certain?"

"Absolutely."

"Um... Lady Alicia?" Lady Ayra's surprisingly tentative voice drew my attention then and I twisted to see she looked even more tentative than her tone. "Are you... all right?" she asked softly, peering at me closely.

"Yes? I thought this was established already," I replied slowly, wondering if I gave the impression otherwise. Was she referring to how Lord Shannan kept clinging to my leg? I certainly did not mind. "I suppose I never did properly answer Azelle's questions, but I thought it implied."

"Well, yes..." Now that I looked, I saw she wasn't the only one looking at me worriedly. Lex was too, and even Azelle was frowning. "But I thought..." She trailed off, and I tried to think of the last time she was so lost for words. "Well, many of us thought..." She glanced over at Sigurd and Lady Ethlyn, still bickering while Prince Quan playfully clung to Sigurd and continued to sulk about 'secrets', and very slowly, I pieced together what she was saying.

As soon as the final piece 'thunked' into place, I couldn't help but start laughing. I truly couldn't. It was just too preposterous and nonsensical.

"See? I wasn't the only one who thought it," Deirdre grumbled, realizing why I was laughing faster than the rest. We attracted quite a few stares, and I knew it was improper, but I couldn't stop! "I bet most of your army did too!" Now I was laughing harder. I had to spare a hand to cling to her so I would stay upright!

"Er... is everything all right?" The only reason I managed to calm even a little was because Lord Shannan finally lifted his head and rested his chin on my leg to look up at me. "What's the funny thing?" he asked, smiling sweetly. "I want to know so I can hear you laugh again!" Now how was I supposed to answer? Trying to explain only made more laughter bubble out!

Deirdre, thankfully, had little problems telling him. "It's a misconception most everyone had, but apparently both Alicia and Sigurd find so ludicrous they cannot help but laugh and laugh until they're as red as her hair."

"What's the mis-ception?"

"...Th-that is..."

There was no helping it. I kept on laughing, this time as Deirdre tried to explain to Lord Shannan what I found so hilarious, and Lady Ayra, Lex, and Azelle looked more and more awkward as they too realized why I was laughing.

Everyone in this army was absolutely ridiculous. I loved them for it.

It took longer than I was willing to admit to finally stop laughing. From there, I had planned on heading straight to the infirmary, but I quickly encountered unexpected obstacles. Namely, I had more people come greet me and express their relief I had returned safe and sound. It was as baffling as it was time-consuming, not helped by how Lord Shannan refused to let go of my leg. I still wasn't certain how Lady Ayra convinced him to let go, but eventually, she did, taking Deirdre for a tour around camp while she was at it, and I was allowed to check on our patients at last.

I stepped into the 'main' infirmary tent quietly, and lingered in the entrance way to observe all of them. To my intense relief, the difference was apparent. Most slept easily, with the barest of coughing, and the few who were awake were in the terribly awkward stage of healing where they were not well enough to move about normally, but were well enough to be frustrated over it. Thankfully, they could commiserate with their fellows, grateful to be alive after their experience. Still, I could see some beds were empty, beds I knew were occupied when I left yesterday. Had the antidote not been enough? Had it simply been too late? Maybe the antidotes hadn't worked at all and...

"I should've known you would run here." Lady Edain slipped to my side with a smile, hands clasped behind her back. "Most would at least try to get a meal first," she gently teased, with a giggle. I could only tilt my head. Why would I need to eat? I wasn't hungry, and I was worried for our patients. "Well, as you can see, everyone is recovering well. Surprisingly, most only needed a single dose of antidote." Ah, so it had worked, then. "A couple needed two. Those who needed more... unfortunately, they didn't survive the night. I'm truthfully not certain how much they managed to choke down."

"Still, most survived, and that was all we could hope for," I murmured, turning my attention back to the patients. The ones who chatted... yes, they had been those who had been the least affected. What caused the variance? Had there been research in the past? Should I look into it? "So, I am glad." I would, later, ask how many died. I wanted to add it to the total tucked in my heart. I counted all of our dead, after all.

"I'm amazed, personally. I never would've thought of using an antidote." I couldn't claim the credit for that. Most of the work had been done by Evans's doctor. I had only found the notes and extrapolated from there. "How did you know?" ...The question was expected. As she just said, most would never think of using an antidote to treat a magical assault. Yet, it made me still anyway, as I tried to think of how to answer.

My first instinct was to simply tell her. After all, she was a healer, and one I trusted greatly. But other thoughts screamed through my head to beat the instinct down, each colder than the last. This was dark magic. Dark magic was only used by those of Loptr, the very ones who were hunted. If people knew, would there be an increase in hunts? ...I knew the answer. Of course, there would. There would be an influx across Jugdral, and I dared not think of the ensuing bloodbath. How many would die? How many would be innocent? How many would be people simply trying to live their lives, even if their beliefs differed?

How much more danger would Deirdre be in?

"...Might I tell you later, Lady Edain?" I whispered at last. I could not speak louder. I was afraid to do so.

Thankfully, Lady Edain simply smiled. "I'll wait," she promised. I wished I had the words to say just how grateful I was. "So, do you want to make your usual rounds?" The thought was tempting. Yes, I could see how most were well, and I trusted Lady Edain's judgment, but given how peculiar this all was... "Oh, Jamke, what are you doing here?" I almost asked what she meant, but then I turned to see Prince Jamke striding over. He looked a little harried, but otherwise well, save for the cuts on his arms I knew had not been there yesterday.

"I was looking for Lady Alicia, and for some reason, didn't think to come here first," Prince Jamke answered with a shrug. He focused on me for a long second before turning his attention to Lady Edain once more. "Since neither of you are flitting between the patients like hummingbirds, I'm guessing everyone remains stable?"

"They do indeed," Lady Edain confirmed, with a smile and clap. I tried to figure out the hummingbird comparison, but came up blank. Did they flit about? I wasn't certain I had ever seen one. "And what of you? You refused healing last night for your cuts since we weren't certain how everyone would fair overnight."

"Edain, I don't need a healer to tend to them. They're just from some grabby thorns." He shrugged off the concern, even as Lady Edain frowned. "I only got them because I couldn't see my footing anymore. That's why I turned back."

"Yet you were hurt trying to find Sigurd and Lady Alicia. How can I not be concerned?" Lady Edain frowned worriedly, and I realized then why I didn't know the cuts. Prince Jamke had tried to chase after us, but the lack of light forced him back. In that darkness, he had been injured. "Still, if you insist..."

"I do, but I thank you for the concern." Prince Jamke focused on me then, surprisingly enough. At least, it was a surprise until I remembered he'd been looking for me. Perhaps I was more tired than I thought for my mind to be so scattered. "Forgive me, but yesterday, Finn told me you wished to speak with me about something important. Do you have time now?"

"Ah, yes, I do," I replied, glancing at the patients. Truthfully, I wanted to tend to them, for my own worries, but I also wanted to tell Prince Jamke and Sigurd about the connection to Evans as soon as possible. I did not know how 'important' it was to the current situation, but I did believe it was necessary to figuring out what had happened here in Verdane. "Lady Edain, would you mind if I stepped away?"

"Not at all!" Lady Edain reassured with a smile. It did not hide her concern, but she was careful to appear relaxed. "I did a check-up on everyone a little while ago and none seemed so bad off they needed your direct attention. I'll do another to be certain and send for you if that has changed."

"Thank you." I turned back to Prince Jamke and hoped I appeared as calm as a healer should. "Then we should find Sigurd. I wanted to tell you both this."

Finding Sigurd was both easier and harder than it sounded. It was easy, as everyone kept one eye on him, but difficult, because he kept moving around to greet and check on people. I swore Prince Jamke and I wandered the entire camp before Sir Naoise told us he was in his tent. Of course, when we arrived, I hesitated to 'knock', certain he was either resting or spending time with Deirdre. Still, since we had already wasted this much time, I worked up the courage to finally 'knock' and, upon hearing a faint 'come in', stepped inside. Then I nearly walked right back out when I realized Lady Ethlyn was with him. Did I mishear? Prince Jamke lingered back, so perhaps I did.

"Ah, Alicia, hello," Sigurd greeted without a care. He was pressing a damp cloth to Lady Ethlyn's scrunched up face, cleaning it after what was likely another bout of tears. Her eyes were redder than they had been earlier. "Is everything well?"

"As far as I am aware, yes, it is," I answered, frowning as I took in the scene. Without thinking about it, I strode over to the tea-making-station in the back corner and set about brewing Lady Ethlyn some tea for the headache she no doubt had. "I must apologize. I thought..."

"For what? I told you to come in." Sigurd tossed the used cloth into a random corner and found a dry one for Lady Ethlyn. She made another face at him, but let him fuss. "How are the victims?"

"They are recovering well." Thankfully, Sigurd kept a ready stock of headache remedies, so this would be ready quickly.

"Is Deirdre well?"

"She was when Lady Ayra and Lord Shannan took her for a tour of the camp." Why must water take so long to boil? It was a shame I could do the same trick Arvis and Azelle could with flames. But I… I couldn't. "Regardless of what you said, do I need to come back later?"

"No, no, since if you're here, and it's not about the patients or Deirdre, then it must be what you wanted to talk about yesterday before I got us lost. We've delayed long enough, and I'm sure Ethlyn wants more time to think of synonyms for 'idiot brother'." He grinned and kissed the top of her head; Lady Ethlyn promptly, if half-heartedly, whacked him in the shoulder. "See?"

"If you are certain..." I looked at Lady Ethlyn, wondering if she felt slighted. But Lady Ethlyn simply smiled, a touch rueful, but a smile nonetheless. "I have tea making for you, Lady Ethlyn, so please drink it. It should help with the headache I'm certain you have."

Lady Ethlyn perked up at the thought, and waved us goodbye as we stepped out to join Prince Jamke. Then, it was straight to my tent, not allowing anything to distract us. To my slight relief, the inside was the same as yesterday, with my bags in the corner and the small table still set up. I had wondered if I would need to find the papers again, but quickly discovered they, too, were almost exactly as I had left them. The only differences were they were weighed down with something heavier, a dagger I most definitely did not own, and a small note in spidery scrawl was left next to them. I picked it up to read, and found myself smiling at the words: 'I did not want them to be blown away, so I used something heavier. -Finn'. He truly was the sweetest. I'd need to return the dagger to him later.

"This is what I wanted to discuss," I explained, setting the note and dagger to the side. Then I handed Prince Jamke and Sigurd the list I made of the symptoms. "These are the symptoms experienced by those who were hit by the magical assault. Those marked with one star are symptoms most victims complained about. Two stars represent the particularly bad cases, and three stars are the ones only felt by those who eventually died."

"No wonder you described it as an epidemic," Sigurd noted, glancing through before giving it to Prince Jamke to hold. Prince Jamke read it much more carefully, tapping one of the last ones on the list. I had a feeling I knew exactly which one: the bone-breaking pain. It was... a very distinctive symptom. That was why it had been the key to all of this. "If anyone else had told me, I think I would've had their head examined."

"I treated them and still feel like I hallucinated half of it." Still, that wasn't the point of this meeting. If it were only this, I could have simply told them. "If you are both finished with that list, I would like..." I found the list of symptoms written by Evans's doctor and handed it over to them. Prince Jamke took it directly this time, holding the two papers side-by-side. "I would like for you to read this."

"This isn't your writing, Alicia." Of course Sigurd noticed that detail immediately. "Yet, the list is near-identical." Sigurd and Prince Jamke both frowned over the lists. "It's not Ethlyn's or Edain's writing either, so who wrote this?"

"These are the notes left behind by Evans's primary doctor." I spoke quietly and softly, and both men stiffened instantly as they figured it out from just those words. Still, I continued. "They are the symptoms experienced by those who suffered from the plague which ripped through the castle town a year or so ago, and all the medicines they tried to cure them." I looked to Prince Jamke then, noticing how pale he had turned. This... this was the main reason I had wanted to tell him. No matter my... less than cordial feelings for him, I truly believed he needed to know. "You mentioned Evans's previous lord had attempted to look into those rumors, yes?"

"He had..." Prince Jamke answered slowly, his voice tight and shaking. He looked over the notes, as if seeking some sort of difference between them, something which might suggest a different conclusion. Sadly, he did not find one anymore than I had. "The plague killed him, and made it impossible to send messengers." His grip tightened on the pages, enough to crumple the edges. Sigurd rested a comforting, and steadying, hand on his shoulder, his own expression grave. "But these symptoms... match the attack we suffered yesterday." His hands shook and his grip tightened further. I worried he might rip them on accident, and wondered if I should take back the notes Evans's doctor left. He could rip mine as much as he wanted, but I did not want to lose those precious notes. "It wasn't a plague at all."

"No, it was not," I confirmed sadly. They had been attacked, viciously, to keep the truth hidden until everything boiled over into war. I wondered how it hit so many. Did they cast it individually? Did the spell mimic a real poison which they used instead? Did they cast it in the water and somehow it lingered? I doubted I would ever learn. "Considering everything, I can only conclude Sandima is behind both incidents. Here, he wished to demoralize us."

"Whereas in Evans, he wanted to force us to war. To force us to suicide against Grannvale's armies. Why?" That was certainly a question. I did not know why Sandima would manipulate so many if he was only searching for Deirdre. Could he have hoped the chaos would mask the search? Was it revenge for the hunts? "Another answer I need to rip out of his lying throat, it seems." Prince Jamke was silent for a moment before he handed me back the lists. I set them on the table once more and absently smoothed them out. "This is dark magic, isn't it?" He guessed that quickly. "There are stories here in Verdane on how the Loptrians used their dark magic to drive a city into a frenzy, or drown them in pestilence. Had quite a few hunts sparked thanks to the latter."

"While I would never claim to be an expert in magic, given how this one is so outside my knowledge, I can only conclude the same." Deirdre had also confirmed it directly, but there was no need to say it when this would suffice. We didn't need anyone wondering how Deirdre knew. It would only make it harder for her to keep her secret.

"Right..." Prince Jamke closed his eyes. "I think I already know the answer to this, Lady Alicia, but who all knows?"

"If you are asking who knows the connection to Evans, then it is only us three." I glanced to Sigurd, and saw him thinking furiously. I had no doubts he was thinking the same as I was, how best to protect Deirdre's secret while also giving Prince Jamke as much information as possible to make sense of this dreaded mess. "If you are wondering about the use of dark magic, then it is us three and Deirdre. Sigurd and I discussed it around her." Though, truthfully, I would not be surprised if more suspected.

"I see." Prince Jamke was silent for a very long moment. "Already, there are stories among the Verdanites of how this war must have warped some of the spirits and, in their madness, they attacked anything and everything near." He spoke very slowly, picking each word with care. It did not hide how much his breath, and voice, shook. "I will encourage them further. We cannot let others know this is dark magic. I dare not think of how many would be hunted if it became known."

"This... would place more blame on King Batu," Sigurd pointed out softly, voice heavy with reluctance. I knew why; the more blame King Batu shouldered, the more Verdane would suffer for breaking the treaty. "Sandima-"

"My father made his choice," Prince Jamke immediately spat, the words like stones. When he opened his eyes, I saw they blazed with a quiet, sudden fury, one directed at everything and nothing. "Sandima may have manipulated the circumstances, but my father still made the choice. No matter what Sandima's crimes are, and they are many, my father must be held accountable. That is the price we royals pay, as our decisions affect the lives of hundreds." No longer did his words shake. He spoke clearly and concisely, and I slowly realized he had come to this conclusion already. He had already thought long and hard about all of this. The revelation of the dark magic only solidified his decision. "If Sandima wants to act a stereotype, let him. I will not let others use him as an excuse to slaughter innocents, and I think all three of us can agree there will be nothing but massacres across Jugdral if we let it be known dark magic was used here." ...Yes, it would. I thought the same earlier. "Sigurd, I know you are truthful and righteous. I know your reluctance is because you wish to give my people justice, and all the answers they so rightfully deserve." Prince Jamke looked over to him with a slightly broken smile. "But, in this case, I must beg. Let my father take full blame, to protect my people. My father's actions have spilt enough blood."

"I..." Sigurd winced, and I was certain it hurt his heart. But, eventually, he nodded. "I will yield to you, Jamke. You are the most injured party, and these are your people, not mine. I am rubbish at lying, but I will speak carefully. I promise you this."

"Thank you." Prince Jamke suddenly swayed and Sigurd quickly caught him. "Ah..."

"You need to sit down. We have a war meeting later, but there's still time." Sigurd may have glanced at me, but I was already in the corner digging through my medicine bag. "Alicia, do you mind...?"

"We should brew him this," I said, pulling out one of my tea mixes. It was one of Father Eirik's recipes, a calming mix useful for those who suffered a mental shock. "Do you think I can use some salt to also make him a salty tea?" He needed more than just 'calm'; he needed 'comfort'.

"Might as well take advantage of being the leader," Sigurd quipped with a wry smile. He wrapped an arm around Prince Jamke's shoulder and started to lead him out. "I'll get him to his tent, if you want to make it for him. If the kitchen staff hesitate, tell them I gave permission."

"I will."

It didn't take me long to make the tea. Truthfully, It took me longer to figure out where the kitchen tent was, but thankfully, Sir Arden escorted me when he saw me wandering. Even more thankfully, the cooks did not protest when I took some of their salt, even if they looked confused by the request until I explained it was for Prince Jamke. They kindly let me use a corner of the tent to make the tea, and Sir Arden graciously offered to deliver it, leaving me free to do whatever I wished. After a moment of thought, I decided the best use of my time was to return to the infirmary, and headed in that direction... only to find myself slowing when I caught sight of Lady Edain chatting happily to a bewildered, but elated, Deirdre. Now that I thought about it, I wondered if Lady Edain's odd friendliness was because she thought Sigurd was courting me. That would... make the most sense. No doubt Lady Ethlyn's cheer had been for the same reasons. It was... a little painful... to think about, but there was nothing to be done about it. It was what it was. So, I had best continue on to the infirmary and...

"Oh, Lady Alicia!" Just as I took another step down the path, Lady Edain happened to whirl and catch sight of me. "There you are!" she greeted me brightly, beaming even. I swore I saw sparkles shining around her once again. "Won't you have tea with me this time?" All my thoughts stopped at the question. I... I had just figured it out. It had made sense. It had made perfect sense. So, why was she asking me? Why would she? "Please?"

"...I fear I do not know much of tea etiquette, Lady Edain," I murmured, defaulting to my healer calm to hide how my mind whirled. She drooped at the perceived refusal, and I... "If you can forgive such, then I will join you." I made myself smile to hide my confusion. "Perhaps it will do the soldiers well to not see me hovering over the victims."

"You will?! Marvelous!" Lady Edain was back to smiles in an instant, and she clapped and laughed in palpable delight. Somehow, there were even more of the illusory sparkles around her. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun! I'll gather my things! You two meet me at my tent!" Then she was off like a bolt of lightning, humming all the while.

"Thank you..." Deirdre suddenly breathed, and I focused my attention back on her. She was distinctly pale, and she kept fussing with her hands and sleeves. "She ambushed me out of nowhere and asked," she mumbled. "I accepted out of shock, and I do dearly want to talk with her, but being the sole focus of her attention was making me queasy. I am not used to such... brightness."

"I fear I am not either," I admitted with a small, reassuring smile. She immediately smiled back. "I will gladly serve as your shield, though I am confused why she invited me."

"Well, you're very nice, very pretty, and very smart?" She said the words very easily, and I could only tilt my head at them. "I can think of many reasons, personally, but I won't list them all. For now, we should probably follow like she said, yes?"

"Yes, that might be good." I hesitated a moment before awkwardly offering her my hand. She took it quickly, and her smile brightened. "Let's find her tent then."

Lady Edain was a flurry of movement when we arrived, somehow completely rearranging her tent until it resembled a 'sitting room' as closely as a tent could. There were even cushions; I swore she materialized them from nowhere. Deirdre and I lingered awkwardly in the entrance way until she declared herself 'done', and then found ourselves seated around a small table while she brewed the tea. I offered to do it, but Lady Edain refused on account of my 'being a guest'. I... truly couldn't remember the last time someone made tea for me. The closest would be the medicinal teas Father Eirik would brew when I was ill and, even then, if I had the strength to pour it on my own, then I was left alone to do so. It was a very far cry from how Lady Edain sang cheerfully as she poured the tea.

"I apologize for no sugar, but I promise this is a sweeter tea, so it shouldn't be needed," Lady Edain 'explained' with a smile once all three of us had our cups. Her tea set was rather fancy, certainly the fanciest I had ever seen. It looked like something Arvis might try to buy me. Where did she buy it and how did it not break on the journey? "Ah, I really have none of the proper fixings..."

"Edain, please, don't fret," Deirdre reassured with a smile. She clapped her hands together to hide how they shook. "I don't know what you mean by 'proper fixings' anyway."

"Perhaps, but I do hope I can gather everything for the next tea. I really want to thank you properly. The stories you told me after you dropped me the apple helped soothe my rattled heart." Lady Edain's smile was as bright as the sun, and somehow, Deirdre's was even brighter. "Ah, right, Lady Alicia, I should mention Deirdre is..."

"Oh, she knows! Apparently, someone in the army dubbed me the 'apple fairy'." She also had told Sigurd and me she had spoken with Lady Edain. It hadn't been hard to figure it out from there.

"I think Azelle did, and you certainly look like a fairy with how delicate you look." Lady Edain laughed and Deirdre tilted her head. "I'm saying you're very beautiful, Deirdre. Probably the prettiest in the army."

"Th-that isn't true!" Deirdre's face went bright red. "You and Alicia are right here! Then there's Ethlyn, who is the absolute most adorable person I have ever seen."

"Isn't she? She's been that way since she was a baby. I threatened to steal her from Sigurd when we were small. Since it was back when Sigurd tried to emulate Byron too much, all stoic and everything, he tried to pretend he didn't care." Ah, was this what Sigurd meant when he told Arvis how Lady Ethlyn once thought he hated her?

"Sigurd? Stoic?" Deirdre frowned as she tried to imagine it and shook her head. "That seems... not him."

"It's really not. He overcompensated and once sent Ethlyn running away in tears." Lady Edain sighed, smiling slightly. "She ended up slipping down an embankment, if you can believe it, and got herself caught right by the river with all these sharp rocks. Sigurd spent hours looking for her, and actually ended up confined to his bed because of how mangled his legs got."

"His legs?" Deirdre's eyes widened. "Wait, from the rocks?"

"Ethlyn was trapped by sharp rocks and fast water, so Sigurd waded in to carry her to safety. After running around like a maniac trying to track her. He stopped trying to be the stoic after that. Much too difficult." Lady Ethlyn grinned when Deirdre smiled a sweet little smile. "Yes, he's been the knight in shining armor since we were little. Always running into trouble. I didn't think anything would top him running into a burning building to save Ethlyn when she got trapped, but invading another country just might do so."

"Invading? But that implies conquest, doesn't it?" Deirdre tapped her cheek in thought, and Lady Edain gave me a surprisingly bitter look. I could only smile slightly in commiseration since, technically, we did conquer Verdane. We had no intentions of doing so, but we ended up taking control. It was not a comfortable feeling for any of us. "Ah, never mind that. Burning building?"

"About four years ago, Ethlyn was visiting Sigurd at the Academy in Belhalla when it caught fire and she ended up trapped on one of the upper floors. Despite common sense, Sigurd rushed inside to find her. Eldigan followed him, and ended up with quite the nasty burn on his upper back and shoulder when he shielded Sigurd from some falling beams." Lady Edain turned more fully towards me with an impish smile. "It's rather similar to what happened to Lady Alicia back in Marpha." ...I wished I could deny it. "But that's a different story. How did we get onto this topic?"

"Ethlyn's adorableness?" Deirdre gave me a worried look, but I shrugged it away. All was fine now. Mister Finn only had a small scar from it. "Wait, no, I remember! I was talking about how everyone here is pretty!"

"Ah, yes, I said you were the prettiest."

"And I say that is nonsense! Ignoring you two and Ethlyn, there's also Ayra! She's-"

"Why did I hear my name?" Lady Ayra, it turned out, was right here and poked her head into the tent at that precise moment. Lady Edain jumped a little in surprise, while poor Deirdre squeaked. "Dare I ask?" she asked dryly, looking distinctly unamused. "I am morbidly curious."

"We were talking about how pretty you are," Deirdre mumbled, mostly out of embarrassment than anything. Lady Ayra's face immediately blanked. "A-anyway, what brought you near? Did we bother you?"

"No, I was just looking for Lady Alicia and happened to pass by. She's not in the infirmary, you see, so I have no idea where else..." Lady Ayra trailed off when she noticed Deirdre looked right at me. "Ah. You're here."

"Is everything well?" I asked, concerned. Was Lord Shannan hurt? He had seemed fine earlier, but he was still learning his limits. "Should I-?"

"No, no, as far as I know, everything is fine," Lady Ayra reassured quickly. She almost seemed amused by something, but I had no idea what the joke could be. "It's just my paranoia. You did disappear for a night, after all." Lady Ayra shifted so she was standing a little straighter, holding the flap open. "First time you weren't easy to find."

"My apologies."

"For what?" Lady Ayra shrugged it off. "Regardless, that was all, so I will-"

"No, no, stay and join us!" Lady Edain suddenly insisted, waving her in. Somehow, she pulled another teacup from thin air, or her sleeve, and set it down across from her, between Deirdre and me. "We're just relaxing and having tea."

"I... what?" Lady Ayra 'replied', stunned. Then she rapidly shook her head. "Oh, no, I barely have enough manners for Isaach's tea, much less Grannvale's."

"I don't care about such things. It's not a proper tea anyway; I have no sweets nor fixings as I was just bemoaning." Lady Edain poured the tea for her. "Sit, sit!"

Not even Lady Ayra could win against Lady Edain's enthusiasm. She tried, of course, but before long, Lady Ayra had joined us, sitting on another cushion I was convinced Lady Edain materialized from nothing. Conversation paused as we all drank our tea, and it was interesting to note all four of us held our teacups differently. Lady Edain pinched the handle with her index finger and thumb, resting her other fingers against the cup to balance it. Deirdre looped all her fingers around the handle, and held the cup with her other hand as if afraid to drop it. I rather casually held my cup with one hand, three or four fingers around the handle, because I was used to multi-tasking. Lady Ayra, at least at first, ignored the handle entirely and picked up her tea by the cup itself. As one could expect, she set it back down quickly, with a scowl.

"Is the tea not to your liking?" Lady Edain asked politely as soon as the cup hit the table again. Lady Ayra glanced at her, while Deirdre pulled her supporting-hand away from the cup to check how reddened it was from the heat. The answer was 'very'. "I fear I do not have much of a selection, but..."

"No, the tea is fine," Lady Ayra answered, eyes flicking down to the tea. She touched the side once more, frowning. "I did not expect it to be so hot so quickly. Your teacups heat too fast."

"Do they?" Lady Edain looked surprised. "Are they not like this in Isaach?"

"Mmm..." Lady Ayra studied the teacup thoroughly, taking the question as seriously as she did everything. "In terms of design, I think these are a little thinner. But, truthfully, there's a specific crafting technique used to keep them from heating and cooling quickly. We could pour boiling water in them and then carry the cup immediately with our bare hands." That was interesting. Why would they come up with the trick? "I do not know much about it, as I am the farthest thing from a craftsman, but according to our stories, a fairy taught our ancestors in the aftermath of a natural disaster, when they struggled to bring hot water to field medics."

"Ah, so it was developed to help with cleaning and sterilization?" I asked, my interest thoroughly piqued. If our own were like this, it would help greatly with triage. "Does this technique also keep things warmer for longer?"

"I believe so," Lady Ayra answered, thinking carefully. After a moment, she actually dipped her finger into the tea. "Yes, it did. In Isaach, trying that would have scaled me."

"Please refrain from purposely hurting yourself in front of two healers."

"Is it not the best time?" Though she sounded serious, a slight, mischievous smile crept onto her face. "You could heal me quickly."

"Not during teatime," Lady Edain 'corrected' with far more dignity than necessary. She quickly grinned to show she was joking. "Unless someone is dying, no one is healing during tea." Lady Ayra gave her a look before pointing to me. "Yes, not even Lady Alicia. It's a rule of teatime."

"We sure she'll obey?" Lady Ayra asked dryly. I... tried to decide if I should be offended or not. "Given how much she works?"

"I think we can enforce it between the three of us." Lady Edain was all smiles. "Now then, so the teacups in Isaach are different. I never would've expected that. I know there's different types of cups, of course, but I thought they were all made the same."

"To be fair, I think it's something with glazing and firing, but don't quote me on it. As I said, I'm no craftsman." Lady Ayra tilted her head then and leaned back to push the flap of the tent open. "I think I hear..."

"Heeeeey, Edaaaaiiinnn~!" The sing-song call heralded the arrival of Mister Dew, and was the only warning any of us had before he hopped inside the tent. "Whoops, forgot manners again," he laughed, clearly not repentant at all. Lady Edain's answering giggle hinted she didn't mind. "Anyway, have you seen Lady Alicia, Lady Deirdre and Lady... Ayra...?" Mister Dew blinked slowly, perhaps realizing for the first time Lady Edain had guests. "Oh, you're right here. Convenient!" He plopped down between Lady Edain and me, with a bright smile. "Message from Lord Sigurd. He wants you three at the war meeting." ...He wanted me at the war meeting? "The one that's happening... now."

"A war meeting already?" Lady Edain asked with a frown. She sipped her tea, equal parts confused and displeased. "Surely it's not that late. I would've thought Sigurd was still placating Ethlyn and Quan."

"Think Lord Sigurd used the meeting as a distraction." Mister Dew shrugged. "And like I said, by now it's probably started. Couldn't find anyone, for once. And I thought Lady Alicia would be the easiest."

"Oh, and I finally got to have tea with her too." Lady Edain sulked, but made a point to ruffle Mister Dew's hair. "Why must duty have such terrible timing?"

"Mister Dew, are you certain Sigurd sent for me and not Lady Edain?" I asked, mostly because there was no way to answer Lady Edain's question. At Mister Dew's nod, I found myself frowning. "That is strange. Lady Edain usually serves as a healer's voice at such meetings." Lady Edain had some training as a knight, after all, before she decided to change vocations. It gave her a unique insight into battle planning, one I frankly could never have.

"Perhaps it's because you figured out how to treat our patients?" Lady Edain suggested with a smile. The thought only made me frown more as by this point, Sigurd was well aware I 'figured out' nothing. All I did was use the notes left behind by a dead person. "So, you could provide a unique insight into the assault?" That was also questionable, but it did help me remember one key thing. I was one of four people in the army who knew about the dark magic. Did Sigurd want my help in case we had to talk around it? Though if Deirdre was also there, then perhaps I was asked to be her shield. "Regardless of why, it's probably not a good idea to keep everyone waiting. I'll watch the patients."

"Very well, then." At this point, protesting would probably cause more problems. "I do not suppose I could at least finish this cup?"

"Oh, yes, go ahead!" Lady Edain's smile brightened until I swore I saw sparkles again. Maybe I should have someone check my eyes. "I'm so glad you like it! I'll be certain to make it for next time!" 'Next time', she said. But since this was likely going to be the final push of the campaign, I... doubted there would ever be a 'next time'.

There was absolutely no way I could say such a thing, so I simply smiled and finished my tea. Then, Deirdre, Lady Ayra, and I followed Mister Dew to the 'war tent', the largest tent in camp where all sorts of meetings took place. As Mister Dew had warned, discussions were well underway when the three of us entered. Sigurd was at the head of the table inside, with Lord Oifeye standing just behind him. Prince Jamke was at the opposite end, perhaps as a show of equality in leadership. Prince Quan stood on Sigurd's right, commenting about something on the map pinned to the table, and Azelle and Lex stood together next to him, listening closely. This left only the left side open for us three late arrivals and, after a moment, Deirdre shyly took her place to Sigurd's left, across from Prince Quan. Since she had a tight grip on my hand, I ended up next to her, across from Azelle, and Lady Ayra slipped into the remaining spot across from Lex and to Prince Jamke's left.

"Ah, I see Dew finally found you three," Prince Quan commented, his smile only slightly annoyed. Sigurd reached over to poke his arm, and Prince Quan scowled at him. "What? I'm not yelling."

"Quan, you can't be fussy about punctuality, especially when the meeting was called for at the last minute," Sigurd scolded, soft smile easing the words. At least, they eased them until said smile took a distinctly impish air. "Not everyone arrives two days early to a function, after all."

"I have told you a thousand times I misread the date!" Prince Quan's scowl deepend and Sigurd muffled a laugh. "Bah, this isn't the time for this. We were discussing how best to move forward."

"Yes, and we agreed follow Prince Jamke's plan. We will send some soldiers back to meet the bulk of our forces and check if they have been similarly attacked." Sigurd leaned over the table and traced out the path through the Spirit Forest. "Meanwhile, we will press on and establish a main camp once we are a day's travel from the castle. At that point, a small force led by Prince Jamke and myself will head to the castle in hopes of negotiating, while the main camp prepares for our reinforcements." Sigurd looked up at Lady Ayra. "Shannan will remain in the main camp. It's much too dangerous otherwise."

While I had no doubts Lady Ayra had some sort of reply, I didn't hear. Deirdre subtly tugged my sleeve then, and leaned in close to whisper, "why was he brought again? He's so very young."

"He suffers from panic attacks and simply does not feel safe until and unless he can find Sigurd, Lady Ayra, or me," I whispered back, remembering that particular discussion. The three of us had spent a good couple of hours debating it before finally deciding. Though, truthfully, there were more reasons besides the panic attacks, but...

"Poor dear..." Deirdre visibly drooped. "I wonder if there's some sort of token we can make to help him when you three simply cannot be reached?" Now there was a thought. I should ask Lady Ayra. "Ah, that's a discussion for later. What of these reinforcements?"

"Did we not mention it? Our army split into two, with the majority of our soldiers leaving a few days after us." So, assuming they traveled at about the same rate, they would meet the main camp in... three days. The question was 'would they join after everything was over or would they find themselves in pitched battle the second they reunited with us?'. "I think the talks are continuing. We'd better pay attention."

I was right. Not only had the talks continued, they had shifted to a new topic. "The main issue moving forward is going to be whatever the hell hit us," Lex was pointing out. The mood of the tent became heavy, and I noticed Prince Jamke and Sigurd shared a look. "I think we can all agree it was some sort of spell, but not one I know of. So..." I could see Lex piecing things together even as he talked. He knew more about magic than most would think, with Azelle and Tailtiu as his best friends, and he was far more clever than he liked people to think. Yet, to keep our promise to Prince Jamke, we had to minimize any talk of dark magic.

"I believe I've heard of a spell like this," I brought up, thinking very quickly. I couldn't lie. Lying here would undermine my intent, even if no one saw through it now. However, I knew from Arvis how one could tell the truth, and still have it be misinterpreted. I had a great amount of practice to keep him from worrying so much. "At the least, I know I've read of similar victims. So, while it is an unusual spell, it's not unheard of." No one needed to know I only heard of the spell yesterday, from Deirdre. No one needed to know what I read was the notes left behind by Evans's doctor. All I had to do was use words I knew were true, and hide behind my healer's mask to keep calm and confident. "Regardless, it is a spell, nothing more and nothing less."

"Well, nice to confirm it's not some new spell or anything, but it will still rip us to shreds if we're not careful." Lex sighed, but thankfully let the matter rest. "So, I think it does remain the main issue and the one we absolutely need a counter for if we're to make any sort of progress."

"W-well, I... I do have my Silence Staff," Deirdre explained softly, doing her level best to speak calmly. She still stiffened and paled at being the sole target of so many people's gazes, but I squeezed her hand under the table. "As the name implies, it prevents a person from speaking, so it can be used to keep mages from casting spells. It's best used on a single target within sight, but if needed, I can overload it for a broad-cast or attempt to follow the spell." There were several blank looks then. "Um..."

"All right, I'll be the one to interrupt because I have no qualms admitting I know nothing about magic," Prince Quan sighed, even raising a hand in 'surrender'. Deirdre immediately smiled sheepishly. "Where to even start with questions? Maybe the 'follow' part?"

"Ah, that is..."

"You mean 'follow the resonance', yes?" Azelle helpfully supplied, smiling a little. Deirdre immediately smiled back, relieved he knew what she was talking about. "Quan, when a mage casts a spell, their own magic is amplified by the tome. One can tell who cast what spell by sensing for the residual magic left behind. We call it the 'resonance' of the spell. This is how mages differentiate which spells are cast by friends or foes."

"Oh, I remember you and Tailtiu rambling about this now," Lex commented, mulling it over with a rather thoughtful look. "Think there was something about siege tomes being different when it came to it?"

"Not necessarily different. Think more 'amplification'?" Azelle's eyes were shining; I remembered how excitedly he wrote about his lessons. I would always write back he should be a teacher. "Sister, you sensed the same thing I did right before the attack, yes? The heavy and cold dread?" I nodded to confirm. I doubted I would ever forget anything about the attack. "What I think now is we sensed the resonance of the caster as the spell prepped above us. Siege tomes have a lengthy preparation time, and those who are sensitive to magic can sense it build, if they aren't distracted by other things." That was certainly one explanation, and I supposed even if I had no formal training, being of Fjalar's blood automatically made me 'sensitive' to it. "Because of that, though, it also lingers for a while. Makes it very easy to track or, in this case, have the staff's power 'follow' the resonance back to the caster. I imagine it will be weaker than a direct cast."

"It very much would," Deirdre confirmed with a smile and a nod. I could see some confusion still in the others' expressions, but they at least trusted Azelle and Deirdre enough to accept they knew what they spoke of. "It won't, however, break the staff like overloading would."

"Still would be dependent on the caster hitting us again, which I can't say I like," Azelle murmured, frowning thoughtfully. Even now, his eyes shone. "However, overloading might be too messy. It's like a Final Strike, but with staves."

"Final Strike?"

"It's a thing for Fjalar's inheritors. We burn our blood for a last burst of power, and turn the surrounding area into hell for friend and foe alike." He paused. "Well, overloading the staff is a little less messy, since if you're by the caster, you won't be touched. But otherwise, friend and foe alike will be hit in a radius determined by the caster's magical strength."

"Might be interesting to hear a battle without screams," Prince Quan quipped, more focused on the map than anything. I wondered if he was guessing how much 'range' Deirdre would have before realizing how ridiculous that would be. He hadn't seen her use any spells. None of us had. "Also, thank you for conveniently answering my question of 'what is overloading?'. With that said, you said the staff would break. Is it as dramatic as a Final Strike? They say naught but ashes remain."

"The staff fractures into pieces, but can be repaired," Deirdre explained, stepping closer to me for some reason. Her grip on my hand tightened. "There is no direct danger to the caster, save exhaustion, but the shards are sharp. I would no doubt mangle my hand."

"Well, we can't have that. That would make it harder for Sigurd to kiss it, and where will we all be without that bit of adorableness?" Prince Quan grinned at her, and she immediately blushed to the roots of her hair and ducked behind me. Sigurd, for his part, simply rolled his eyes. "So, best case is to get you as close as possible to see him and stop the assault. Is it possible for you to... damn it, what was the term? You and Azelle just said it."

"Follow the resonance?"

"Yes, that. Can you do it before the spell is fully cast?"

"Um..." Deirdre thought for a moment before nodding slowly. She was still behind me. "It's possible. If others can help me sense the build, then I would even say 'likely'."

"In that case, it might be worth it to bait out a strike," Sigurd murmured, looking over the map with Prince Quan. Prince Quan pointed to a spot on the road, and only then did I realize he had been speculating about this from the start. "Yes, that might work... Prince Jamke, your thoughts?"

"Might be better to be a little further north, if you want to try baiting," Prince Jamke said, pointing to a different spot on the map. I noticed there were fewer trees. "There's less cover, meaning he's more likely to take the bait, and we're less likely to get pinned by a tree. Remember, that spell hit everything."

"Fair point." Sigurd looked at me then. "How well did the antidotes work and how many do we have left?"

"According to Lady Edain, they worked very well, so we can treat this magic as a poison," I answered, thinking quickly. I would need to check the inventory directly, or have Mister Dew do it, but based on what Lady Edain told me... "It seems a single dose is enough to cure the worst of it. As such, we should still have enough for a small group." I worried of what we would do if the larger group had been hit. Were there plants in the forest good for treating poisons?

"We really had that much?" Lady Ayra asked, surprised. I didn't blame her. "With all the soldiers hit?"

"The ygg venom glands Lord Oifeye gave me in Evans were quite full, so I was able to make a very large batch." I smiled at Lord Oifeye, who had been silent through all of this, and was pleased to see his immediate shy smile and shyer blush. "We will not be able to supply everyone in the army, but as I said, we should have enough for a just in case scenario with our bait force."

"...I'm sorry, I got distraction by the 'venom' part." Lady Ayra stared for a moment, perhaps to see if I would take back the words, before sighing. "Medicine is magic. I will maintain this until my dying day."

That sparked a round of unexpected laughter, which lasted far longer than I would've thought for so serious a meeting. However, the laughs eventually faded to snickers and chuckles, and everyone mostly adopted serious expressions again. Only when everything was quiet did Sigurd speak again to continue the meeting.

"Alicia?" he called, turning towards me. "Will it be possible for you to follow our bait force?" Follow? Why would he... ah, no, I could piece it together. We had discussed numerous times our worry Sandima had hurt the nobles and servants within the castle. I knew Prince Jamke worried particularly for his father. Thus, Sigurd wanted me to follow to tend to any wounded within as soon as possible.

"I fear I will need at least one guard, just in case," I answered, already thinking of what I would need to bring. How would we split healing duties? Would Lady Edain remain behind in the 'main camp'? "I have no ability to fight."

"And you have a terrible tendency to fall into trouble." Was he truly one to say such? He jumped headfirst into trouble. "Lex, Ayra, can I count on you to escort her safely?"

"I was going to volunteer if you didn't ask," Lady Ayra replied, with a deceptively bright smile. I... I had a feeling by 'volunteer' she truly meant 'I would make sure I was the one no matter what anyone said'. I had no idea why, of course, but I could not shake the feeling. "I promise to not spark any arguments, Lex, if you won't."

"Aw, but it's fun arguing with you," Lex immediately 'complained'. He grinned as if he were joking, but I thought there was something serious to his gaze too. Did he actually find it fun? "But yeah, we can handle it, Sigurd." Perhaps the seriousness was only for the appointed task. It was hard to say.

There were a few more discussions afterwards, mostly clarification, and then the meeting officially adjourned with everyone dispersing to where they needed to go. After all, this was it. The end of this campaign was in sight. ...What would I do... when everything was over...?

Truthfully, many of us anticipated another assault before we left the Spirit Forest. It would only make sense. However, there was none. We made it through without trouble at all, and even the main camp was set up with minimal difficulties. All of our patients traveled well, and the majority of the victims of the Poison spell were even able to walk about on their own by the last day of travel. As such, I should have been spending my 'free time' studying and mending, as I always did. Today, however, I didn't.

"You want to make Shannan a toy?" Lady Ayra repeated, no doubt surprised by... quite a few things. For one thing, I had invited her to the tent I rarely used for tea to ask her this. "That seems... random."

"It is, but I promise there was a prompt," I explained, pouring her some tea. I used different mugs than usual, ones which were thicker than the typical tea cup, and hoped she'd like the tea. I knew very little of what kind she liked as she never drank any tea which wasn't medicinal. The tea Lady Edain served was the first time I'd seen her drink it for pleasure, and I never heard her thoughts on it. "During the meeting, Deirdre mentioned getting Lord Shannan-"

"You know; you saved his life. You can drop the title for him. And me, for that matter." Lady Ayra smiled ruefully, but there was a kind light to her eyes. "I'm not certain either of us would have made it this long without you and Sigurd. It rankles my pride to have you be so formal. I owe you too much."

"You owe me nothing. I never charge for my healing, and that includes debts." I sat down across from her. "Besides, tending to him has been a pleasure."

"You and Sigurd answer the exact same way." Lady Ayra laughed softly at it. "Before you ask, yes, I had a similar argument with him. So, I suppose I should use the same counter. It makes Shannan quite sad when those he likes use a title for him." That... oh, that was a low blow! "And if you drop it for him, you might as well for me."

"...I will agree if you reciprocate." I could tell I would lose this argument and none of us had time to fight a losing battle. "Ayra."

"Very well, Alicia." L... Ayra all but radiated smugness as she sipped her tea. I saw she gripped her mug by the cup part, not the handle, no doubt out of habit. "Now, what were you saying about Deirdre?"

"Right, during the meeting, I explained to Deirdre a reason why Shannan traveled with us instead of remaining safe in Marpha." She and I shared a look as we remembered another of our worries. Truthfully, we had feared it would not be safe for the Crown Prince of Isaach to be without his protectors. "Specifically, I told her about the panic attacks, since that is our official reason. She then wondered if there was some sort of token we could give him in those rare cases where you, Sigurd, and I could not be found."

"Or the slightly more likely scenario where all three of us are busy. Like when we were initially swarmed with refugees back in Genoa." L-Ayra drank more of her tea, thinking. "So, you thought to make a toy?"

"Yes?" Though the more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded. I had never made one before, after all, and perhaps more importantly, I had never owned one. I just knew from watching others such toys could be a comfort. "I can think of something else if you think it would work better."

"No, no, a toy sounds perfect. A stuffed animal, perhaps?" Lad... Ayra leaned back in her chair, smiling and nodding. "A cat or a dog would be perfect."

"Would it?"

"Yes." Ayra smiled softly, gaze far away as she remembered something. "It should be of no surprise, but animals are very... valued? Honored? It's hard to describe it. Maybe respected is best. They're very respected in Isaach, because our guardian goddess is Tiamat." I knew a few tales of her, mostly what they taught in the Church. One in particular was how Tiamat of Beasts became so incensed by the Empire's forces she completely eradicated them with the most innocuous of things: butterflies. Apparently, insects counted as 'beasts'. "As you can imagine, most of the fairies are also associated with specific animals, and many stories tell of their companion beasts."

"So, this is where the cat or dog comes in?"

"Yes. Hestia of the Hearth is associated with cats, dogs, and wolves." That was an interesting triad. "Hekate of the Crossroads is said to be accompanied by a pack of dogs and wolves." So, maybe a dog would fit best? ...I didn't have much confidence in making a dog. "Actually, go with a cat."

"I was just thinking the same." I had seen more cats than I had dogs, so I should at least get the general shape right. "May I ask why you think so? Does Lo..." Ayra frowned at me. "Does Shannan like cats?"

"Like most of Od's blood, he likes all animals. He used to chase after them to try and befriend them, but he can't charm them like Setanta. Then again, few could, even in his own family." She winced in pain from the memory and shook her head. "Regardless, I was thinking it would be something new. He had a stuffed dog back in Isaach, which we unfortunately could not bring with us." Ah, yes, a cat was much better then. "Besides, dogs are also said to accompany Morena of Death, and this is supposed to bring only comfort. Though Morena of Death is said to be-"

"Dogs accompany death?"

"Hmm? Ah, yes." Ayra nodded, smiling faintly. "Morena of Death travels between the realm of mortals and Neit's realm of the Dead, with a faithful hound at her side. A beautiful crow serves as their guide, while a wolf borrowed from Hekate of the Crossroads stands guard at the boundary." Ayra frowned suddenly. "I need to hear more of Grannvale's tales. None of Lex's stories mention anything similar."

"That might be more of Azelle's expertise, since this would follow under 'religion'." Lex, like most of his house, wasn't exactly religious and only knew the most basic of the stories. "I do vaguely remember hearing Neit's reapers are often heralded by a wolf's howl, though."

"Your people would not feel comfortable in Isaach then. Wolves are everywhere." She chuckled, finding some amusement in the thought. "Anyway, to return to the original topic, a cat would work best. Shannan doesn't need to be reminded of death, even if Morena of Death is said to be the gentlest of all fairies."

"Is she now?" I suppose it made sense. With death being inevitable, it was nice to think of its embodiment as something kind and gentle.

Talk meandered briefly to other matters, mostly to finish off the pot, but neither Lady Ayra nor I were skilled with small talk and, so, she left soon after it was empty. From there, I went to work, and realized very quickly I had chosen to undertake a very arduous task. After all, before this, I had only made blankets and dresses. Making a toy cat was completely different, and my task was made harder because I did not have a lot of material to work with. I had to use spare paper for my notes to draw out my patterns, and I ended up snipping one of my dresses to have enough cloth and further removed the buttons from it to use as eyes. I didn't want to use things too threadbare to use for patients, after all. I wanted this to hold up at least for a little while. Besides, it was just a dress. I could do laundry more often to make up for its absence. This way, the threadbare cloth could fulfill another use: stuffing. Though I had to undo some of my stitches to place the stuffing inside as I had... forgotten the first time, for both the head and body. This was after, of course, I nearly forgot to stitch a face on the cat's head and somehow sewed one of the button eyes backwards and had to cut the threads to fix. I was just glad I had decided to make the head and body separately. It made it easier to stuff.

"Lady Alicia, where... wow, you're actually in your tent!" Around the time I was finally stitching the stuffed cat's head to its body, Mister Dew poked his head in. "Then again, I guess there's no infirmary for you to work in instead," he noted absently, glancing around curiously. His eyes immediately fell to the cloth scraps and mangled dress at the foot of my chair. "Uh... did the dress need an amputation or something?"

"No, no, though I shall further reduce it to scraps later," I answered, more focused on my stitches. There was no reason to waste perfectly good cloth, after all. I wasn't certain how good it would be for bandages, but it would be perfect for patches. "I needed decent cloth, so I took my scissors to it."

"Decent cloth? For...?" Mister Dew peered at the toy cat. "To make a kitty?"

"I'm glad it's recognizable." I shrugged. "But yes, I needed it for the cat. I'm making it for Shannan."

"You are?" Mister Dew blinked slowly, and an unreadable look flitted over his face for a second. When I blinked, though, he was back to his grin. "I'll go get him then!"

"Pardon?" Before I could think twice, Mister Dew was off like an arrow. "Ah..." This was... he wasn't truly going to fetch Shannan, was he? ...Yes, he was. Mister Dew was like that. If he said he was going to do something, then he was going to do it no matter what. "I... need to clean." I also needed to finish stitching this head on!

I had no idea how in the world I managed. But somehow, I did. I finished stitching the head, gave it a couple of tugs to prove the stitches were strong enough, and then I rushed about my tent to hide all the random scraps of cloth and paper lying about. The mangled dress ended up shoved under my blankets; I certainly had no time to properly cut it down. My sewing kit was jumbled into its usual container, to be sorted through later, and I had just forced it shut when Mister Dew returned.

"I brought him~!" he half-sang as he burst in, a breathless Shannan trailing and wobbling after him. "Okay, maybe we went a little fast for you." He helpfully steadied Shannan and I immediately gave my chair over to him. "Sorry..."

"N-no, it's fine," Shannan immediately reassured. It would have been much more convincing if he were not swaying, but he stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. I let it go for his pride, and got him some water. "I've missed running."

"We'll do shorter distances next time. Build up stamina." Mister Dew grinned and ruffled Shannan's sweaty hair. "But Lady Alicia, we're here!"

"So I see," I noted, perhaps a touch dryly. Mister Dew only grinned more, even as Shannan looked at me curiously. "Well, Shannan..." I trailed off, both because of how awkward I felt and because I worried he'd be upset I dropped the title. Shannan's immediate bright smile, however, hinted he had wanted me to drop it for a while, much as Ayra had said. "I... have a gift for you." Before I lost what little nerve I had, I handed him the toy cat. "I apologize for the roughness. I've never made one before, you see."

"You made this for me?" Shannan asked softly. His eyes sparkled and he crushed the toy cat to his chest in a giant hug. "It's so soft..." Well, I would hope so. I liked my dresses soft.

"Yes, it's a... let's call it a 'reassurance'." I crouched down to smile at him. "I'm not certain if anyone has told you yet, but for this next operation, Sigurd, Ayra, and I will have to go ahead. Deirdre worried about the panic attacks you have and suggested making you something to hold in case you have one while we're gone. So, I made you this."

"To help me feel safe, even if I can't find you..." Shannan smiled at first, but it faltered. "Does... does that mean you're going away?"

"We're just going ahead." Of course, when this was over, he'd leave me behind, but I wouldn't point that out yet. He still needed a healer, after all. "If all goes well, you'll see us within the day."

"Promise?" Shannan freed a hand and held out his pinky. It took me a long moment to remember the concept of 'pinky swears' I had seen others do.

When I did, I awkwardly hooked mine around his. "I promise."

"...Okay." His smile returned, a little hesitant but sweet. "Then I'll hug this real tight until I can hug you. Thank you so much, Alicia!" He hopped off the chair then, still squeezing the toy cat. "Ah, I should show Aunt... wait, no, Deirdre first, since you said it was her idea. Then Aunt Ayra and Lex!"

Shannan raced off before I could stop him, and I worried about his stamina. I even thought about following to make sure he didn't collapse. But I ultimately chose against it, to not hover and smother, and because I had another concern. Mister Dew had not moved from his spot by the table. He just stared after Shannan, even after the flap of my tent closed and it was impossible to see him anymore. I could not parse out the look on his face as he stared. There was something hard to it, but also something sad and lonely. I again thought of the brief, complicated, expression he'd had when I first told him about the toy, and a single thought slowly wormed its way through my head. So, I returned to my blankets and pulled out the remains of my dress to study.

"Mister Dew?" I began, even as I mentally calculated how much cloth I had left. It wasn't a lot, but perhaps... "Do you... want a toy too?"

"Huh?" Mister Dew blinked a few times, jolted from his thoughts. "Uh..." Once his brain caught up with his ears, he squirmed. "It's not... necessarily the toy," he mumbled after a moment. "I'm... well, I was just thinking... guess maybe a little jealous? I grew up on the streets. Don't have any memories of parents and all. So, I was thinking if this is what family's like and..." He trailed off, unable to find the words he wanted to stumble over. "I'm happy for him, and I definitely am glad he doesn't have to go through what I did. But... um..." As he said, he was jealous. Why wouldn't he be? He was jealous, because he wished someone had treated him kindly in the past.

"Mister Dew." I hesitated before resting my hand on his head. "You never actually answered my question." He jumped under my hand, but did not move, so I decided to stroke his hair. "I cannot change your past. I'm not certain I would even if I could. Your past made you into the sweet boy you are today." I crouched a little so I could look him in the eye. "However, I can help with the present and future. I cannot give your past self a toy, but I can give you one now, if you want it. I'm not very good, mind, but I will gladly make it."

"..." Mister Dew was silent for a long, long moment before he whispered, in the tiniest voice I ever heard, "can I... can I have a bird?"

"You will have to help me draw the pattern, but of course, you may."

Mister Dew sat with me the whole time while I sewed, watching with sparkling eyes as the bird slowly took shape. I would not call it the best by any means, but his smile when it was finished was worth everything and more.

Very early in the morning, just as the dawn unfurled through the night sky, the initial/bait force left. It was terribly small, consisting of only Sigurd, Deirdre, Azelle, Lady Ethlyn, Prince Quan, Prince Jamke, and Mister Finn. Since I was awake anyway, I saw them off with a wave, and finished my own preparations. A couple hours later, when the sun peeked out from the horizon, I left with Ayra and Lex.

"The kid really didn't need to wake up so early to see us off," Lex commented, once he was finally awake enough to converse. He was very much not a morning person, and it had taken quite some walking before he was coherent. It made me glad the three of us had to walk, with him leading his horse, as I did not want to think of how he would ride while so tired. "Won't that hurt his healing?"

"Shannan is used to rising with the sun," Ayra explained, smirking ever so slightly. I think it amused her to see Lex so groggy. "His lessons usually started early. Besides, Alicia gave him morning check-ups."

"I thought those were after her morning rounds."

"What time do you think those were?"

"Long before I woke, obviously." Lex grinned and Ayra rolled her eyes. "He seemed nervous when he watched us leave. Kept clutching that stuffed cat." I had to admit; it had been both validating and embarrassing to see him holding it so close.

"I... fear my having to leave him behind to fight in Genoa left wounds on his spirit." Ayra noticeably drooped, exhaustion creeping in. She herself was not fully recovered, truthfully, but she was slowly regaining her strength thanks to her practicing. "He told me not to leave, and I did anyway." Then he had been thrown into the dungeons where Sigurd found him.

"...He'll be fine. He's perfectly safe. Oifeye and Dew are with him to keep him occupied, and Arden will remain in camp to protect everyone." Lex looked down at me, then. "You're very quiet this morning, Alicia."

"Isn't she always quiet when she's not talking to a patient?"

"Yeah, but she's literally walking between us and we're talking over her head. Well, I'm talking over her head. You're talking in her ear." Well, yes, she was. Ayra and I were of similar heights, and few were as tall as Lex. Most those of Dozel were quite tall and broad. "Actually, how did she end up in the middle anyway?"

"I wanted my right side free in case I have to draw my sword, and you have a horse."

"Fair." Lex reached up to pet his horse's neck, and I marveled at how well-behaved it was. Arvis's horse would've tried to eat the leaves and grass multiple times by now. "Still, we should drag her into the conversation! What's a good topic?" Lex made a show of thinking before scowling playfully at me. "You pick, Alicia. I know you like healing, doting on children, tending to your patients, and apples. Oh, and making teas." He paused. "Did I ever thank you for my tea mix? And did Azelle write about how Tailtiu was so happy about hers she danced about the room for a solid twenty minutes and we had to bullshit an excuse to Bloom since no one was supposed to know about you?"

"I fear I'm still confused by some aspects of that whole situation." Ayra shook her head. "Especially why your brother would agree."

"I already explained about Victor, Ayra." He did? When did this happen?

"No, I understand that part. I even mostly understand why she hid." Ayra shrugged. "Just... why would your older brother agree?"

"It's what I wished, so Arvis yielded," I explained, not certain why it was so confusing. It seemed straightforward to me. "He usually listens to me. I am the more stubborn of us." Since I did not want to discuss it further, I looked up at Lex. "You told her about my family situation?"

"Well, I wasn't going to let Azelle traumatize himself again over it," Lex answered bluntly, with an expression of 'no regrets'. "You clearly didn't want to talk about it either."

"I'm more curious on 'why'."

"Oh. She asked."

"I see." I turned my attention to her, and noticed Ayra look away sheepishly. "Then I suppose the next question is 'why did she ask?'. I will guess it has something to do with the gossip I avoided."

"There was a lot of chatter about it, kept quiet because Sigurd would glare at anyone who openly brought it up." Of course he had. He respected my secrets. Ironically, that was exactly why I had told him, and only him. "Ayra was wondering about the fuss and, more importantly, was worried there was a threat to your safety."

"Oh, I would've tended to Shannan regardless."

"Do I really appear so single-minded?" Ayra suddenly muttered, a disconcerted expression on her face. I tilted my head curiously, but she simply shook her head. "I know I made it abundantly clear Shannan is my priority, but..." She paused and then shot a glare at Lex, who grinned in response. "Not a word, Lex. Not one word." Lex actually started whistling innocently. "I mean it! One word and I'll-"

A sudden cold dread slammed into my bones right then, and I brought a hand up to silence the both of them. Both immediately tensed and looked around, with Lex tightening the grip on his horse's reins and Ayra dropping a hand to her sword. I made myself look up, just as before, and felt ill when I saw black light and darker fire slowly twist in the cloudless sky to form the outline of a skull. Unlike before, though, that was all it managed. A single blossom of silver mist twisted in the middle of the skull before it fully formed and dispersed it in an instance, sending a cloud of black spiralling back to the castle in the distance. As it faded, so too did the cold dread, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized what it meant. Deirdre's Silence had worked.

"Good, their theory worked," Lex mumbled, smiling proudly at the now empty sky. Ayra made a curious noise in wordless question as she relaxed, and he shrugged. "I definitely don't understand the details, but I do know Deirdre and Azelle stayed up late theorizing and plotting the most efficient way to use that resonance thing. Last-minute panic and all."

"Indeed, they were up so late, one could almost call it 'morning' when they finally finalized their plan and went to sleep," I confirmed, shaking my head in remembered exasperation. The two had used my tent for their work, so I had brought them tea and snacks multiple times through the night. I had also tried multiple times to get them to sleep, to be well-rested for the operation, but no, they decided to keep working. "This is why both were still half-asleep when they marched." They'd been so tired Sigurd and Prince Jamke actually discussed delaying a day, but worry for what Sandima might do led them to continuing anyway.

"Yet, somehow, despite you getting even less sleep, you were wide awake to see everyone off." Lex sighed gustily and I could only shrug. He... was not wrong, after all. "Never thought I'd see someone who could rival Arvis and my old man as a workaholic, but you just might be the champion, Alicia."

"Regardless, it seems all their planning paid off." I couldn't wait to tell Arvis. I knew he'd be thrilled. "We best hurry and catch up."

Lex rolled his eyes, noticing my clumsy deflection easily, but he let it go. Instead, we walked in silence, moving just a little faster to sooner catch up. I knew I wanted to praise Azelle and Deirdre directly, and I was certain Lex was eager to tease and cheer Azelle. Poor Ayra was forced to move quickly simply to keep up, but the smile on her face hinted she didn't mind. Perhaps she had her own reasons. But for our moods to be so high during an operation, we honestly should've realized things would become far too complicated. And it did, not long after we finally stepped out of the trees and into open sky.

Prince Jamke had described the area frequently and extensively these past few days, as it was the best suited for the 'bait' part of the plan. It was a short stretch of land between the Northern Spirit's Ring, the trees which surrounded the Spirit Forest but for some reason were not part of it, and the Royal's Blood, the forest which surrounded the castle town itself. By this point, since the spell had been successfully dispelled, it should have been a peaceful stretch with, perhaps, a brief pause to enjoy the sunshine. Yet though we did pause, it was not to rest. It was out of shock. There... were soldiers. There were soldiers, but they did not block our path. They did not head towards the castle. Instead, they chased after a large group of people, the ground bloody and muddied. If we had delayed even two seconds, we might have only seen the churned mud.

"...Ayra, can you handle escorting Alicia alone from this point?" Lex asked softly, already knowing what had to be done. He checked his saddle, tightening a few straps as he had not planned on riding today, with grim, steely determination. "If I remember the map, they're heading straight for a dead end." With those forces, it would be a 'dead end' in multiple senses if they didn't receive assistance immediately.

"I can, but will you be all right?" Ayra asked, watching him work. Yet even as she asked, even as she watched, she took my hand and began leading me down the path towards the castle. "You aren't... what weapon did you bring?" It took me a moment to remember why this would be a problem. Lex hadn't planned on battling today and, thus, only brought a single, basic ax. His stronger axes were hidden with the bait force's supplies because we had foolishly assumed he would only fight when we caught up with them.

"You think I'll need something stronger than an iron ax for that lot?" Lex scoffed and Ayra rolled her eyes. "Unless they're magic users, the Nal blood will protect me long enough for you two to get to the others." He looked down the broken path, where the soldiers had already disappeared from sight. Lex... he would have to ride fast to catch up and overtake them. "When the hell did this happen? There's no way Sigurd would've pressed onward if he knew."

"Sounds like Sandima pulled a trick once his main weapon was neutralized." That was the only explanation. Did the others even know? "Just... take no stupid risks, Lex." Ayra hesitated before adding, "Shannan wants to hear about the righteous thieves again."

"He does like that one, huh? I'll tell him it again once we're all safe in the castle. Promise." He swung up into the saddle and, as carelessly as you please, waved goodbye. "And speaking of promises, I'll try not pull any arrows out this time, Alicia." He better not! "See you soon!"

He would, of course, use that as his farewell, and there was no time to linger. As soon as he rode off, Ayra drew her sword and raced down the path to the castle while still holding my hand. I tripped quite a few times, not able to keep up between her speed and my distinct lack of athletic ability, but I did not complain. Speed was necessary. At this point, the castle was closer, so we had to reach there as soon as possible to let them know. I could only hope someone could be spared. What if they couldn't?

We reached the castle town with minimal trouble, save for my aching legs and burning lungs. The town, however, was empty. It was empty, devoid of any life, and I wondered if the civilians here were the soldiers' prey. Ayra and I slowed a little, just enough to look around for anyone or anything. But neither of us saw... anyone. We looked and looked, and only saw what remained. A baby's sock was crushed into the mud. A child's doll was caught on a splintered barrel. A shoe was left on the threshold of a house. A jacket was hanging on a doorknob. Doors were left wide open, as if no one even had a chance to slam them shut.

"What... happened here?" Ayra whispered into the dead air. Though we should have kept running, for Lex's sake, dread made our steps heavy and slow. "When did this... wait." All at once, Ayra yanked me directly behind her and brought her sword up. "Someone is near." Someone was actually alive in this ghost of a town? I would say wonders never cease, but it didn't take long at all for the 'someone' to run around a nearby corner and reveal themselves to be Mister Finn. "Ah."

"Oh, you're... here already," Mister Finn noted awkwardly, forcing himself to relax. He'd brought his spear up as soon as he saw us, before realizing just who we were. "Wait, where's Lord Lex?"

"Protecting some civilians who were being chased. Or, well, I'm assuming civilians."

"So, that's where they went." A dark look crossed over his face, but he shook his head. "I... was sent to meet you on the road. We... we found King Batu." His tone was heavy, forcing his words to slow. Unease gripped my heart. If they were seeking me, he must still be alive, but in what state? "This way, please."

Mister Finn led us quickly, walking at such a brisk pace I had to jog to keep up. Ayra continued to hold my hand, to keep me from falling behind. The castle itself was... we walked right in, with no one stopping us, because it was as empty as the town. Our steps echoed in the halls, adding to the uneasiness swirling in my heart. What had happened here? What would we see? I tried to think of anything and everything, but came up blank. There were just too many possibilities.

Finally, we made it to the throne room, and found the others. Sigurd, Deirdre, Azelle, Lord Quan, Lady Ethlyn... they were all here. I didn't know their exact locations in the room, but I knew they were there. I suspected Ayra even talked to them, to relay why Lex was not with us. I didn't pay attention. I couldn't. All of my attention went to Prince Jamke on the floor, cradling his father to his chest, and as soon as I saw King Batu, I let go of Ayra's hand to rush over. I might have slid a little as I crashed down beside them, but I didn't care. I didn't care about polite greetings or anything. All I cared about was King Batu's condition and it was more horrifying than anything I could ever imagine.

Externally, King Batu's condition appeared simple. He was pale from pain, had difficulty breathing and talking, and had no strength to sit up on his own. There was a single pair of wounds near the heart, as if something had bit him, with barely any blood. One might even think he could recover. But it was just a facade. Internally... internally, he was rotting. I had no other way to describe it. His organs, his bones, his very blood... all of it was thick and heavy with necrosis. He shouldn't have been conscious. He shouldn't have been alive. But he was. He was, and he fought to stay awake, stay alive. More than that, he fought and struggled to talk, when only wheezes and choked gasps could creak from his throat. This was... beyond anything I had ever experienced or read. There was nothing I could do. There wasn't a way to fix this. There was nothing left to save.

"...King Batu..." I whispered, leaning in so he could hear me. His eyes immediately snapped to mine, desperate and searching. There was a plea there. "Do you want to sleep?" I heard Prince Jamke gasp above my head, but I paid him no heed. If I did, I might have missed King Batu's very slight shake of his head. Though, I could've guessed the answer anyway. Someone who wanted to 'sleep' would not struggle when in enough pain to drive ten people mad. "Then do you want to feel no pain?" His answer was even slighter, but he nodded. "Very well." It hurt my heart, to know this was all I could do, but I rummaged through my bag and found my strongest pain relievers. Automatically, I tried to calculate the dose before realizing it didn't matter. He was already dead. Neit had both hands on his shoulders. He was just... He was just waiting for King Batu to say what he desperately needed to say.

So, I didn't bother measuring. I simply opened the bottle and slipped an arm around his shoulders to help him drink. He coughed up a good bit. Given how his lungs were failing, it didn't surprise me. But he eventually got enough in him to take effect. His breath evened and his face was no longer scrunched so tightly. He even managed a smile, born from relief and gratitude.

"Father?" Prince Jamke called, noticing the change. I set the bottle down by me and devoted myself to 'pouring' as much of my magic as I could to 'make up' for the lost vitality. All I could do was buy time, but I would buy as much as I could. "Father, are you...?"

"A... temporary measure... as the young lady here... knows..." King Batu managed, his breath already turning ragged from just those few words. But at least he could speak now. "Sandima landed... quite the blow." Prince Jamke's head jerked towards mine, his expression begging me to refute the statements. But I could only shake my head and disappoint him. There was nothing anyone could do. I wasn't certain even the Valkyrie Staff could save him. "Kind of her... to ask what I wanted... before the end..."

"Father..." Prince Jamke's voice shook as he looked back to his father. "Please, you can't..."

"I am sorry... you must atone... for an old man's... foolishness... but you must... nonetheless." King Batu's smile warmed and, somehow, he mustered enough strength to reach up and pat Prince Jamke on the head. I had no idea how. "I let myself... be led astray. Let Sandima... abuse my trust. Let him win over... my eldest two. All so he could... seize control of... Verdane..."

"He wanted Verdane? Why?"

"For their plot... they wish to rebuild the Empire of old... they blight the world from the shadows... infect every corner... and I fell for their trap..." King Batu coughed violently then, blood splattering against Prince Jamke's armor. More blood dribbled down his chin and his neck. "I failed. I failed Verdane. I let myself be afraid... and I failed my people." Still, despite the blood, he kept smiling at Prince Jamke. "You'll... make it right, though. You'll... protect them. I know... you will... my sweet and wise son... my pride and hope..."

If this were a story, he no doubt would have died right then. But he didn't, of course. No, he said all he wanted and let his body slowly but surely collapse until finally, my magic no longer took. When that happened, I pushed myself up and stepped away to give Prince Jamke some sort of privacy to cry over his father's corpse. When I did, I found myself glancing at Sigurd and Deirdre. Deirdre did not return the glance; she was too busy silently crying into Sigurd's chest. But he locked eyes with me over her head and I could see the pain and worry in his. I wondered if he saw the same in mine.

Silence fell then, with no one wanting to break it. It was too heavy, too hard, and too sorrowful. But we had to. Someone had to. There... there were still many things left to do.

"We have to find Sandima," Prince Quan noted softly at last, tossing off the shroud of silence. I glanced around and noticed Ayra, Azelle, and Lady Ethlyn were all absent. "They left to reinforce Lex, Lady Alicia, while you were... buying King Batu time." This left a very small group to search an entire castle, then, and we had no idea what we would find within. Was it truly as empty as it felt, or were there more like King Batu, dying in utter agony? "But we cannot end this without Sandima's corpse."

"It might be best for me to set up a temporary infirmary then," I suggested, glancing again at King Batu's corpse. He was still smiling, even in death. "Perhaps I can use the courtyard?" Hunting for the castle's infirmary would waste time I could use to prepare instead.

"Yes, that'll work."

"...That will work especially since we do not know what traps Sandima would've left," Prince Jamke suddenly whispered. Prince Quan jumped at the sound, and I barely kept myself from doing the same. I... truthfully, I thought he would be oblivious to the world for a while longer. "We know the courtyard is safe, though. We walked right through without problems." Prince Jamke gently set his father on the floor, and stood up. Though he still cried, his eyes were as hard as steel. "How do we want to split up? No one should search alone with this bastard still running amok."

"Are you certain you...?" Sigurd began, rubbing Deirdre's back. It looked like she almost had her tears under control, but she still needed a few seconds. "You can..."

"I need to move. If I stay still, then none of it will feel real. What better way to move than to hunt him down?" Was I the only one who found the sentence disturbing? It was hard to say. "Please."

"...If you say so, but do not push yourself." Sigurd glanced at Prince Quan, who nodded. "You'll be paired with me, and Deirdre will go with Quan. Finn, can you escort Alicia to the courtyard?"

Taking the words as a dismissal, I smiled at Mister Finn and the two of us left the four to plan who would search where, and how often they would meet up to discuss. The corridor was... quiet. It shouldn't have been surprising, but I had become used to Marpha and Genoa, where even empty corridors had some sort of noise drifting from down the hall or through windows. It felt like we were walking through a tomb, and the thought made me ill. I hated graves. I hated graveyards. Was this how Verdane died?

We had just made it to the 'entrance hall', with the front doors in sight, when Mister Finn suddenly stopped and looked around. "What is it?" I asked, curious. From what I could see or hear, nothing was... more amiss. The silence and stillness were abnormal still, but there was nothing else.

"I thought I heard something?" Mister Finn answered, turning slowly to try and see what he might have heard. After a moment, though, he shook his head. "I do not hear it anymore nor do I see anything. I must've imagined it, being so desperate for some sort of noise."

"Are you certain?" I knew how keen his hearing was. It was certainly better than mine.

"Mmm..." He shrugged with a rueful smile. He wasn't certain, but he also wasn't certain he heard anything. "I don't think it's worth wasting your time. We should head outside." Mister Finn led the way forward, and we continued on, passing by some decorative pillars. "Do you want to set up in an open area, Lady Alicia, or-?"

It happened all at once. There was the barest flicker of movement in the corner of my eye, and suddenly there... there was blood. There was blood everywhere. There was blood everywhere, because someone had stabbed Mister Finn in the back and ripped it across.

"Finn!" I caught him as he buckled, bringing my staff up so I could heal him. I had barely managed to stitch the skin together, though, when someone yanked me by the hair. I didn't know who; all I knew was they wore long, dark robes. They were strong, too. Despite me digging my heels, determined to heal Finn even a little more, they dragged me down the hall with little effort. The last thing I saw before we rounded the corner was Finn desperately trying to stand, only to slip and fall in his own blood.

My captor, whoever they were, didn't care. They quickly adjusted their grip so they held me tightly and, despite how much they wheezed above my head, they moved with easy haste. They even managed to yank my staff out of my hands and throw it down a random hallway, though they clipped my arm in the process. A quick assessment proved it was shallow and would heal quickly, but in the meantime, I could use my blood as a trail. I thought about screaming, but just as before with Prince Munnir, my throat closed up and no sounds escaped. I was perfectly silent and calm, just as a healer should be, even in this situation.

Eventually, my captor's wheezes turned to mutters and, surprisingly, a laugh. "Finally, Silence has faded..." they breathed. The words made my thoughts freeze. If they had been the target of Deirdre's Silence, then this had to be Sandima. But how did Finn and I find him when the others went looking? "Damn that Baldr brat. What is with that line and causing trouble? Even their god is the one our lord hates the most." ...Loptr hated Neit the most? Why? That wasn't in the stories. Wait, this wasn't important. "Now, where's that damn staircase?" Stairs? Why would he be looking for stairs? Did... did he need to be high up to cast his spell? With Silence faded, he no doubt wanted to try again. So, he had grabbed me and...

Finally and firmly realizing what was going on, I brought my bleeding arm up to keep from leaving a trail. This made far too much sense now. If this was Sandima, then he intended to use me as a hostage. Either the others would hesitate to attack, or he could use me as a shield if Deirdre landed another Silence. Given the stories, I supposed it was even possible he planned on using me for a sacrifice. It didn't matter, of course. No matter what he planned, I would not be used. Truthfully, given how we were alone, I could solve the problem here and now, but I chose against it. I remembered how quickly Marpha's castle had caught flame, how quickly the fire had spread, and I did not want to risk any who might still be within the walls. Since he dragged me up a staircase fairly quickly, I knew I had the time to wait. Siege spells took a while to charge; I could ignite my blood well before he finished.

The staircase was narrow and winding, exactly as stories might describe, and it opened up to an endless, cloudless blue sky. A quick look around proved we were on the roof of one of the castle's towers, having a beautiful view of the vast forests dotting the landscape. A second, more thorough, look proved there was nothing flammable near. It was just us two on the tower, though when Sandima twisted to look around and sheathe his dagger, I saw there were three people on the opposite tower, just barely in my sight. From the hair colors, I guessed Deirdre and Prince Quan were on the tower's roof, while Prince Jamke climbed onto the roof of the castle for some reason. It didn't matter. Like this, I was relatively certain it was safe. I did worry flames might scream down the staircase, but as it was, there was nothing extraneous near. With Sandima more focused outward, hunting for targets, I doubted he would notice the temperature spike until it was too late.

That was my plan. I came very close to pulling it off. I could feel the fire crackling and bubbling under my skin. But I had forgotten something. There were only three people on the opposite tower, but there had been four people searching.

"Alicia!" And Sigurd burst onto the same roof as Sandima and me just seconds before I released my Final Strike.

"Ah, so here's the conquering knight, filled with righteous fury!" Sandima mocked, turning to face him. I quickly aborted the Final Strike, and bit back a hiss as blisters erupted up my not-cut arm. It was much worse than last time, but then again, this attempt had been much further along. If Sigurd had been two seconds later, my blood would have ignited and he... he would have been caught in the blaze. The thought chilled me to my bones. "Such an honor to meet so glorious a hero."

"I fear my lack of skill in lying keeps me from reciprocating," Sigurd returned cooly, his eyes blazing with the 'righteous fury' Sandima mocked. He had his sword unsheathed, but kept his distance. "Sandima, I presume."

"The very same. And you must be Sigurd, the shining paragon come to save the savage Verdanites from their own barbaric ways."

"What savages? What barbaric ways? I have seen neither. Verdane is a very beautiful land, filled with wonderful people, and remains as such even after you tried to poison them from within." Sigurd's eyes narrowed. "The only savage is the walking stereotype for dark mages I see in front of me." I felt Sandima stiffen briefly, and when I glanced up, I saw a half-second of pure, unbridled rage before it all smoothed out into the mocking mask. "Let Alicia go, Sandima."

"And lose my best shield?" Sandima scoffed, his grip tightening on me as he took a step back. "I might consider it if you drop the sword. I shouldn't need a shield if you're unarmed, yes?" So he said, but he hid his free hand in the folds on his cloak and a dark light wrapped around his fingers. It was a spell, prepped and waiting for the final, verbal, component of the casting. "What do you say? You wouldn't want her to fall, would you?" Yet I knew, the second Sigurd let go of the blade, Sandima would strike and kill Sigurd. Perhaps it would even be the same spell which killed King Batu.

I would not be used. I would not be used against anyone, much less someone I cared about, and Sandima had made a mistake. When he had stepped back, he had put us right by the edge. So, I reached up to grip Sandima's arm with my bloody hand and threw myself, and him, backwards, right off the tower.

Sandima shrieked in my ear, a loud and piercing noise one could only make when they realized they were about to die. I made no noise at all, despite being uneasy by how 'weightless' I felt when my feet left the ground. Sandima's prepared spell went flying as we toppled, striking some distant wall. I didn't know which; I only knew it missed Sigurd. He lunged forward, free hand outstretched as his sword tumbled out of his other hand, no doubt to try and catch me before we both fully fell. I brought my hand up to bat it away, not wanting to risk Sandima using me as a rope or anchor. As I did, though, something 'whished' past my ear. Something wet hit the back and side of my neck. Sandima stopped screaming, and his grip on me loosened.

In that state of surprise, Sigurd successfully seized my hand and yanked me back onto solid ground, falling in the process. I fell with him, and he immediately enveloped me in a tight hug, his cape wrapped around us both. Still trying to process everything, I twisted just enough to look back at Sandima, wondering why he had stopped screaming, and caught sight of the arrow in his face before he dropped out of view entirely. Then, there was nothing. There was no sound or anything. There was just Sigurd and me on the top of the tower, both seated on the ground while he held me.

"I do not think I have been so terrified in my life," Sigurd eventually breathed above me, tightening his hug. My head was cushioned against his shoulder, and being so close, I could feel him trembling. "Blessed Neit, is this what Eldigan and Quan go through each time I do something reckless? I need to apologize properly."

"Sigurd, what are you doing here?" I asked, still not quite processing everything. In fact, the only thing I could process was how much my arms hurt. "The others are on the opposite tower."

"Finn hobbled and limped his way towards us to report what happened. Based on it, Jamke identified your kidnapper as Sandima. Deirdre then deduced he would head somewhere high, so he could cast Fenrir or Poison as soon as possible once Silence wore off."

"This does not explain why they are there and you are here."

"I split off when I saw the blood on the floor." He loosened his hold on me just enough to look at my arms. Belatedly, I tried to sit back, to keep my blood from staining his clothes further, but he wouldn't let me. "I suppose I could've shouted to the others to let them know, but I wanted to save my breath for running. I feared you'd pull a Final Strike as soon as you deemed it safe, so I wanted to find you as quickly as possible."

"...You did?" That was... a surprise. How had he...?

"When you explained why you hid your Mark, you said you will not be used. You said it with conviction, with the same fire in your eyes as when you are healing. So, it was not hard to guess what you would do if you were in a situation where you could neither hide nor run." One of his hands fell on my blistered arm, his expression so pained one might think he was the one burnt. "I was right. I felt the temperature build as I raced up the stairs."

"That was dangerous. You could've been caught."

"If it meant saving you, I didn't care. Losing a friend would be much more painful." He managed a smile for me, but I could see the fear in it still. I had... truly terrified him. "Thank you, by the way, for the heart attack when you threw yourself off. Really, I do love my heart stopping."

"If you like such things, we should have Deirdre smile more at you." The teasing was out before I could bite my tongue, and it startled a laugh out of him. "However, I am cross you put yourself in such danger."

"More or less cross than I am with you for being so willing to burn your life?" He scowled, and I had no idea how to reply. "So, how about a bargain? I won't risk being immolated by a Final Strike if you don't attempt to use it again."

"Sigurd..." I had no idea what to say or even how to argue. "...Fine, I suppose it can be a bargain. It can even be a promise."

"Perfect." He smiled in relief. "Of course, it would be better you didn't end up as a hostage. Again. How many times is this now? Two? Three? No, wait, I'm thinking of the fire. Though wasn't there another... right the damn church." It took a long second to remember he was referring to when Lord Oifeye, Sir Midir, Sir Arden, and I had been ambushed in the abandoned church before they took Evans. "I should hire a guard for you, clearly." While that could be amusing, the campaign... was over. So, there was no need for a guard. I would no doubt be left behind while they...

"Alicia!" Deirdre's call startled me, and Sigurd lifted one arm so Deirdre could slide underneath and throw her arms around me. "Oh, thank goodness, Jamke took the shot!" she half-sobbed in my ear. Without thinking, I returned the hug to pat her back, but I quickly dropped one arm when I remembered the blood. I didn't want to stain her hair. "Ugh... listen to me! Are you hurt? You are, aren't you? Were you scared? Are you all right?"

"Deirdre, I do need time to answer," I pointed out, shifting so I sat a little more comfortably. Sigurd dropped his arm so he hugged both Deirdre and me, and Deirdre pulled away just enough for her to press her hands against my bleeding arm. "I will be fine. I am much more worried about you, at the moment. How quickly did you run?" The other tower was quite some distance! How long had Sigurd and I sat here in silence?

"Not quick enough!" She made some whimper-sympathy noise I could not fully describe when she saw the blisters on my arm. "Oh, you were burned too? When did that happen? Did he drag you too close to a torch?" ...Right, so, how was I supposed to explain to Deirdre the blisters were from an aborted Final Strike? There was no way I could. Yet she peered at me so worriedly...

"How in all the hells did you run up those stairs so quickly?" Thankfully, salvation came in the form of Prince Quan, joining us at last. He seemed... surprisingly out of breath. "You took the stairs down the other tower ten at a time, but did you jump up the ones here in the same manner?" he asked dryly, shaking his head. Deirdre simply shrugged and went back to hugging me. "Well, however it was, we should head down. Jamke is doing a patrol of the castle to see who all lives." He stepped around our group hug on the ground and held a hand out to me. "Let's get you bandaged, Lady Alicia."

"Yes, that is probably a good idea," I murmured, though I did not take his hand immediately. I had to first determine which arm hurt less to move, deciding eventually it was the bleeding one. The cut was almost fully scabbed by now anyway. "I am worried about..." That was when I realized something terribly awkward and even more embarrassing. "Ah."

"What's wrong?"

"I... can't move my legs?" I could feel them, of course, and I doubted I suffered nerve damage. In fact, I could wiggle my toes just fine. I just... couldn't move them. "If you give me a moment..."

"Denied." With that, Lord Quan actually picked me up! He just scooped me up with no trouble whatsoever! "You're not spending a second longer up here." He adjusted his grip and headed for the stairs. "Sigurd? Deirdre? At least one of you needs to come with me to get the doors."

Sigurd handled the doors; Deirdre was much too busy fussing over me. I had never been more embarrassed in my life, and vowed to never be carried again. Ever.

Prince Quan carried me out into the courtyard where I had first planned on setting up an infirmary, and to everyone's surprise, it was actually lively. Numerous people, most with some sort of bandaging, milled about to chat and weep and laugh. Lady Ethlyn hopped from person to person, group to group, hinting she, Lex, Azelle, and Ayra had returned and these were the civilians they saved. Perhaps if we had gone to her directly, as Prince Quan clearly planned when he started striding towards her, I could have confirmed it. However, I managed to catch sight of Finn in the crowd, sitting on a bench, and he immediately had all my attention.

"Finn!" Taking advantage of Prince Quan's surprise at my yell, and Sigurd and Deirdre's distraction by all the people, I managed to squirm my way out of his arms and fell-limped over to Finn's bench. "Oh, thank goodness, you're all right..." I whispered as soon as I reached him. He was terribly pale and stared at me with wide eyes. When I cupped his face between both my hands, I noticed he felt clammy. "How is your injury? Are you in pain?" What was I saying? Of course he had to be, with all the blood spilt. I should find a staff quickly and-

"I... I'm fine, Lady Alicia..." Finn mumbled, breaking eye contact. He didn't move away, though. Then again, this could have been because he was still sitting and I was standing over him. My legs worked now, mostly. "You... you healed me well. It was more than enough to keep me alive. Lady Ethlyn barely had to do a thing." That was a relief. Still, I should- "I'm sorry."

"You're... huh?" That was an eloquent response. "What for?"

"I... I couldn't protect you." I had a feeling his head would've dropped if I weren't still holding it. "I was to escort you and I failed. I'm..." HIs voice cracked suddenly and only now I realized why he had looked away, why he had stared with such wide eyes. He had... been holding back tears. Now, they ran free, over my hands and between my fingers. "I'm so glad... you're all right..." He reached up shakily and clutched one of my hands in his. My heart ached at how tightly he held it. "B-but I should be asking you those questions. Are you in pain? Lord Quan was carrying you and I see the blood and blisters."

"He's being fussy." I thought I heard some squawk of protest behind me, but I ignored it. "I should be checked for poison, of course, but my wounds only need bandaging." I smiled gently at him, wondering how best to soothe his heart and stop the tears. "Would you help me? I fear both my arms need it."

"Gladly!" He hopped to his feet and helped me sit down in his place. "I'll be right back."

"Thank you." ...Of course, only now I realized something awkward. "Ah, I should apologize."

"For?"

"Earlier and just now, I only called you by name."

"N-no, that's fine!" He smiled shyly. "I don't mind."

"If you are certain..." Still, it was rude to do so without asking. Therefore, there was only one solution. "In that case, I insist you reciprocate."

"B-But Lady Alicia!"

"Ah."

"...Alicia."

"There we go." I smiled up at him again, and his own became sheepish. "Bandages? I'll need some medicines too."

"R-right!"

There must have been a 'base area' for the courtyard where all medical supplies were stored as Finn had left and returned in what felt like a blink. From there, he carefully bandaged my arms, following my instructions carefully and doing his best to apply neither too much nor too little medicine. Though I remained in minor pain, I couldn't help but smile at how seriously he took it, and at how skilled he was. It seemed my lessons had benefited him after all. For one thing, he hadn't even needed to ask which medicines I needed; he'd known from those lessons. I would need to make sure to tell him how proud I was, before we said our farewells.

"Lady Alicia!" Around the time Finn finished bandaging my arms, Lady Ethlyn bustled over and immediately started fussing. "Quan told me everything!" she explained, carefully checking me over herself. I held still for her examination, and hoped no one had mentioned the Final Strike part. I didn't think I could bear it if Finn and Lady Ethlyn knew, after seeing how shaken Sigurd had been. "Not seeing any bruising, nor am I sensing any poison, but there's blood splatter on your neck..."

"I think it is Sandima's." He had been shot in the face, after all. Given my proximity, it would've been strange if blood hadn't splattered me. "As far as I am aware, only my arms are injured." They hurt, but it was not unbearable, particularly after Finn tended to them. "I am assuming these are the civilians you and the others saved, so what are-"

"Nope!" Lady Ethlyn swung around to frown at me. "Nope, no working! You are one of the injured today!" She wagged her finger in my face, nearly touching my nose. "I promise if there's something weird, I will come get you, but for now, you simply must rest!" I know I stared blankly at her, not certain on how to respond. What use was a healer who didn't heal? I wanted to be useful at least for a little while longer. "Finn?" She turned to face Finn, who stood at attention next to the bench. "Orders from your lady. Keep Alicia here, please." That was not fair in the slightest. I couldn't fight Finn, especially given what happened earlier. "I'll be back to check and chat, Alicia. Right now, I need to find Lex so we can report to Sigurd." She smiled sweetly and skipped off, her ponytail bouncing with each step.

I waited for her to leave before I turned to Finn with a slightly wry smile. "I do not suppose I could convince you to at least bring patients to me?" I asked, already knowing the answer. His immediate frown proved it. "I knew it, but felt it worth asking."

"Do you not frequently remind me, and most of the soldiers, about the dangers of overworking and over-training?" Finn asked with deceptive innocence. There was mischief dancing in his eyes, and I had to admit I was glad to see it. I still saw the remnants of his earlier tears, after all. "Like that patient with... what was it called again? Dew called it 'rhabdo'."

"Rhabdomyolysis."

"Yes, that."

"I suppose this means Sir Alec did not have to lecture you for training too much when I cleared you after Marpha's fire?" I, of course, already knew the answer. Sir Alec had told me directly, without me needing to inquire, in case Finn had worsened something.

"Er..." He blushed and looked away, seizing the first distraction he could find. "Oh, Lady Ayra! Over here!" He waved, and I bit back a laugh at how unsubtle he was being. "Alicia is sitting over here."

"And here I thought she'd be in the middle of working, despite the harrowing experience," Ayra replied dryly, stepping out from the milling crowd to join us. She looked me over with a sigh and frown. "We really need to get you a dedicated guard or something." She poked Finn's cheek when he drooped. "No, your only mistake, from what I heard, was not trusting your instincts." So, did Prince Quan tell everyone in the returning group, or had Finn told them himself earlier? "That comes from experience. But I can't fault you because if the victim were anyone else, I'd wonder at the odds."

"If the victim were anyone else?" I repeated, slightly incredulous. She made it sound as if I always found trouble.

"You've a record, Alicia. This is how many times you've been hostage?" Twice. It had only happened twice. "And it's worse when it's you because you don't know how to fight back and you're too duty-minded to even think about running."

"...I am not?" Even as I said the words, I knew them to be a lie. The exasperated looks on both Ayra and Finn's faces told me they knew it too. "I..."

"Weren't you only caught by Munnir because you rushed to check on Shannan yourself? I know your first thought after being rescued was to find and check on him." I liked tending to him? "Then you got caught behind a wall of flames because you went back into a burning building to check on your patients." No, the whole 'caught by fire' incident was because I recklessly went after Mister Dew. "Then, here, instead of trying to escape, you healed Finn."

"...I cannot run fast?"

"Really? You kept up with me well enough." Ayra reached over and poked my forehead for some reason. "Besides, you didn't even think of escaping." There hadn't exactly been a lot of time. "Actually, didn't you get hurt protecting Oifeye at some point? Swear I heard that."

"Where would you have even heard it?"

"Our resident storyteller, of course." Now who, pray tell, was that? "Speaking of him, Lex, get over here to reassure Alicia you kept your promise about the arrows." Why was she...? Oh, no, Lex was approaching us. This made more sense now. "Finally cleared to move? I already know you finished reporting."

"Yeah, and then Ethlyn insisted on giving me one last check to make sure I wasn't poisoned," Lex confirmed, flopping down on the bench beside me. He set his ax down across his lap and I found myself frowning at it. He didn't have it when he left us earlier. Had he stolen it from one of the soldiers? "But yes, I was a good little boy and did not yank out the arrows despite how annoying they were. Azelle, by the way, is still off on his patrol."

"Should I go look for him?" Finn offered, bowing slightly. Despite the formal tone, he grinned. "My lady did order me to ensure Alicia did not move from the bench, but I believe you two can handle such an arduous task."

"Hmm? Ah, I was wondering why Alicia wasn't running around healing people." Lex grinned back. I tried to decide if I should be offended or not. "Yeah, we can keep her still if you don't mind fetching him. Azelle was fretting terribly. Why he went on the patrol in the first place."

"Then I shall return anon." Finn bowed more formally and slipped away to do just that. I could only frown, more than a little disgruntled about the situation.

"I suppose the best way to ensure she listens to healer's orders is to keep her distracted," Ayra noted, doing her utmost to appear as serious as always. The shaking tone and dancing eyes belied her laughter, and I found myself sighing. Did I truly seem so much of a troublemaker? "So, how about that ax, Lex? Never did hear how you obtained it."

"Hmm? This?" Lex asked, gesturing to the ax in question. I studied it again and thought I sensed something... different about it. It was almost as if it was magic? "So, funny story. I caught up with the soldiers well enough, managed to fend off the first wave, but wouldn't you know it? I dropped my ax in the water while checking on the civilians. Before I could curse and figure out how to steal one from the rest of the soldiers, this lady appeared from the lake and asked if I'd dropped a silver or gold ax. I won't lie; I was tempted by the silver ax. But I hate lying, so I told her the truth. I did drop an ax, but it was just a simple iron. When I reached over to help her out of the water, though, she laughed, called me an honest child, handed me this ax alongside my old iron ax, then wished me well. While calling me by name, which is very weird because I had definitely never seen her before nor did I introduce myself during the strange conversation. Oh, and she dove back into the water and disappeared before I could ask any questions."

"...Huh?" Ayra stared, and I did not blame her in the slightest. If anyone else had told the story, I would have examined them for a head injury. In truth, I was still sorely tempted. But despite the flippant way he told the tale, Lex's eyes remained as serious as ever. "So... you got an ax... from a lady who appeared in the lake?"

"Yep."

"...Does Verdane have spirits living in their lakes?" Ayra became quite curious suddenly. "It sounds like something the fairies would do in Isaach." Lex, for his part, stared at her. "What?"

"Surprised you believed me that quickly."

"You don't lie. You just tell fun stories." Ayra stilled suddenly. "Wait, are you about to tell me it truly was a story you made up on the spot?"

"No, it happened. Just kind of expected something like 'did you hit your head?' first." Lex smiled sweetly at her, and Ayra glanced away. "Will also fully admit I didn't consider the possibility of the lady being a spirit. Mostly because I don't understand why a spirit living in Verdane would be interested in a random noble from Grannvale. Also, why would she live in a lake? Wouldn't it be cold and dark?"

"Why not live in a lake? If it was a spirit, judging them through human values would be ridiculous."

"Still..."

"Oh, did one of you meet the Lady of the Lake?" All of a sudden, Deirdre appeared with a bright smile and sparkling eyes. All three of us jumped at her sudden appearance, and I remembered how quietly she moved even in the forest. "Ah, sorry, I was coming to check on Alicia and overheard you talking of spirits and lakes," she explained, stepping back shyly. Ayra immediately waved her over to sit next to me on the bench, and she took it gladly. "Our Lifespring Lake is home to many spirits, but only one is known to interact with humans."

"This being the Lady of the Lake you mentioned?" Lex asked, leaning forward so he could speak to her face to face despite me being in the middle. This was... the second time I was in the middle of a conversation. It was a rather odd feeling. "Does she usually ask random people if they lost something?"

"She can. The stories say she delights in watching mortals, and those who particularly catch her eye are subjected to a simple test to prove whether or not she judged them correctly." Deirdre smiled warmly, and clapped her hands together. "No one knows why she does so. But those who prove her right always get a priceless gift, usually an item she has kept safe for years in her abode deep within the lake." So, they were items which were lost to the waters?

"Years, huh?" Lex picked up his ax to study it in the light. "Wonder how long she kept this one, then."

"Could be anywhere between a handful of years to thousands."

"Thousands?"

"Yes!" Deirdre giggled. "She is one of the oldest spirits, said to be as old as Jugdral itself. So, some treasures are just as old."

"...This is only making me question more why she bothered with me?"

"Why not?" Deirdre tilted her head, eyes filled with innocent curiosity. "You're kind, honest, and clever. From what Shannan told me, you also tell lovely stories. Why would anyone not like you?" There were... many ways to try and respond to such, and Lex's blank look hinted he had absolutely no idea where to start. Thankfully for his dignity, he didn't have to.

A few seconds after Deirdre's sincere declaration of Lex's virtues, a sudden hush fell over the courtyard, and all of us immediately stood to try and find the source. Lex, being the tallest, pointed to the entrance, and helped Ayra, Deirdre, and me stand on the bench so we could see the cause. Prince Jamke had returned at last from his patrol within the castle. Though he nodded and waved to those near, he didn't look at anyone. He only had eyes for Sigurd and everyone parted to give him a clear path. Then, of course, everyone clustered around with bated breath, all knowing the importance of this conversation.

"My apologies for my late arrival," Prince Jamke murmured, inclining his head slightly. Otherwise, he held himself tall and dignified, with only the barest traces of his earlier tears remaining on his face. "I had wished to confirm Sandima's death myself." He shrugged, smiling bitterly. "Yes, I shot him and yes, he fell from a great height, but I wanted to confirm not only the death, but that it was truly him." I wondered if there was a dark magic which let one cheat death? I couldn't imagine Neit of the Dead being happy about it. "Thankfully, the corpse rotting at the tower's base is him. He is dead, and he will no longer poison Verdane. Sadly, this came after my father's death, so uncrowned though I may be, I... am now the ruler of Verdane." He rested a hand over his heart and bowed low. "So, as Verdane's king, please, allow me to officially surrender, Lord Sigurd. Let us end this farce of a war."

"Gladly," Sigurd answered without hesitation. He held out his hand to Prince... to King Jamke, and King Jamke straightened to grasp it tightly. "I accept the surrender, King Jamke. Let us move forward to a new future, together."

Sigurd had barely said the words before everyone in the courtyard started cheering and crying. Some even collapsed to their knees, profusely thanking the gods and spirits that everything was over at last. I did not cheer with the others, too improper, but I could not help but smile at their relieved joy. Now, they would all be able to rest and heal. I couldn't be happier.

The war might have ended on that sunny afternoon, but the work didn't. Areas of the castle had to be scoured clean, while others could only be roped off due to damages. There was no chance of repairing anything; casualty reports had to be written first. As such, it was not until the rest of the army arrived, four days later, when the celebrations first began. When they did, though, they lasted far too long. We were on the third day and still, no one showed any signs of stopping.

"How can it be so hard to find the infirmary?" I muttered to myself as I walked through the blessedly quiet halls. They were a proper quiet, where I could hear the din of the ballroom but no longer be overwhelmed. "Is it not set up the same as Evans, Genoa, or Marpha?" All three castles had their main infirmaries in relatively the same areas, but when I checked, all I found were more soldiers drinking and playing cards. While I was delighted to see them having fun, it made things difficult for me. "Where even am I anyway?" Things were all the more difficult because I had managed to get myself lost. "Please do not let me find trouble. Ayra will never let me hear the end of it if I do." It had taken very careful planning to escape everyone's overprotective gaze. I barely had any privacy and I had never gotten so little work done in my life. If I were still bandaged, I doubted I would've been able to slip out at all, but thankfully, Lady Ethlyn had healed me fully yesterday.

Shaking my head, I continued walking, looking for some sort of marker to tell me where I was. The answer was, of course, 'lost in a foreign castle', but I could hope at least for a little while. Around the time I gave up, though, I happened to overhear some murmuring and headed towards it to ask for directions. There was no point in wasting time I could be using to make up for all the lost work and studying, after all. There was, however, a point to very quickly ducking back behind the doorframe when I realized the murmuring was Sigurd and King Jamke discussing something in a very pretty, surprisingly lacy room. The point was 'I was very awkward', but it was still a point.

"So, this was your mother's solar?" Sigurd was noting, glancing around the room. King Jamke smiled a little bitterly from his place by the window. "The layout is quite different from my own mother's. Then again, Mother rarely actually relaxed in her solar. She much preferred bustling about, when she wasn't running to someone's aid."

"Wow, sounds like a certain someone," King Jamke noted dryly. I carefully peeked inside, wondering if I could manage to sneak across the open doorway, but decided it would be near impossible. There was another door to the room, though, so I could only hope they left by it and did not see me. ...I suppose I could also simply go back the way I came, but I would still be very lost. "I wonder who."

"Father bemoans how much like Mother I am." Sigurd grinned, completely unrepentant, and King Jamke chuckled. "I point out each time he chose her as his wife, even breaking an arranged marriage to do so, and he goes back to his quiet grumbling. I know she gave him heart attacks, just like I do now. Of course, his grumblings only got worse when she died saving our people, but that is neither here nor there."

"So, that is how you lost your mother?"

"Yes, there was a landslide and she insisted on helping directly. Unfortunately, more rocks fell and she died shielding a child." Sigurd shrugged. "She knew the risks. It was her way to give everything and more to help those around her."

"I see." King Jamke closed his eyes and leaned against the window more. "Mine died of an illness when I was young. A true illness, not like what happened in Evans. Of course, she only caught it because she was volunteering at the healing houses, but that was my mother for you." He smiled sadly and looked around. "This place became my refuge afterwards. No one would bother me here."

"And... er... then I came to bother you." Sigurd colored and coughed awkwardly. King Jamke snickered. "I... do apologize for that. I saw you leave with a dark expression and wanted to check on you."

"Was my expression truly so dark?" King Jamke seemed surprised. "I... it's truly nothing, Sigurd. I simply needed to step away from the parties."

"Do they upset you? I'm sure I can find some reason to make them stop." Could he? It had been three days.

"Why would... oh." All at once, King Jamke smiled, a bright yet somehow terribly sad smile. "No, they do not upset me. They're not celebrating my father's death. They only celebrate the end of the foolish war he started. I know this and it doesn't bother me. If anything, I am as glad as they are it is over." He glanced out the window, his gaze unfocused. "No, I simply stepped away in fear of dampening the mood. This is a joyous occasion."

"...Perhaps, but..." Sigurd paused, thinking his words carefully. "You lost a lot. Your father..."

"My father's death hurts. It hurts terribly, and I will carry that pain for a long while." King Jamke's smile became a little rueful. "What surprises me, though, is how much I miss my brothers."

"Is it truly so surprising?"

"I told you. The one thing the three of us agreed on was how much we respected Father." King Jamke closed his eyes. "We argued constantly, even as children. They'd call me a coward for fighting afar with a bow; I'd call them idiots who only knew how to charge ahead. I'd pull pranks just to show off how smart I was, and they'd chase me around and hit me in retaliation. To say nothing of the insults we'd shout at each other. One time, Mother had to actually confine us to three separate areas of the castle for Father to get enough peace to actually work. We were awful to each other, never said two civil words to each other. And yet..." King Jamke sighed. "Yet, right now, I miss them. I miss them terribly. Isn't it strange?"

"I don't think so." Sigurd smiled awkwardly. "I think... I can't speak for them, obviously, but I'd like to think all of you cared about each other in your own way."

"Maybe we did." King Jamke was silent for a moment before snorting. "Or maybe I'm just wishing I had help fixing their last mess. Who can say? Then again, I think having their 'help' would be a detriment."

"I... really can't answer that." Sigurd shrugged and King Jamke simply laughed bitterly. "I... there must be a way to lessen the repercussions."

"I'd appreciate it, but we both know the punishment will be great. We broke the very treaty we wrote. It will take many years, maybe even decades, to win back that trust. If we ever." King Jamke sighed, shaking his head. "My only hope is that we keep our sovereignty."

"I will do everything in my power to ensure it, Jamke. You all don't need to deal with Grannvale's problems on top of your own." Sigurd shrugged. "Will go ahead and admit they might try to arrange a marriage for you, but we'll see if we can get around that too."

"I wouldn't mind." His tone implied he simply thought it another price to pay for failing.

"Yeah, but the most likely candidate who wouldn't immediately balk and faint at the thought is Edain, and I have spent far too long watching her sigh over Midir to let anything get in their way." Sigurd grinned and this time, King Jamke's answering laugh was bright. "Well, such things will be discussed later. I imagine there will be a lot of back and forth. Diplomatic matters always take forever."

"That they do. But we deal with it so our people don't have to worry about such tedious things." King Jamke suddenly looked at the other door and, for some reason, waved. "Prince Quan." Oh, thank goodness, he was at the other door. Maybe the three would leave and I could... er... wait, I would still be lost. But I didn't want to interrupt...

"Ah, there's two of the missing!" Prince Quan dramatically proclaimed, sweeping into the room. I almost thought he might be drunk, but decided he was just in a good mood. "You've been missed."

"My apologies, I needed to step away and Sigurd worried," King Jamke explained, pushing himself off the window. He then paused. "The phrasing implies there's more absent from the party? Who else left?"

"Lady Alicia." So, someone noticed. Oops.

"And you haven't checked the infirmary... why?" King Jamke looked almost exasperated. "Shouldn't that be the first place?"

"It was! And not only did I look there, but some of the soldiers gathered there specifically to shoo her off if she did decide to try and work." They did? Then maybe my original guess had been correct after all, and I... made things worse for myself by shying away from the crowd. "Nice idea, but unfortunately, it means she's wandering somewhere."

"After being taken hostage? And nearly dying?" There was no need to make it sound like the stupidest thing in the world. "Your healer has a remarkable lack of self-preservation."

"She has just as much as Sigurd."

"They both have a lack of self-preservation."

"I'm right here," Sigurd pointed out dryly then. Prince Quan's grin and King Jamke's shrug showed neither cared in the slightest. "Regardless, Quan, I'm going to stay out a little longer to enjoy a bit of quiet, but Jamke, you should probably head back."

"I... technically, I know you're correct," King Jamke mumbled, looking away. Thankfully, it was not at me, still hiding awkwardly by the other entrance. "I need to keep up appearances, if nothing else, but I still worry..."

"This isn't official, so no one will think much of you keeping to yourself."

"But..."

"If we're just keeping up appearances, you can watch the drinking contests with me," Prince Quan offered, smiling softly. Though my thoughts tripped over the 'drinking contest' part. Did... did we have enough hangover remedies? I'd left most of our stock back in Marpha! "There's three going on right now, and the winners will compete against each other. You'll look like you're participating in the festivities with minimal effort on your part." King Jamke hesitated before nodding slowly. At the least, he was willing to try. "Perfect. Sigurd, are you certain you'll remain out a while longer?"

"Yes, just for a bit," Sigurd confirmed, giving a warm smile. Prince Quan studied him for a moment before smiling back and nodding. "Give me some time to brace my ears for the inevitable drunken singing."

"Aw, but part of the fun is seeing you wince at how badly everyone sounds." Still, Prince Quan gestured for King Jamke to follow him, and King Jamke did so without another word. "If you're not back in an hour, I'm sending someone after you."

"Of course. I'll be somewhere near." Sigurd waved them goodbye, but surprisingly, he didn't move from the solar. Instead, he seemed to wait for something... before looking right at the doorway I was hiding by. "It's safe to come out now, Alicia." He grinned, and I could only step out sheepishly, trying not to drown in mortification. "Caught sight of your hair as you ducked back."

"Maybe that's a sign I should cut it," I muttered under my breath. His chuckle hinted he heard it anyway. "I... should apologize. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I just..."

"You went looking for the infirmary, got lost, followed the sound of voices to ask for directions, and then hid because you couldn't bear to bother us." Sigurd's grin grew wider and I could only frown at him. "I keep telling you; you can stand to 'bother' people more."

"I didn't say you were right."

"What part did I get wrong?"

"That..." There was no answer which did not involve lying or incriminating myself, so I could only keep silent.

"Thought so." He sounded so smug about it. I should look into a cure for smugness. "Here, let's take a walk. I'd rather not linger in a place so important to Jamke when he's not here."

He offered me his hand to lead me, and I took it without thinking. From there, we walked the halls, looking for somewhere quiet to talk. I had a feeling we wandered farther than the 'somewhere near' Sigurd had implied, but I didn't comment. I felt embarrassed enough about being caught eavesdropping. There was no reason to bring it up further.

"Ah, here's a good spot," Sigurd commented at some point, pushing open the doors of a balcony. The wind blasted us both, but he didn't seem to mind. "Here, take a look." He went immediately to the railing to look out. "The view here is beautiful." He was right. This balcony must be situated near the tower where Sandima died, since the view was almost the exact same. The only difference was, of course, it was night now. Yet the moonlight and sparkling stars only made Verdane look ethereal, not shadowed.

"It's hard to believe there were battles not long ago," I whispered, joining him by the railing. It was so very peaceful, looking from up here. But I knew the struggles many still had. Even the castle town here had suffered deaths. "It can heal now, right? The campaign is over, after all."

"Yes, though there's still far too much work to be done." He sighed and rested his arms on the railing. "You overheard part. The most vicious exchanges will be how Verdane will make up for the broken trusts and damages." Considering what happened in Yngvi, the reparations would be steep. "The most likely scenario will involve me being stationed in Evans as Verdane's watcher. I was the one who brought all this to light, so it will be my responsibility to see them through whatever probationary period His Majesty deems necessary." He made a face. "Ugh... it could be years before I'm allowed to return to Chalphy. I already miss my peaceful days there."

"So, they will not meet your bride yet?"

"Oh, Deirdre and everyone else will be allowed to come and go as they please. I'll be the only one ordered to stay." Given everyone's loyalty, I knew they would remain with him. "What about you?"

"Hmm?"

"What will you do? After all, you only agreed to stay with us until the campaign was over." He turned to look at me, and I pretended to be enraptured with the horizon to avoid his gaze. "Now, I know Edain wants to bring you back to Yngvi Castle with her."

"Pardon?" My... my thoughts stopped. Did I even hear him correctly?

"Oh, whoops, she told me to keep that secret until she asked you over a proper tea. Pretend to be surprised, will you?" He grinned, mischief incarnate, but my thoughts were still frozen. "Ah, but you could also go to Chalphy. I know Bishop Palmark would be delighted to have your help." My thoughts started again, only to whirl into nonsense. "Though, it wouldn't surprise me if you wanted to head to Velthomer to be with your family. This has been a hectic campaign, after all."

"Sigurd?" I... wanted to ask something. I knew that much. But what did I want to ask? I couldn't think of anything, much less that.

"Ah, but that sounds like I'm chasing you away!" He looked at me apologetically, oblivious to my mental dilemma. "You're always welcome to stay with me and everyone in Evans. Assuming I'm right about staying there, that is. Otherwise, you can join us in Chalphy, like I said." Did... did he just say...? "Just, you have options, many options, so I was curious what-"

"But you don't need a healer!" I blurted the words before I could bite them back. I was honestly surprised I made a coherent sentence with how much my head was spinning. What was he saying? I knew how this went. It was always the same. Once the ill were well, and the wounded were healed, they would leave and the healer would remain. So, why was he...?

"Er... huh?" Sigurd, for his part, finally looked as confused as I felt. "So, ignoring how castles tend to have their own healers for daily matters..." Oh. Right. I forgot that was a thing. "Is it weird to want to know where a friend is going? Or, well, if a friend is staying, but I don't want you to feel obligated to-"

"I can stay?" There. That was what my thoughts finally fixated on. The words were so incredible I had to have misheard.

"Hmm? Yes, of course?" Sigurd frowned, trying to figure out my reaction. "Truthfully, I know many would love it if you stayed. Shannan, for instance, was chattering earlier about how he wants to find flowers for your workshop."

"I can stay?"

"Yeees?" He must think I'm going mad. To be fair, I wondered if I was. "Where was I? Oh, yes, Oifeye and Finn would be delighted since they adore learning from you. Plus Dew mumbled something about reading lessons. So, if you stayed, you'd likely be their teacher again. Just as a warning. And..."

"I can stay?" By this point, I think Sigurd finally realized I was not repeating the words to prompt responses. I was repeating them because they were so... so... it never occurred to me I could stay. I was certain our paths would part here. I was certain they would say their farewells, I would say mine, and we would never meet again. Who would stay with a healer when they did not need her skills? "I... can stay...?" But Sigurd was saying otherwise. No, he was doing more than that. He was offering... no, even that wasn't correct. He was asking. He was asking if I would stay, and not because I was a healer. He just... wanted me to stay. Because we... were friends. Because we were friends.

"Do you want to?" Sigurd waited for my response, and of all times, my tongue was tied. So, I could only nod, hesitantly meeting his eyes at last. His answering smile was soft and happy. "Then we shall all live together, wherever we end up. It'll be fun!" Yes, it would. It would be strange, because everyone in this army was so very strange, but it... it would be very fun. "Hmm? Ah, Dei-"

"There you two are!" As if life decided I needed to be thrown more off-balance, Deirdre poofed out of nowhere, from my point of view, to link her arm around mine. "Everyone was looking for you," she explained, looking particularly pleased with herself. Though, her slight flush and the faint smell of alcohol hinted she may have been a little tipsy. "Is everything well?"

"Just fine," Sigurd reassured, leaning down to kiss her cheek. Her flush immediately deepened to a dark red, but she beamed up at him like she was the happiest girl in the world. "I was simply asking if Alicia is staying with us. Most likely in Evans, unless His Majesty surprises me."

"Oh, you are, right? Please say you are?" Deirdre looked at me so pleadingly that if I hadn't already decided, I would have right then and there. So, I smiled and nodded, this time with much more confidence. "Wonderful! We should plan how to decorate your room! It'll be fun!"

"Maybe she'll actually sleep somewhere besides her workshop if you decorate it, Deirdre."

"Eh?" Her eyes widened, and I could only give Sigurd an incredulous look, wondering how he knew. His only response was to grin, meaning I'd never learn. "Alicia! Surely, that's not healthy!" I was the picture of health, most days. "We are definitely decorating it now!"

"Shouldn't you plan on how to decorate the room you and Sigurd will share?" I asked 'innocently', soon rewarded by both of their faces turning bright red. It was terrible of me, but I had to admit it was fun. "Silver and blue flowers should be the motif."

"Alicia!" Deirdre immediately yelped, blush darkening. Sigurd's own blush faded slightly, replaced by confusion. Before he could ask, though, she rounded on him. "N-nothing! It's nothing!"

"Yes, it's just flowers." I smiled, and Deirdre sulked. Sigurd looked between the two of us like he wasn't certain he should believe us or not. "Deirdre, you said 'everyone' was looking for us?"

"Right, yes!" She rather blatantly started dragging me back to the grand hall. "Come on! We're supposed to be celebrating, after all!"

"Maybe I should just leave you two to head in alone," Sigurd teased, even as he fell in step. Somehow, I ended up in the middle of the trio. Again. "Continue to enjoy the quiet and all. Since you seem so eager to leave me behind."

"No, no, you must return with us!" Deirdre insisted with a laugh. She kept a tight grip on my arm, though, and used me as a shield to hide. "I... want a dance!"

"I will happily dance with you whenever and wherever, beloved." Sigurd laughed when Deirdre squeaked and hid behind me further. "Shall I demonstrate?"

"Please do so when I am not in the middle," I requested, trying to keep some sort of dignified calm. It was hard, but I managed. "I do not wish to be a prop."

"We can dance together!" Sigurd suggested easily. Deirdre immediately looked intrigued, but I shook my head. "Actually, this sounds like fun. Let's hurry to the hall!"

"Sigurd, Deirdre, I don't know how to dance."

"All the more reason to learn!"

I still had no idea how Sigurd and Deirdre managed to trick me into dancing, but by the time we made it to the hall, Sigurd had even plotted just what dance it should be. I managed to escape after the one, leaving Sigurd and Deirdre to dance off in their own little world, and I hid with Azelle and Lex for the rest of the joyous night. It was... like always, it was strange. They were strange. But I... I would stay with them, so maybe in time, they would become less 'strange'. Maybe in time, they would become my normal.

I would rather like that.

Ethlyn

Class: Troubadour

Skills: Critical

Holy Blood: Baldr Minor

The seventeen-year-old Princess of Leonster, formerly of Chalphy, she is noted for her kind heart, devotion to loved ones, and her stubbornness. This combination often means she refuses to back down from anything she sets her mind to, especially if the task at hand involves helping her family. She's particularly intent on helping her brother, Sigurd, as after an argument in their youth, he was always there to help her with anything and everything.

Her Mark is on her lower right leg, stretching from the outside of her ankle to halfway up her calf. It is difficult to tell if the sharp angles more resemble greaves or a wing. Due to inheriting the blessings of Neit, God of Death and the Dead, she has increased strength and skill. Those of this blood are also known for their uncanny luck, though not nearly as much as the famous Ullr luck.

She has been in love with Quan since they met when they were children, though she did her best to hide it to not make things awkward. Still, she always sought him out whenever she could and, to her delight, she found her feelings reciprocated. She had numerous serious talks with Quan, Sigurd, Eldigan, and her father about the dangers of marrying into Leonster's house, mostly the 'not-war' with Thracia, but she ultimately decided the chance to be with her love was worth the danger. It's a choice she knows she will never regret, especially after her precious Altena was born.

Chapter Text

Interlude – Path

The war with Verdane is over and… and I am allowed to stay with everyone. No, to be more accurate, they want me to stay. I am… I am more than a healer to them, someone they turn to when ill and leave alone when not. I am their friend, and so, I stay. It's a wondrous and liberating feeling, one that makes me smile too broadly if I'm not careful, despite the fear and uncertainty wisping on the edges.

For now, we're staying in Evans, just as Sigurd predicted. The written surrender was sent to Belhalla with all haste, and the accepting reply returned just as quickly, as well as King Azmur's wish for Sigurd to remain and assist in peace negotiations. Those will officially start once King Azmur's chosen diplomat makes their way here and, in the meantime, we do everything we can to tend to Verdane and help them heal. Considering the damages we inflicted, it is the absolute least of what we can do.

Outside, the people of Evans hosted another impromptu festival. I could see them through the window in Sigurd's office. Some would say it was out of relief the war was over, but personally, I thought it was merchants being clever. Festivities spurred spending, and with most of the army staying here still, they had a wealth of potential customers to entice. I wondered what it would be like in a few months, when the army was officially dissolved and the soldiers went home at last. Perhaps things would become quiet and normal again. Perhaps they would not. For now, at least, I should not let it distract me from my task. Once again, Prince Quan and King Jamke had come to discuss something with Sigurd in his office and, once again, it had coincided with my morning reports. I had hoped I might sneak out this time, but no, once again, Prince Quan asked me to remain. Before, I had assumed it was Prince Quan wanted revenge. This time, I truly had no idea why I was here.

"You seem to be settling into life here well enough," King Jamke noted, accepting the tea from me. As before, I made each of them their own pot. Sigurd's was his own mix, of course, and Prince Quan's was the mix I was still working on. King Jamke had the same mix I'd made Zaya. "Any issues?"

"Thankfully, no, since we did our best to establish cordial relationships the last time we were here," Sigurd reassured with a small, slightly sad smile. It hurt his heart to know the people here had been abandoned previously. "I will not say they are not wary of a Grannvale noble serving as their temporary lord, but they at least do not protest violently."

"Taking a Verdanite woman as your wife certainly raised your star in my people's eyes." King Jamke grinned, and it almost hid the bags under his eyes and the tiredness in his voice. He hadn't slept well last night. Based on how pale he looked, I would wager he had not slept well since this all ended. "And here I thought it couldn't go higher."

"I... that..." Sigurd flushed, and then scowled when Prince Quan poorly hid his laughter. "You're teasing me."

"A trifle. But they are excited about it. Others say you must be like a knight from the stories, to successfully woo a denizen of the Spirit Forest." King Jamke actually laughed when Sigurd's flush darkened. "Wow, you're easy."

"Isn't he just?" Prince Quan agreed, no longer hiding his laughter. Sigurd just sulked at them both. "Anyway, Lady Alicia, you can sit and join us. No need to hover."

"No, I prefer standing," I refused, deciding to go through my notes to have something to do. It felt... I was restless to do something. "I do not know why you asked me to stay again."

"Hmm? Well, last time, I thought it would be good practice." What would it have been 'good practice' for? Sigurd and I shared a confused look; King Jamke, meanwhile, rolled his eyes. "This time, it's for the tea."

"I can make the pots and leave."

"But then how will we get refills?"

"Is this to be a long meeting?"

"Ideally, no, but who knows," King Jamke sighed, leaning back in his chair. I scrutinized him once more, and decided he might need some sleeping medicines. "The main purpose of me sneaking out here was to establish what story we're telling the diplomat before he comes."

"Did you manage to convince your advisors of our good intentions?" Prince Quan asked curiously, sipping his tea. His slight smile hinted he liked it, which was a relief. I had been uncertain about the amount of spice I put in; it seemed like a lot. "Or did that conversation have to wait until you were done convincing Khasar to take over Marpha?"

"My advisors at least don't think you're enemies anymore, I did convince Khasar finally, and I still need to think of who will take over Genoa." King Jamke's smile turned bitter. "Of course, this assumes Grannvale will even allow it."

"Well, that's where the story comes in. Speaking of which, I had an idea about it." Prince Quan set his cup down and leaned back to fold his hands in his lap. "What would you say to blaming your brothers?"

"...Pardon?"

"We cannot hide their involvement in this mess. For one thing, Munnir was very prominent in Yngvi's assault, and nearly killed Midir. However, Munnir was still only the Crown Prince, and his atrocities towards his own people can emphasize our point. Similarly, Cimbaeth was only the second prince, and not only abandoned Evans to its plague, but locked a little boy in a mold-filled dungeon to force his aunt to fight in his service. It wouldn't be hard to paint them as the villains."

"No, I suppose not..." King Jamke frowned. "Surprised you already have a story."

"Well, I originally wanted to blame that Sandima bastard, but Sigurd said you wished for his involvement to be hidden for unknown reasons." Prince Quan paused and gave Sigurd a surprisingly dirty look. "Well, unknown to me. He refuses to say why beyond that you asked." Sigurd, for his part, simply sipped his tea and smiled at King Jamke. It did not escape me that King Jamke relaxed at the sight. "How do you go from keeping no secrets from me to keeping two?"

"You may think of it as repayment for never telling me of your crush on Ethlyn," Sigurd answered blithely, settling a little more into his chair. He was perfectly calm about all of this. "Of course, Eldigan and I both knew, you are rubbish at hiding how besotted you are, but you did still keep it secret."

"That... I really don't need to hear that from you, Mister 'wake up before dawn to pick a bouquet for his fiance'," Prince Quan immediately retorted, his scowl doing nothing to hide his embarrassed blush. King Jamke rolled his eyes at both and decided to keep silent to enjoy his own tea. Maybe they would need those refills after all. "Speaking of secrets, please tell me you wrote Eldigan and Lachesis yourself."

"Of course. And I received a reply." Sigurd reached back towards his desk to try and grab it, but couldn't quite reach. I fetched it for him. "Thank you. See?" He passed the letter to Prince Quan, who skimmed through it and groaned. Curious despite myself, I tried to subtly peek at it, only for Prince Quan to simply hand it to me. A quick look showed Lord Eldigan's response was of joy, with only the barest of teasing and certainly no signs of feeling slighted about the secrecy. Even then, his teasing focused more on how 'storybook' his friend's romance appeared. "Lachesis wrote on the back." A quick flip proved him correct and a quicker look proved Lady Lachesis was Very Not Happy at being kept in the dark about Sigurd's paramour. I passed it back to Prince Quan, and he at least looked a little mollified by her reaction. "We're way off topic. I apologize, Jamke."

"I do not mind, since it gave me a good excuse to enjoy the tea," King Jamke murmured, with the careful smile of 'if this had dragged on, I would have been much more sarcastic'. Prince Quan immediately looked sheepish, while Sigurd grinned and reclaimed the letter. "But yes, I did request such. My reasons are my own."

"Meaning Sigurd won't tell me no matter how much I whine," Prince Quan sighed, 'conceding'. I had a feeling he hadn't expected answers anyway. He would've liked them, of course, but if even Sigurd was hiding it, he knew better than to force. "Regardless, he told me, and I wondered how we could spin events. Thus came the idea of blaming your brothers. After all, if the instigators were only the Crown Prince and Second Prince..." He shrugged, a slight smirk on his face. "It would still lead to reparations, plus some sort of probationary period, but in theory, Verdane should keep its sovereignty. Which is what we all want and, well..." He became strangely hesitant then. "I thought... you might want King Batu's legacy kept intact. Whatever his decisions were, they were for his people."

"That is true, but it is weakness to only consider one's country and people. Yes, our priority must be to them, but we cannot let our care and duty blind ourselves to the world we live in. We are all parts of a whole, and when we forget this, when we sacrifice all for the few as my father did, we only have madness." King Jamke was silent for a while, simply drinking his tea. "What role does my father play in your story?"

"We can't hide his death, but we can say he fell to some sort of illness. Evans had that plague, after all." Prince Quan spoke very quietly, recognizing he was treading on a barely closed wound. "If we say he did so, and your brothers took advantage, then..."

"Then you think we can lessen the impact on Verdane. My father is no longer a king who listened to a snake and chose to condemn another country's people to protect his own. He is, instead, a king who lost control of his violent sons and, in doing so, compromised his vision of peace." King Jamke's silence then was hard. "You know... the one thing I liked about my brothers was how much they respected our parents. They didn't agree with Father about peace, but they listened and respected it."

"We don't need this. It was just-"

"It was your best idea to try and protect my people without us becoming subservient to Grannvale. And it is, in fact, the best idea." King Jamke breathed out slowly then, pushing away whatever grim thoughts he had. "Well, they're a little too dead to protest me sacrificing what little reputation they have, and they did grievous harm our people. It's rather fitting, isn't it?" But Sigurd and I exchanged a look, remembering the conversation in my tent. For all he respected his father, I did not think he liked how his father would not answer to his own choices. Still, if Verdane was to escape this with the least amount of damage, King Batu had to remain above reproach for now. "Now, Sigurd, you mentioned you're rubbish at lying, so..."

"Sigurd can simply say he fought Prince Munnir and Prince Cimbaeth, but never faced King Batu in battle," I pointed out absently, already thinking of how Sigurd could circumvent this. It was not your responsibility if someone misinterpreted your words. "He, in fact, did not see King Batu at all until just before he died." I paused when I noticed all three men staring at me. "Yes? Is something wrong? I am not forgetting anything, am I?"

"I'm reminded how you tricked me back in Marpha," Prince Quan complained. I could only shrug. "Lying without lying... and your calm makes it all the more effective." Considering I had quite a bit of practice from dealing with Arvis and his worrywart tendencies, I would hope I had some skill in it. "All right, Sigurd, just stick to that when the diplomats arrive. If we're all in agreement, I think we can go about our morning duties." Prince Quan pushed himself up and offered a hand to King Jamke. "I need to send a message to Leonster anyway."

"Are you informing them of your extended stay?" Prince Quan and Lady Ethlyn had already declared their intention to remain with Sigurd, so they could spend time with Deirdre and help prepare for the wedding.

"Yes, and I need a knight to bring Altena here." Prince Quan's face immediately lit up at the thought of his little girl. "She simply can't miss her uncle's wedding, after all. With that said, I can walk with you to where you're heading, Jamke."

"I simply wanted to pay my respects at the graveyard," King Jamke answered, shaking his head. I wondered if he would tell the dead what we had learned. "Then I need to request Edain to warp me back to my castle and confuse anyone who may be spying. Still, I will be glad for the company."

Though I could, and probably should, have left with them, I simply watched them leave. Sigurd did not encourage me to depart, so when the door clicked shut, I turned to him with a slight frown. "Is it not dangerous to send for Altena?" I asked softly, thinking of what little geography I knew. There were two ways to reach Grannvale from the Munster District, but both had their perils. One involved traveling directly through Thracia, with whom Leonster has had a decades-long 'not-war', and the other involved traveling in the Aed Desert.

"It's a journey Quan has made many, many times," Sigurd pointed out, focused on his tea. In fact, he was so focused I knew he shared my worries. "And the Aed has always been neutral."

"Yes, but it was not long ago Dahna..." There may be questions, certainly, but from what I overheard, the massacre had been very real.

"Dahna is... technically on the edge of the Aed?" He didn't sound very convincing, or convinced for that matter. "And the war is being fought further north and east." An uneasy silence fell then. "I... will remind Quan about both."

"I think I will write Arvis and ask if some Velthomer knights can keep an eye out for them." After all, Velthomer guarded the main road connecting Aed and Grannvale. Some of the Roten Ritter were even stationed in Phinora because of it. "Perhaps they can offer their own escort?"

"I'll admit it would make me feel better, but I'll subtly ask Quan about it. Leonster has its pride, after all, and I don't want to bring more trouble." Sigurd finished his tea and set it down on the table before looking at me with a curious expression. "Have you thought about going to Velthomer yourself?"

"I... had not, no?" An ill feeling settled in my stomach at the question. Why was he asking? Did he want me to leave? I hoped not. I wanted to stay with everyone. "Do you... do you think I should?"

"Well, it might be nice to visit, and spend more time with Azelle, yes? He'll be returning to Velthomer soon." Yes, he would. He wished to return and have a proper talk with Arvis, among other things. "Not to mention you should probably discuss with Arvis how you wish to move forward. You certainly can't hide anymore, since you're staying with us." Sigurd grinned and I made myself relax. I was being silly. Of course, he wasn't telling me to leave, so soon after asking me to stay. "He'd probably want to talk with you about it as well."

"Mmm..." I wouldn't think so. Arvis... he didn't usually 'discuss' things. He would set a goal, and act on it with input from others. In my experience, he would yield to my wishes, as I was more stubborn than him, and he would ask for my advice. None of it involved active talks. He moved as he wished, always alone. "Perhaps." Still, Sigurd did have a point. I should talk with Arvis. No longer was I passively hiding, after all. In fact, since Deirdre asked me to be her Maid of Honor, if I wasn't already known, I would be soon whether I liked it or not. "It seems strange for you to suggest it out of the blue."

"Oh, no, there was a reason, and not just because you mentioned Arvis." Though Sigurd kept the smile, his eyes were serious. "It deals with Sandima. We may be hiding him, but his methods concern me."

"You speak of how he ingratiated himself with King Batu."

"Yes." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We still don't know why. His only known goal would not require such. It only explained why he was in Verdane." There were no answers to why he sparked a war. Even now, my only guesses were to hide in the chaos, or out of revenge. "So, I cannot help but wonder if his fellows might try something similar with King Azmur. If you want an army at your bidding, for whatever reason, Grannvale has Jugdral's largest."

"So, you wish for Arvis to be warned, as he is Captain of the Royal Guard."

"Indeed, but I worry about a written message being intercepted and I want to honor Jamke's request for silence. Thus, a verbal warning would serve best." His expression softened, a kind smile on his face. "You also need a break. I know you're the champion of workaholics, but you deserve it."

"There is much to be done, all the more when I'm helping to plan the wedding." I smiled when he blushed at the reminder. Of course, we had plenty of time to plan, since Sigurd wanted Deirdre to acclimate to life as a nobleman's wife. It would be next year at the earliest. "However, I can agree with the other reasons. I should face the consequences of my decision to stay, and Arvis absolutely needs to know the risks." It was infinitely harder to protect against a threat you knew nothing about. "So, with your permission, I believe I shall take your advice and visit my older brother."

"Why would you need my permission? You're not beholden to anyone." Sigurd grinned. "Just don't stay away too long. Whoever will I conspire with if you do?"

"Perhaps you should behave until after your wedding." The teasing was out before I could stop it, and he laughed. "For now, however, do you want more tea?"

"Please and thank you."

I made him another pot before hunting for my little brother to discuss this potential change in plans. Azelle was, thankfully, exactly where I expected him to be: the library. However, to my surprise, he was not alone. He talked with Ayra by the window, the book half-closed in his arms hinting she had arrived only a few minutes ago. If it had been longer, he would have properly marked his place and closed it to be polite. I lingered back, not wanting to interrupt their conversation, and discovered Lex and Shannan were here as well, with Lex carrying Shannan in his arms as they perused the shelves.

"Hmm? Oh, hey, Alicia," Lex greeted, noticing me almost immediately. I would've thought he was too busy studying the books, given he pulled one out a second later. He passed it to Shannan to flip through, and turned to face me. "Thought you'd be in Sigurd's office a little longer when I saw Quan and Jamke heading in."

"All business has concluded, and I was looking for Azelle," I explained, carefully coming over. I didn't want to intrude, yet I also couldn't help but worry. "Why are you carrying Shannan? Did he overexert?"

"Nah, he's been good." Lex grinned at Shannan, who was too engrossed with the book to notice our conversation. By the cover, I guessed it was a collection of children's stories. "For some reason, whoever arranged this library put the children's books at my height." ...Why would someone place them so high? Did they expect the children to ask the adults for assistance? "Saw him straining while I was teasing Azelle, so..." So, he picked him up to help.

"Where was Ayra through this?" It was hard to believe she would have simply watched Shannan struggle.

"Chasing after Shannan. He ran ahead." He grinned down at Shannan, and jostled him slightly. Shannan blinked a few times in confusion and then pouted at Lex. "Hey, now, you'd be upset if I didn't tell you Alicia was here."

"Huh?" Shannan replied, staring for a moment. Then he twisted to look at me, and I awkwardly waved. "Oh! Hi!" His chipper voice bounced off the shelves, and caught the attention of Azelle and Ayra. I barely kept myself from wincing; I really hadn't wanted to disturb them. "When did you get here?"

"I arrived just now," I explained, forcing myself to relax and smile at him. I didn't want him to think he had done something wrong. "It seems you were looking for stories?"

"Yeah, I wanted one I could read with Dew!" He grinned, bright and cheerful, and my smile softened. Mister Dew's reading lessons began a few days after we arrived back in Evans, and Shannan, Finn, and Lord Oifeye were all determined to help him in every way they could. "What are you doing in the library?"

"I was looking for Azelle, and thought I might find him here." Noticing Azelle and Ayra coming over, I turned slightly to better face them. "I apologize for intruding."

"You could never intrude, sister," Azelle reassured, smiling warmly. He subtly marked his spot in his book and shut it; Lex and I exchanged an amused look and then a smile when we realized why. Azelle was quite predictable sometimes. "But what is it? Did you need something?"

"I..." I began, wondering how best to phrase this. Would it be rude? Would he think it a bother? "I was wondering if I might visit Velthomer?" Azelle immediately lit up at the thought, which made me simultaneously less and more nervous. "Do you think Arvis will mind?"

"Why would he mind?" Ayra asked then, visibly confused. I tried to think of how to answer. "You're his sister." She paused and then looked right at Lex. "Is this a thing in Grannvale, to be so hesitant to visit family? I would imagine he'd be glad to see her."

"Arvis will be ecstatic," Lex replied instantly. Strangely, Shannan fell terribly silent and I wondered why his smile faltered. "It will, however, be Alicia's first time visiting."

"All the more reason then. It will be a nice surprise." She paused then, and smiled sheepishly. "Ah, but I am putting words in your mouth, Azelle."

"No, no, since you're both right," Azelle laughed, waving his free hand. I had truthfully never seen him with so bright a smile. "Arvis and I would both love for you to visit, Alicia. Will you leave with me, then?"

"Yes, if it is not too much trouble," I replied, finally relaxing. I kept one eye on Shannan, though, still worried about his drooping mood. "I do not know how long I should stay?"

"A few months? Please?"

"I will check if I can be spared so long, but I think it will be fine." This time, Shannan ducked his head, and all four of us focused on him. "Shannan? What's wrong?"

"I... nothing!" Shannan immediately blurted, refusing to look at any of us. I wondered if we should call out the obvious lie, or let it rest. "It's... you'll be back, right?" The tentative, shaky way he said the words made me remember our conversation in the main camp, just before the end of the war. He had asked me a similar thing then.

So, I smiled and held out my pinky to him. "I promise," I whispered, smiling. Shannan hesitantly smiled back and hooked his pinky around mine. "I will return in a few months, and I will look forward to all the stories you tell me of what happened while I was gone."

"I will." His smile became a little stronger. Ayra looked relieved to see it, though Azelle and Lex both still frowned in worry. "A-and I will do my bestest to not push myself."

"I know you will. You are a very good patient." A random thought occurred to me then, perhaps something he could use to distract himself. "Also, if you can, will you keep an eye on Deirdre for me? She's still getting used to everything." I would need to tell her next about my visit; she still preferred hiding behind me.

"Oh! I can do that!" Now Shannan's smile was as bright as cheerful as before, and Lex grinned at the sight. Azelle still looked a little worried. "What about the lessons, though?"

"I'll leave some things for you four to read, but I'll be counting on you to help Mister Dew."

"We will!"

So, I would visit Velthomer at last. Though, technically, it was 'returning', since I had been born there. I'd never desired to do so, growing up, yet now, I couldn't help but feel a little excited. It was more than a little strange, but I would think on why later.

A few days later, I left Evans in the company of Azelle, Lady Edain, Sir Midir, and Alec. Lady Edain and Sir Midir were returning to Yngvi Castle to assist in reconstruction and oversee the daily affairs in her father's absence, as originally intended, while Sir Alec was delivering a letter to Chalphy's steward to update them on the current situation. It was a few days of company, where we would go our separate ways in Yngvi, in theory. In reality...

"Will you two not stay the night, Azelle?" In reality, Lady Edain spent most of the time trying to convince Azelle and me to spend a day or two in Yngvi. "I understand why Alec insists on going ahead," she continued, frowning at us. She had the time; she rode with Sir Midir, curled up against his chest. I rode with Azelle and Sir Alec rode beside us. "It truly is too early to stop when Chalphy is so close, but Velthomer is so far away!"

"That is precisely why we need to travel while there's daylight, Edain," Azelle refused reluctantly. He truly had no idea what to do when faced with such persistence. ...To be fair, I didn't either. "It's a long journey and I'd like to make sure Alicia and I make it to an inn."

"You could make it to an inn tomorrow?"

"Then we'll be a day late, and Arvis will fret." Despite the logic, Azelle squirmed. He truly did not know how to refuse people, especially those he still had crushes on. It may be a fading crush, but it still lingered. "So…"

"With that said, you could possibly stay a few hours and still make the next inn with little difficulties," Sir Alec 'helpfully' added, bringing his horse a little closer. To my surprise, his attention was not on Azelle or Lady Edain, but me. "It just occurred to me Lady Alicia might want to gather her things from her home."

"Pardon?" I asked, surprised by the apparent shift in conversation. Then I processed what he said and thought to refuse. After all, I had brought everything I'd needed when I first left and I had no sentimental attachment to anything which might be left in my house. However, even as I thought it, I remembered the day Lady Ethlyn asked me to join and, more specifically, how… "Actually, Sir Alec, might you do me a favor?"

"Of course." He smiled warmly. "What is it?"

"In my house, on the outskirts of town, I have a blanket hanging. Can you retrieve it for me?" I… I couldn't go myself. If I did, I had no doubts I would be swarmed by the townsfolk demanding treatments. Considering how long I had been gone, I would no doubt hear many lectures on my absence and I… I did not want to deal with it. I did not want to see or hear them. B-besides, I couldn't help even if I did. At Lady Ethlyn's insistence, I did not bring my staff for the journey, only a small medicine bag for emergencies. It hurt and felt terribly awkward, but I simply did not have the time or resources. They would have to speak with Father Eirik about their health and… ah. "I… should speak with Father Eirik while we are here." I needed to inform him myself of what had happened, and what… what I had chosen.

"Are you certain, Lady Alicia?" Sir Midir surprisingly asked then, his voice soft. He looked at me worriedly, even as the others looked at him in confusion. "If you merely wish to inform him of your continued absence, I can handle such in your place." Did… did he guess how little I actually wanted to see Father Eirik right now? How? No one else did.

Still… "No, I should do it myself," I replied, speaking as confidently as I could. It was easy; I knew how to wear my healer-mask well. Sir Midir studied me for a moment before nodding. "He should be in the church at this hour."

"Is he not usually in the church at all hours?" He had a fair point there. "Lord Azelle, in the meantime, might I suggest waiting for her in the castle?" This would... be very good. I wouldn't want Azelle near while I talked to Father Eirik. He told Arvis everything, after all, and I did not want Arvis to know anything more than what I told him.

Azelle reluctantly agreed then, and Lady Edain cheered at the idea of playing host. Thus, Sir Alec split off to head to my house, while Azelle and Sir Midir rode into the castle courtyard. From there, I slipped away and down the streets. The damages from the fire and attack still lingered, even if some repairs had been done, but the church itself appeared unchanged when I arrived. I made sure to enter through a side entrance. did not want to go through the front. If I did, most would notice me immediately, and given what usually happened, I would either be completely ignored, the preferable option in this situation, or swarmed with demands for medicines and treatment. I did not... I didn't have the time. It was so terribly anxious, avoiding everyone who might need my help. The guilt weighed heavy on my heart. Yet I... I did not want to be here, so I truly wished to make this as quick as possible.

Thus, I walked as quickly and quietly as possible, hiding in the shadows, until I reached the back rooms where the living quarters were. Once upon a time, my room had also been here. It had been the furthest one, directly across from Father Eirik's office, and I had lived there from when I was abandoned to when I moved into my little house at fourteen. There was something bitter yet nostalgic, standing outside that door. I wondered if its next resident had changed anything. They probably had; I'd never truly decorated, and the most I'd left behind back then was some scribbled notes. But it would be rude to actually open the door and see, so instead, I knocked on the door to Father Eirik's study. I knew he'd be there. Even now, I did not know which of these rooms was his bedroom. Perhaps he slept in his study.

"Come in," he called through the door. It was a dry, tired, 'why are you bothering me' sort of tone, and it made my stomach twist in old, familiar anxiety. But I made myself open the door and step inside. It was... the same as it always had been. It was a stark room, with barely any ornamentation. In fact, the only decoration was the curtains on the far window, a rich gold with white lace which fluttered in the breeze whenever the window was even a sliver open. I remembered asking about it once, a child's curiosity. The only answer I received was 'it was a gift', and it was said in a tone of 'I would never buy this for myself', so I never sought clarification. "...Alicia?" Father Eirik's voice drew my attention back to him, and I saw him stand and move in front of his desk to lean against it with the most confused look I had ever seen on his face. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"I... the campaign ended, Father Eirik," I replied slowly, trying to think of what I wanted to say. How should I word this? How could I word it? "I..."

"You're not returning, are you? Your Mark was revealed." He scowled, and I braced myself for a lecture on irresponsibility. "Do you wish to hide again?" Yet there was no lecture. He instead... for the first time I could remember, he actually asked for my opinion. "Hiding in Yngvi would be a lost cause, but there's a church in Miletos who would gladly take you in. They're not nearly as obsessed with Holy Blood as the rest of the continent, and more inclined to respect a healer."

"Ah, no, I'm... I'm not hiding anymore." I suppose it was best to simply be as blunt and firm as possible. "I will be staying in Evans. I'm simply passing by while on my way to visit Arvis in Velthomer."

"Ah." It was all he said, but the confusion in his expression faded somewhat. That... told me a lot.

"You're not surprised."

"Of course not. If anything, I find myself hilariously vindicated." He scoffed, and leaned more against his desk to cross his arms. It occurred to me this was the most relaxed I had ever seen him. "I told Kurth to give you to Byron when he first dropped you on me. He would've been more than sufficient protection, and his wife would've adopted you in a half-second." He sighed gustily. "But no, that fool of a woman insisted you should be protected from everything, so into my custody you went. Then, some eighteen years later, you left with Byron's son. The gods work in mysterious ways, sometimes."

"Custody is an odd word choice."

"Well, it certainly can't be 'care'." The words were as blunt and no-nonsense as most everything he had ever said to me. Yet they hit with a different weight than usual. "I think we can both agree on that. I'm still not sure why you bothered returning."

"It seemed polite." I suppose I also thought I had to say it to him. He was the one who took care... who raised... no, he was right. None of those terms fit. I... could admit it now, because I had somewhere else to go. I had somewhere else I wanted to go. I was no longer stuck here. "You are my guardian, after all."

"Guardian sounds too fancy. That's more of what Sigurd is doing with the little prince." Exasperation flitted across his face then, and I tried not to sag at it. The look always accompanied a lecture. "Word spread quickly about that, and your role in it. Blood certainly always tells."

"Pardon?" I had to frown. "I... highly doubt my father would take in someone like Shannan."

"I'm not talking about the avaricious, gluttonous sadist. I'm talking about the fool who was so committed to her ideal of protecting everything she got herself killed and left you in the care of a man who had no business raising a child." He sighed, and a strangely sharp feeling went through my heart. I wasn't sure what to call it. Maybe, just maybe, it was 'vindication'. "Well, to be fair, none of us expected Victor would kill himself in a tantrum less than a year later. I rather thought Kurth would take you back, since the greatest danger was gone, but he yielded to Sunna's last wishes. She wanted you safe, from everything. Victor, herself, politics... everything." Thus, I remained here, thrown away in Yngvi, so safe I might as well have been in a prison. Yes, 'custody' fit quite well. "He probably felt too guilty to take you back, given his part in the mess. Knowing him, he thought he had to protect you from him too."

"Why didn't you refuse?"

"I owed Kurth too much, and he damn well knew it." I wondered why that was. I doubted I would ever learn. "But you are no longer a child. You haven't been a child for three years. So, my part is finished."

"I see." I... the words were somewhere between 'uncomfortable' and 'comfortable'. There was... there was something else I wanted to hear, while he was being so unexpectedly open and honest. But what was...? Ah, no, I knew. I wanted... I think I wanted an apology. But I knew he wouldn't apologize. It wasn't his way. "I suppose..." After all, a person gave an apology in hopes of forgiveness, and he did not want to be forgiven. He thought it pointless. He could have tried harder to be a parent instead of a custodian, but he didn't. He made the decision, and now, he had to live with it. Whatever regrets he had concerning me, no matter how many or few, he had to carry with him just as he carried all his other regrets. He had built up the burden and he would live with it. He did not want forgiveness to lighten it. It weighed as it should. "I suppose I have a couple of questions, then."

"Ask, then."

"The first is about Arvis. Why did you let him visit me?" I was glad for it, certainly. But if the whole reason he committed to sheltering me was to 'protect me from everything' as my mother wished, then why had he...?

"If he had tried to take you to Velthomer, or brought others with him, I would've stopped him." Father Eirik shrugged. "But a brother visiting his sister? Where was the danger in that? The first sign of an assassin, I would've stepped in, but he was careful to never be followed. Thus, I had no need to protect you from him."

"I see." I had to smile a little. "Then my next question is... I came of age three years ago. Why did you...?" Why hadn't he left me alone? Why hadn't he thrown me away? Based on what he said, Prince Kurth had only tasked him with my safety while I was a child.

"And where would you go? You had no desire to return to Velthomer, or leave Yngvi. I didn't spend all that time making sure you stayed safe and alive just to throw you to the wolves." He smiled faintly, and it was perhaps the first he ever gave me. It was certainly the first I remembered. "But there is no reason to keep smothering you here. You have a place to run now."

"Yes, I do." I thought about what to say. I could ask him more questions. I could ask about his decisions in the past, and he might actually have a reasonable answer. To him, perhaps they had made sense. But to a child, they had been cold, had been angry, had been hurtful. He never tried to explain, and thus, I grew up in this lonely prison where I was clearly unwanted. I... could not forgive him for it. I would not forgive him, and that was fine. That was another reason why he did not seek forgiveness. I did not owe it to him. "I think this is the first time you've ever explained yourself."

"You are no longer a child." No, I was not. I was an adult, walking my own path at last, and this was how he acknowledged it. I was no longer his ward, so there was no reason to continue hiding and protecting me. Thus, he finally explained himself, as one equal to another. The realization was terribly bitter. "You're an idealist like your mother, so I have no doubts the path you walk is fraught with peril. But my part in your life is done."

"Yes, I'm leaving." I was leaving him behind at last. This chapter of my life was over. So, how best to end this conversation? The polite thing would be to thank him, but I... I didn't want to thank him. I could neither forgive nor thank him, and he clearly did not expect either. This was the only way this awkward, socially inept jerk could say I was right to not be grateful or forgiving. "Farewell, Father Eirik. May we never meet again."

"I'd be quite surprised if we did." He nodded, still with the smile. I almost thought it 'proud'. "Farewell, Alicia."

I left then. I left and did not shut the door behind me. It was rude, but I felt I had earned a little bit of rudeness. Certainly, he didn't call after me for it. So, I strode out, through the front door, with my head held high. Of course, I kept to the side streets once I actually left so I would not be ambushed on my way to the castle, but leaving through the front doors, knowing I would not return, was strangely freeing. Equally strange was the sight I saw when I approached the gates of Yngvi Castle. I had never seen Sir Alec with such a hard expression, but there he was, standing at the threshold with my blanket carefully folded in his arms. I was grateful to see it; I half-thought someone might have taken it when they couldn't find me.

"Ah, Lady Alicia, have you finished speaking with Father Eirik?" Sir Alec asked, carefully schooling his expression to something more relaxed as soon as he noticed me. There was still a stiffness to his shoulders. "My apologies. I should have checked there first to escort you."

"It's fine, Sir Alec," I reassured, waving off the apology. "I grew up here, after all."

"Yes, but Lady Alicia, you do have a habit of falling into trouble. After all..." He smiled teasingly; it did nothing to dispel the lingering stiffness. "How many times is it now you've been taken hostage?"

"It has only been twice."

"And yet those two are half of our total hostage count for the army. Though, technically, Lady Edain was never held hostage, as hostage implies extortion of some kind, and Lord Shannan was not yet part of our army."

"..." Since I could not deny the observation, I simply held my hand out for the blanket. He passed it without a word, only a slight smirk, and I held it up for inspection. There was no sign of tearing or fading, merely a bit of dust which would come out with a good wash. "Were there any difficulties finding my house?"

"Ah, a trifle, but I remember Prince Quan telling Lord Sigurd and Lady Ethlyn the path." He fell silent, and I studied him curiously. "I... a person arrived not long after I did, demanding medicine for their daughter."

"I see." So, it was exactly as I expected. No one could say the townsfolk were not predictable. "I'm sorry. I should've warned you."

"...Then it was not an unusual thing for you, for them to show up without warning to demand your time?" Sir Alec's voice was very quiet, yet it was harder and sharper than a steel blade. "When they realized I was not you, they launched into a rant of how..." Sir Alec paused, biting back many words. "Selfish. They called you selfish, for leaving. To help us."

"They are very used to finding me at all hours." I shrugged, resigned to it, but Sir Alec's expression grew dark and fierce once more. "Though, I suppose some part of me wondered if they may have acted as they did before I learned to heal."

"And how was that?"

"They ignored me." After all, I was simply the 'strange orphan' Father Eirik took care of, one of many. There was no reason to pay attention until I learned to heal, until they learned I would heal them without payment.

"...I see." If Sir Alec's expression grew any darker, we could use it for the night sky. "Lady Alicia."

"Yes?"

"Just... thank you." That was... not what I expected to hear, given his demeanor. But he breathed in and out slowly to calm himself down, and looked at me earnestly. "Thank you, for helping us. You saved so many lives in this campaign; I dread thinking of how many would have died if we did not have you."

"There's no need to thank me. I'm glad to help."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't receive gratitude anyway. It is also an expression of respect." It... Was it? I had... never thought of it that way. "Regardless, to finish the tale, I sent them on their way and then came here. I'd just arrived when you walked up." Why did I have a feeling he didn't simply tell them to leave? Oh, well. I doubted he would elaborate.

"I see." I checked the blanket one more time before folding it up again and handing it back to Sir Alec. "Will you give this to Lady Ethlyn when you return? She expressed some admiration of it, when she visited." Perhaps it had only been politeness, but I still remembered.

"Ah, yes?" He held it against his chest, frowning in clear confusion. "You do not wish to keep it."

"No, I made it for a purpose. It divided my house into my 'living' and 'work' areas." I smiled at him, and though it was not a 'proper healer smile', I decided to no longer care. It was... easier said than done. Perhaps in time, it would become my 'normal'. "I doubt I need such a thing in Evans, yes?"

"...You're right. You won't." Sir Alec smiled back at last, no stiffness or anger in sight. "I will gladly give it to Lady Ethlyn. For now, though, shall I escort you into the castle proper? I'm certain Lady Edain has tricked Lord Azelle into tea by now."

She had indeed, and so I joined them with a smile, surprisingly content with everything. As they chatted, and I listened, I found a new resolve building in me. No, I would not see Father Eirik again. I would also... I would also never return to Yngvi. If I did, it would only be the castle to visit Lady Edain. This would be the last time. I would remain with the people who thanked me despite my insistence it was not needed, who respected my time and abilities, who sought to make me smile and laugh.

I would stay with those who valued me instead of taking me for granted, and I could not be happier at the thought.

The journey to Velthomer was quiet, far quieter than what I was used to. Then again, it was only Azelle and me, rather than a group of soldiers. It was almost fascinating how used I was to noise now, when I had spent so much of my life surrounded by silence. This did not, however, mean I was used to 'all' noises. The cacophony in the Velthomer courtyard when we rode in nearly deafened me.

"So, this is Velthomer Castle?" I murmured to myself, slipping out of the saddle as soon as Azelle brought us to a stop. Azelle didn't answer me, since not only was it obvious, but he had to dismount and talk to the stablehand who appeared almost immediately to take his horse. "It looks different from Yngvi's castle." Yngvi's castle was a towering behemoth of gray stones softened by orange tiles for the roofs. Velthomer's castle, meanwhile, was a sprawling array of pristine white stones, topped with complementing yet varied shades of red roofs. "The courtyard as well..." Yngvi's was subtle with its colors, provided shade with a wide array of flowering trees, and only had a handful of servants rushing about. Velthomer's, however, was just as expansive as its castle, liberally decorated with enough flowers to make one's head spin and an army of people rushing to and fro. Many ignored me, thankfully, but no small few gave me curious looks. I imagined it was because I remained hooded when Azelle had already taken down his hood and because they could not think of why Azelle would leave with Lex and return with a stranger.

There was, however, one person who had an interesting reaction. A noticeably older man, dressed neat and tidy, stared at me with wide eyes. I imagined it had something to do with how he was probably one of the very few who could see my face, thanks to where he was standing. I wondered what he was thinking, staring as he was, but finding out would require talking to him and I was not curious enough to start a random conversation yet. Besides, Azelle waved to me before long so I could follow him inside the castle. I could worry about the starer later. For now, I simply had to keep up with Azelle as he briskly strode through the decorated halls of the castle.

Eventually, Azelle came to a sudden stop in front of a door, one carved with the 'emblem of flames'. It was one of the house's crests, signifying the family's devotion to justice. Understandably, the 'Fire Emblem' was spoken with scoff nowadays thanks to my father, but Arvis still worked diligently to restore people's faith in it. Regardless, Azelle stood outside the closed doors for a very long moment before hesitantly knocking on the door. There was no answer, only the quiet sounds of someone moving inside. Azelle knocked again, but the response remained the same. At that, he drooped and squirmed, obviously uncomfortable, so I chose to knock the third time, and call, "Arvis?"

There was a very long moment of silence, long enough I almost knocked a fourth time. Then there was the sudden sound of someone standing abruptly and knocking over a large object from within. This was quickly followed by the sound of other, smaller, things falling, a person's very loud yelp, a different person's very colorful cursing, and the sound of someone scrambling about, possibly losing their balance in the process. At the chaotic chorus, Azelle and I glanced at each other worriedly, but before one of us could suggest opening the door to peek inside, it was wrenched open to reveal a very, very harried looking Arvis.

"I... what?" he 'greeted', staring blankly at me. I smiled and awkwardly waved before reaching up to fix his messy hair. The strands were all over the place. "Alicia? What are you...?"

"She wanted to visit, so she tagged along?" Azelle answered for me, with a sheepish smile. He fidgeted and fussed with his sleeves, and ducked his head when Arvis focused on him. "So... uh... surprise?"

"I... you two..." Arvis continued staring before sighing heavily. "Clearly, I need to be careful when you two conspire."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Azelle glanced up hesitantly. "Also, we... uh... we heard a lot of things falling, but..."

"That is..." Arvis stilled and half-closed the door to prevent us from looking inside. "It's fine. Listen, why don't you take Alicia to the sun room while I finish up?" Ah, this told me everything.

"Uh... sure, I can do that?" Azelle sounded confused, and Arvis shifted to better block any potential view. This confirmed what I suspected. He'd made a mess of his already messy study and was embarrassed. Normally, I would leave well enough alone, but given what I had heard over the years, I had to admit I was dreadfully curious.

"Arvis, why not simply let us in?" I asked, smiling faintly. Arvis tensed slightly before putting on his best 'please, simply play along' smile. I ignored it with practiced ease. "I have already heard much about your study. It's practically legendary due to its mess."

"It is not that messy," Arvis immediately lied, not quite looking me in the eye. Azelle immediately rolled his eyes. "It's organized."

"Organized chaos is still chaos."

"If I can find everything, it is not messy." Arvis unintentionally moved, turning defensive, and this left a sliver of space just wide enough for me to slip past. "Ack! Alicia!" I, of course, seized the unexpected opportunity, and stepped inside. Then it was my turn to stare blankly, as it was far worse than I could have ever imagined. This was beyond chaos, organized or not. There were papers everywhere, some crumpled into balls while others were splattered with ink, to say nothing of the ones stuffed into the various books scattered about the room. This wasn't even going into the pens and other miscellaneous objects strewn about randomly. In fact, the mess was so intense I barely even noticed the other person in the room. "It's not usually this bad!"

"It looked like this before I spent three hours organizing," the study's other occupant instantly retorted, with a long suffering sigh. With a baleful glare at the mess, they went about picking up the fallen papers. I had no idea how they even knew where to begin. "Three. Hours."

"You're exaggerating, Aida," Arvis protested, turning to face us. Now that he no longer blocked the doorway, Azelle peeked inside and his exasperated look implied Arvis was playing down the usual mess again. He did it in his letters too. "You haven't even been here three hours. To say nothing of how you were supposed to be off today."

"Aw, but how could I stay away when you were fretting because Lord Azelle was a day late?" The person, Aida, grinned and Arvis rolled his eyes. Azelle and I, however, shared a guilty look. Tea with Lady Edain had, in fact, delayed us. "Regardless, though, it is a pleasure to meet you at last, Lady Alicia. You've no doubt guessed already, but I am Aida."

"It is a pleasure to meet you at last as well, Aida," I replied, truthfully a little surprised I'd meet her so soon. Arvis usually assigned her a number of different missions, since she was the only person he actually trusted with work. "I apologize for startling him so and undoing your hard work."

"Are you kidding? It was hilarious!" She grinned, eyes dancing, and Arvis outright scowled. "It's so rare I get to see him so off-guard! I shall treasure the memory always." I... well, at least she thought it all amusing? "Now then, what brings you here, Lady Alicia? I'm far too curious, and we both know Arvis will never ask outright." No, he would not. He would worry too much about how it might sound as if he did not like my presence.

"Sigurd thought I could use a break." I shrugged, speaking carefully now. "Arvis and I should also discuss how to proceed since I'm no longer hiding."

"You aren't?"

"No, I am staying in Evans." I smiled as I said the words, and for the barest of seconds, Arvis seemed disgruntled by it. But it smoothed out for his own smile, so perhaps I imagined it. Then again, maybe he was upset he had not guessed what I'd do. It was just the sort of thing to make him sulk. "I can hardly hide there. I'm Deirdre's Maid of Honor, for one thing."

"...Right, Lord Sigurd is getting married." Aida blinked a few times before smiling at Arvis. "Looks like someone is going to have to fend off the matchmakers alone now."

"I'm used to ignoring all of them by now," Arvis easily dismissed, even waving his hand to bat away the words. To be fair, he was very used to it. He'd been dealing with matchmakers and similar since he was eight. "For now, at least..." He trailed off in thought before gesturing to Aida specifically. "Tell Ruarc to prepare the Silver Izelle rooms, will you?" Ruarc... that was the name of his steward, if I remembered correctly. As for the rooms... I did not know why rooms would be 'named' anything, but I did know izelles were a type of blossom native only to the Velthomer region. Arvis once brought me a bouquet to show me, and said the silver variety were the rarest. Maybe I should find a few for Deirdre, to tease her. She still blushed so easily whenever I mentioned flowers. "And Azelle, you should go ahead and rest before dinner. I'll show Alicia to her rooms when they're ready." ...Did he say 'rooms'? Plural? What was I supposed to do with multiple rooms? ...Wait, hold on, were these Silver Izelle rooms being prepared for me? There was no need to go through so much trouble!

I wanted to protest. I almost did. But Aida and Azelle accepted the perceived dismissal without a word and left before I could even open my mouth. Arvis shut the door behind them, waiting for the 'click' before turning to look at me curiously. I knew why. He knew as well as I did I would have never come to Velthomer for a 'break', no matter what anyone else thought, and he knew I would not have thought to consult him about the consequences of my choice without a prompt.

"I did not lie," I felt the need to say. He only smiled wryly. "I am here for a break, at Sigurd's suggestion, and I am here to discuss how to proceed, also at Sigurd's suggestion." Arvis once again had a disgruntled look for the barest of blinks, but it was gone before I could ask. "However, unbeknownst to everyone, I also have a verbal message from Sigurd."

"On a matter requiring such secrecy even Sigurd takes precautionary measures?" Arvis asked, noticeably surprised. He glanced at the door and then gestured to have me follow him to the window on the opposite wall. Hopefully, few could eavesdrop if we spoke quietly here. "I take it, then, there is more to the story? We received the official surrender a few days ago. I believe King Azmur's diplomat left yesterday morning, actually."

"I am glad to hear it, since the sooner the talks are done, the sooner everyone may begin to heal." I clasped my hands in front of me, mostly to give them something to do. I wasn't used to being so idle. I had not made medicine in days. "There is an official story, one I can tell you later if you wish to hear it before the talks, but we are hiding the involvement of someone who played a... very significant part in this mess."

"Really now?" Arvis crossed his arms, and leaned against the window. "Yet despite their complicity in the war and damages, Sigurd of all people chooses against bringing them to justice?"

"That is twice now you've used Sigurd as a standard."

"He is the righteous knight, straightforward as the sun. He is not very subtle." Well, this was true. It was part of what made him so endearing. "I hold the utmost respect for him, but this is not his usual way of doing things."

"It is when it is at another's request. To be specific, King Jamke wished we keep everyone about this person as hidden as possible." I made sure to look Arvis directly in the eye. "This person used dark magic, Arvis, and is believed to worship Loptyr." Arvis immediately tensed, no doubt figuring everything out simply from that. "This man integrated himself in Verdane's court, manipulated the royal family, and attacked us with brutal dark magic."

"And all anyone will see is the dark magic and potential connection to the cults of old, sparking a fresh flood of blood." Arvis clenched his teeth and dug his fingers into his arms. I reached over to pry them off lest he bruise himself. "There's already too many damned hunts as is, so many forced underground..." Arvis closed his eyes to force himself to calm and not launch into a rant, but I found myself frowning. Why would they be underground? Did he mean figuratively? "Do we know why he did so? Why he was in Verdane?"

"I fear he did not launch into a monologue about his motives, as one does in theater." I had to speak carefully again, so I did not say a single untrue word. Perhaps it was not wise, given how nebulous everything with Sandima was, but I would not tell even Arvis Deirdre's secret. It was hers, and hers alone, and I would protect her. It wasn't hard; I had plenty of practice. I knew he would never be able to tell. "It was quite surprising, given how stereotypically he acted otherwise."

"Well, well, someone's stopped biting back some of her sarcasm." Arvis relaxed and opened his eyes. I forced myself to make a face, like I did when we were younger and I had not yet learned how to feign the calm of a healer. I did not know how well I managed, but he laughed, so I would count it as a small victory. "So, essentially, the message is to be extra wary of unknowns approaching His Majesty."

"It is also a warning to be careful of those who try to earn his favor." They were things he already did, of course, but it was important to warn nonetheless. I wanted him to do the best he possibly could; he would accept nothing less from himself. "I should also apologize, again, for everyone seeing my Holy Mark."

"Alicia…" He sighed, as I knew he would. "There is no need to-"

"I know you do not need one, but I give one anyway as I know it caused many problems." I spoke the words firmly and clearly, hoping they conveyed both my sincerity and my determination. I would not hide anymore. I would not hide, so I could stay with those I loved and admired. "I am no longer a child, Arvis. You need not try to shield me. Instead, let us decide how best to proceed. You cannot tell me rumors have not been spreading like wildfire."

"...They have, yes." Arvis had a disgruntled look on his face yet again, but it was yet again gone before I could blink. "I've been ignoring them, and the pointed comments. It's not the first time." Yes, I knew this. He had dealt with such gossip since he was a child, but it did not change the current situation. "Still, if you are certain you do not want to hide, then the best course would be to be as open as possible. Gossip feeds on shame." ...I had to admit; the thought made me queasy. "Your first function should probably be something related to Velthomer as well." Arvis brought up his hand to rest on his chin as he thought. "How long will you be staying?"

"If you do not mind, and Azelle said you wouldn't, I told Sigurd a few months." He'd actually suggested I stay even longer, but I refused. I didn't want to be away from everyone for so long; I already missed them.

"Why would I mind having my precious sister around for a few months?" He gave me a playfully hurt look, and I could only smile. It would be the longest we'd ever spent time together consecutively. "A few months... the Festival of Flowers will be held soon. That would be perfect."

"Would it?" I admittedly knew very little about it. The most I knew was how Arvis always needed ten times the number of headache medicines he usually did in the weeks before, and he never failed to rest at least a few days with me afterwards. Once it had been two weeks, the longest he'd ever stayed. "You've never told me much about it, and you know how little I pay attention to gossip."

"I'm glad, considering what some are saying." What was he talking about? He sounded grumpy about it, but refused to elaborate. "The Festival of Flowers is a celebration Fjalar held after the Holy War, the first one after the Empire's fall, if one does not include the victory celebrations." Oh, my head still spun from how long the ones in Verdane lasted. It had taken seven days for everyone to calm down. "Back then, it was a simple thing, more to rejoice in all the flowers blooming since the area had been ravaged by the final battles. Now, though..." This time, his sigh was very tired. "Now, it is an extremely involved and bombastic party which unofficially lasts for two weeks." Oh. Oh my. "House Velthomer is expected to plan and host a ball for it, and it is considered one of the 'must attend' balls of the social season."

"...Ah." I knew I was staring. He only smiled wryly. "Well, it sounds as if many will attend."

"Indeed, even some of those in the Isaachian Campaign will return for it. Not all, of course. Those involved in leading and planning are actually expected not to attend. Sigurd no doubt will have to cry off for the same reason, given he'll be deeply involved in the peace talks with Verdane." That was a shame. It might've been fun if he were around. "Still, I think it will suit our needs best."

"I will yield to you on that." I frowned, though, when I noticed a calculating light in his eyes. "Now what are you plotting?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing." He smiled innocently; I frowned more. "You'll just need a dress for it. You can't debut without a proper dress, after all." I... he... why did he have to be right? Even I knew this much. "We can get more tailored for you as well."

"Arvis, I don't need more. I have plenty of clothing." I still needed to replace the one I used to make Shannan and Mister Dew's toys, mind, but I still had enough.

"You're a noble lady; you always need more clothing." He was grinning like a pleased cat now. I was tempted to try scowling. "So..."

"Ah, my lord, my lady, are you still here?" With the barest of knocks, the door opened to reveal the older man I had seen staring at me in the courtyard. He did a noticeable double-take for some reason before focusing on Arvis. "My lady's rooms are ready," he explained, bowing slightly. I nearly sighed at the reminder. Again, what did I need multiple rooms for? I doubted Arvis would let me set up multiple infirmaries or workshops here. "Is all well?"

"Yes, of course, Ruarc," Arvis answered, turning to face him. All traces of playfulness vanished for a careful sort of stoicism. "Why? Was there something wrong with the rooms? I know it's been... some time since they were last used."

"No, no, we continue to clean Lady Cigyun's rooms out of habit." Steward Ruarc looked between Arvis and me slowly, a strange sort of smile hovering on his face. "I was... are you arguing?"

"Yes and no." Arvis briefly sulked at me, and Steward Ruarc seemed noticeably surprised. "I am trying to convince Alicia to let me buy her clothes."

"Ah." Steward Ruarc studied me for a moment, and I felt terribly self-conscious. I did my best to not let it show, of course, but... "Lady Alicia, I fear I must side with my lord." At that, I had to frown once more. Arvis, meanwhile, flashed a grin. "House Velthomer is one of the wealthiest houses in Grannvale. It would hurt our reputation if our lady were adorned in nothing less than the best." I failed to see how, but I would also be the first to admit I knew nothing about any of this. "It is also my understanding you work as Sigurd's healer?" I nodded, confused at how this had anything to do with the topic at hand. "Then it would reflect poorly on him as well, as you are a noble lady in his service." ...That was two low blows in a row. I might be impressed if I weren't the target. "Your attire suits a village healer, and is very beautifully made, but a noble lady should look the part."

"...Oh, fine, I yield," I grumbled, looking away. Arvis didn't even try to hide his triumphant smirk. "But it must be practical, and I must be able to work in them, Arvis." I paused. "You may have free reign on the dress for the ball."

"Of course," Arvis reassured, still smirking. I was tempted once more to scowl and sulk, and wondered if I could remember how. "Then we shall send for-"

"Why would you send for the tailor? Do you not usually visit her in her store?" I couldn't remember her name at the moment, but I did remember it was his habit. "If we are to do this, then it is better to not change your ways. Besides..." I made myself smile at him, to hide how little I wanted to go through the tailoring. It felt like a waste. "While I am here, should I not see the town? You always talk so proudly of it, and Azelle has sent me many letters. I want to see it with my own eyes."

"I... very well." Arvis's smirk faded for a shy smile. "Then we shall visit in the morning."

"Do you think Azelle would like to come too?"

"He'll sulk terribly if we left him behind, and he'll need a new outfit for the ball as well." His smile grew, and I was delighted to see it. "For now, though, we should really head to your rooms. Where are your things?"

"You know I do not own much, so they are with the packs."

"Do I need to hide your medicine-making supplies? You are here to rest, after all."

"There is no need; Lady Ethlyn somehow convinced me to leave them in Evans."

"I never knew she was so persuasive."

Arvis and I 'bickered' and bantered as he and Steward Ruarc led me down the hall and into a wing decorated noticeably different. I thought Steward Ruarc mentioned something about them being the 'family wing', but I wasn't certain. Eventually, however, we came across a door marked by a carving of a flower. Steward Ruarc opened it with only the barest of hesitations, and the three of us walked inside for a quick tour.

If I had to be objective, the rooms were... rooms. I supposed they were decorated nicely, but I was incredibly baffled by all the curtains and lace and rugs I swore I saw everywhere. There was just so much space. There was an 'entrance room', a bedroom, a 'sitting room', a bathing room nearly the same size as the bedroom and sitting room, and a 'wardrobe', which was a room double the size of my house. Yet all of it... was mine apparently. It was all... just mine. What was I supposed to do with so much space? I swore it was bigger than all my infirmaries combined! Then, while I was still trying to wrap my mind around all of this, Arvis and Steward Ruarc left to let me settle in, closing the door behind them. The echo of the door's click only emphasized how alone I was.

"This... is ridiculous..." I found myself muttering. It wasn't proper, but it was accurate. I... would learn to forgive myself for the slip. "I... can I find smaller rooms?" ...No, knowing Arvis, this was the 'smallest' he would allow. "I shouldn't have listened to Lady Ethlyn and brought my supplies anyway." Then, at least, I could pretend one of the rooms was a workshop. "Oh, what am I to do?" Sighing, I leaned back against the door and let my head thunk against it. This is how I discovered neither Arvis nor Steward Ruarc had actually left quite yet. I was glad I spoke quietly.

"My lord, if I may ask a question?" I heard Steward Ruarc request softly. I wondered if he worried about 'disturbing' me. "Why did you give her Lady Cigyun's rooms, and not Lady Sunna's?"

"Ignoring how Sunna spent most of her time in Mother's rooms..." Arvis answered, voice slow and dry. I could almost imagine the droll look on his face. "Alicia has... complicated feelings about Sunna." There was a pause, then, and I wondered if he'd winced, remembering the few times he'd brought her up. As I grew older, I did my best to remain polite on the topic, but when I was younger and brattier, I had snapped about how much I hated her. I... still did hate her. "So, I thought she might feel more comfortable here, in Mother's rooms. Assuming, of course, she's not fretting over what she's to do with all the space." He knew me well.

"Whatever she wishes. She is our lady, and these are now her rooms." This did not help. "Regardless, I had best relay to the cooks to set an additional plate for the family dinner. Is there anything in particular they should make?"

"Something with apples. Alicia adores them."

"I shall see to it, then."

I heard footsteps then, slowly fading away, telling me they left, and I let myself sigh once more before pushing off the door to set my things down. So, here I was, in Velthomer for the first time since I was a year old, standing in a room far too large for a single person with even more rooms spiraling off. I would be glad when I could return to Evans.

Sleep did not come easily. Thankfully I was used to minimal sleep, because I simply could not relax in so spacious a room. I knew it was terrible to not like things others would give anything to experience, but I just... the bed was so soft I swore it would swallow me. The sheer number of blankets and pillows threatened to suffocate me. The empty space made the silence echo until it rung in my ears. I was almost relieved when the dawn came, because then, I no longer had to try to sleep. I could get up and somehow go about my day. Though when it came time to get dressed, I found myself staring at my dresses. I had never been ashamed of them, but now, I wondered if wearing them would cause too much trouble. Steward Ruarc's words continue to echo in my head. Had... had dressing as I did, in these simple clothes I'd made to save money, hurt Sigurd's reputation? Would wearing one today hurt Arvis's? It made my head hurt and my heart ache.

While I was staring at the dresses, I heard a door open with a very quiet creak. Frowning, I moved from the bedroom to the 'entrance room', to find a woman wearing servant's attire quietly opening the curtains. "Hello?" I called, confused. The woman whirled, startled. "You are...?"

"Oh, good morning, my lady!" she chirped, bobbing a curtsey. Her surprise faded with her bright smile. "I did not realize you would be awake already. I apologize. I should've come sooner."

"No, it's fine. I always wake with the dawn."

"Oh, you're an early riser like Duke Arvis! I will definitely be here earlier tomorrow!" That... I could have sworn I just said she didn't need to? "Ack, where are my manners? My name is Cathleen, Lady Alicia. I was tasked by the Steward to assist you during your stay." I... could only stare. This was... more than a little... "Is something wrong? Oh, you probably want to wash your face. I'll get the basin ready!"

"That is not..." I tried to refuse, but she was out of sight before I could even blink. "So I... have a maid now?" This was utterly bizarre. I felt like I'd dropped into another world entirely, and I wanted out as soon as possible. However, I had planned on spending a few months here. Would I become used to it? I almost hoped not.

"My lady!" Cathleen poofed back in the room in another blink. How did she move so fast? "Forgive me, but did you want to wash your face or take a morning bath?"

"Morning bath?"

"Ah, yes, of course! Silly of me to not think of it sooner!" She was gone in another blink, and I was back to staring. I had just repeated what she'd said; I hadn't intended on it being an answer. Oh, goodness, how was I surviving this morning?

Shaking my head, I headed to the bathroom, hoping to clear the misunderstanding. Then I could only stare, again, because… well, most places I had been had a simple basin to use for bathing, something small and easy to move and store. The one suddenly in the middle of the bathroom, however, was giant, easily large enough to fit two or even three people. This alone would've been uncomfortable, and disconcerting because I had no idea where it would've been stored, but there was also the fact that this basin still required you to pour buckets and buckets of water to fill. Given the sheer size, this was a very arduous and tedious task, one Cathleen was hard at work at by the time I even made it to the bathing room. Even as I wondered how she'd managed to do so much so quickly, or if my thoughts were truly so slow given how my morning was going, I couldn't tell her to stop. It felt like an act of cruelty. So, instead, I lingered awkwardly in the doorway, far too aware of just how much water was being wasted for this yet unable to do anything but accept it because it would be more wasteful to refuse. When Cathleen finished, stepping back with a smile on her sweaty face, I took off my nightgown and slipped in without a word. I would think of what to do about clothing when I was out.

"My lady, the water is still cold!" Cathleen immediately yelped, and I blinked up at her. Of course it was cold. There were no stoves or anything to warm it. At least, I didn't think there was. Given this basin had to be stored somewhere, maybe there was another room I hadn't noticed. "Will you not heat it with your flames?"

"...I fear I cannot do that," I whispered, drawing my hair over my shoulder. It gave my hands something to do.

"Truly?" She was both surprised and skeptical, and I couldn't blame her. All those of Fjalar's blood were supposed to be able to conjure fire with a snap of their fingers. I couldn't. Arvis tried to teach me once, but it was as awkward as trying to teach a baby to breathe, to say nothing of the dread and nausea I'd felt. How did you teach something which was supposed to be instinctual? I'd rather spend my time using my magic to heal. It was much more comfortable this way. "Salamander of Flames must've blocked the ability to keep you safe."

"Hmm?"

"Oh, I…" Cathleen smiled shyly. "Truthfully, my lady, I have been a maid here since I was small. One of the orphans taken in to replace the servants when Duke Arvis threw most of them out. So, while I am only a little older than you, I do remember when Lord Azelle almost set the estate on fire as a toddler."

"Ah, Arvis did tell me this story." Because the ability was supposed to be as ingrained as breathing, even babies with Fjalar's blood could call flames. This led to many, many incidents. "Hiding as a child would have been much more difficult if I threw fire with my tantrums."

"Yes." Her smile brightened, and I decided to let her simply think it. It was a nice sentiment, even if I was certain the gods had nothing to do with me. It was at least an explanation. Personally, I thought I was either defective, or Father Eirik had done something. "Still, we can't have you taking cold baths. I'll have to figure out how to bring hot water in here."

"Cathleen, I'm fine." It wasn't as if this was the first bath I'd taken with cold water. "I do need soaps, though. I forgot to grab them." It was more I had no idea where they were.

"I'll handle that. Do you have a preference for scents?"

"No, please, just pick something subtle."

"Of course."

Cathleen returned with the soaps, and first attempted to help me bathe of all things. I refused, far too uncomfortable by the notion, and so she left me to bathe alone. When I stepped out, she reappeared with some towels and tried to help me dry off. When I refused, she left and returned to bring a robe to change into so I wasn't standing around naked. She then led me to one of the other rooms, one with a vanity and the door to the giant 'wardrobe', and encouraged me to sit down. This time, it was so she could brush my hair, but I insisted on doing so myself, by this point wondering if nobility were always treated as children or if this was a special case. Thankfully, she accepted all my refusals with her ever-present smile and, after handing me the brush, went about opening the curtains in every room to let the sun in. Considering the size of the place, this means a lot of curtains and a lot of light. I felt like I needed to hide under the covers to keep from being blinded, but I stayed sitting at the vanity, absently brushing my hair. So long as I was doing something, I could keep from worrying over what to wear.

Right around the time I knew I would need to get ready if I was to meet my brothers in a timely manner, someone knocked on the door. Cathleen opened the last set of curtains and bustled over to answer it before I could even think of who it would be. "Oh, Steward Ruarc!" she chirped, stepping aside to let him in. For some reason, he carried a bundle of cloth. "What brings you here?"

"Truthfully, it is something I only thought of this morning," Steward Ruarc explained, following Cathleen into the room where I was. I stopped my brushing to face him. "Pray, forgive me, Lady Alicia, for disturbing you at such an early hour." Considering I was usually dressed and had multiple medicines making while I ate and studied at this hour, I failed to see how he was 'disturbing' me. "But I thought these might be to your liking." He handed the bundle to Cathleen, and she immediately set it down on a table and picked one of the cloths up to reveal a simple yet elegant dress. Another look showed there were two more in the bundle. "Lady Cigyun, you see, preferred to dress more simply when she stayed inside." From what I'd heard, it was less 'stayed' and more 'imprisoned'. "She would have been overjoyed to let you borrow them."

"These really will suit you, my lady." Cathleen carefully picked up each one, studying them in the light, before deciding on one. "Here, I will assist you!" ...Could I not dress myself?

The answer was 'I could', but Cathleen hovered and fussed to make sure everything 'hung correctly'. Too tired to refuse this time, I watched her tweak and tug the dress 'into place' and stared at my reflection. The dress was... pretty? I wasn't certain how well it looked on me, but it was a dress of pale greens and it was very... flowy. There was a lot of extraneous cloth; I feared it would catch on something. I hated it, truthfully, but I knew better than to say such. I would've preferred the purple dress. I didn't think it would look worse on me, and the color reminded me of Deirdre.

At last, Cathleen pronounced me 'done' and I stepped out into the entrance hall where Steward Ruarc waited for some reason. He turned to greet me and bow, but stared as he had before. This time, I could not let it pass without comment. "I noticed this yesterday, but you stare as if you have seen a ghost," I noted, with a polite smile. I would keep my calm and hide how little I liked all of this. "Do I look so much like my mother?" I could think of no other reason why he would stare.

"You do bear a remarkable resemblance to Lady Sunna, yes," he answered slowly, his expression apologetic. "My memories of her are vague, but I believe your hair color is the only noticeable difference." According to Arvis, my mother had black hair. It, and her eye color, were all he remembered about her looks. It was more than what he remembered about Cigyun, and there was no way to refresh his memory since our father had purposely destroyed nearly every portrait of both in his suicidal tantrum. I sometimes wondered why he remembered more about what my mother looked like than his own, but trauma had its own way with memories. Cigyun, after all, had been our father's favorite victim; Arvis had been second. "But, well..." Steward Ruarc's smile became sheepish, and I forced myself to focus on him once more. "Truthfully, Lady Alicia, I remember you when you were a babe."

"Pardon?"

"I've served in the household since Duke Arvis was a toddler, though I was very low-ranked until he promoted me to steward. I rarely saw Lady Sunna, and only caught sight of Lady Cigyun a handful of times. But, still, I remember the happy year you lived here." He chuckled, eyes distant. "We servants would take turns peeking into the rooms, so taken we were by the sight and we would share what we saw in the most quiet of whispers. Lady Sunna was... tired as one could expect, but Lady Cigyun's smile was never brighter and Duke Arvis delighted in playing with you. Though he was but a child himself, he insisted on holding you as much as possible." It was strange how easily I could see that. "Prince Kurth would visit often to dote on all of you, always careful to avoid Victor, and I remember one time catching sight of the five of you in the gardens, laughing and smiling. It was a unconventional family, but you were all very happy."

"Were we?" I kept my smile; I kept my calm. There was no need to let him know how... bitter I felt, hearing it. "I suppose it is a surprise, then, to see me return."

"Indeed. I thought you were dead like the others." He said the words casually, as if stating the sun rose in the east. I could only frown in response. "Your father... he was a very brilliant man, you know." I had to say that was the very first compliment I had ever heard for him, and it was one I never expected. "He used his intelligence in the most selfish, most brutal of ways, of course, but no one can say he wasn't clever. So many laws had to be rewritten, because he knew them inside and out. He knew every loophole, every technicality. He knew how to wriggle out of every accusation, and leave no evidence at all. That is why, even now, you only have rumors of what all he did." He shrugged when I continued staring. "We all knew. Everyone knew. But no one could ever take him to court."

"I thought it was simply his nobility."

"Well, I will admit some of those rewritten laws had to be rewritten precisely because they applied differently to nobles and commoners." This made sense. The rest didn't, but that did. "But not all. No, the true answer in how he always managed to escape justice lied in how he knew the law, knew how to exploit it, and had blackmail on more than half the court to ensure they never tried to take him to task anyway. He'd burn them all with him, and they knew it." He looked away then. "And when it came to accusations and courts, he was most careful when it came to Lady Cigyun. She was his most prized 'possession', after all, despite his..."

"There are many stories of my father's overactive libido."

"Not to mention his sadism, but it's no coincidence Duke Arvis only has you and Lord Azelle as half-siblings." We were the only ones he knew of. There could be... "What happened to Mistress Sif was the norm. If one of his victims ended up pregnant, they were sent away. There, they would either conveniently have a miscarriage or just as conveniently die, alongside the poor, unfortunate child." He closed his eyes then, and clenched his fists at his side. "We knew, but there was no evidence. Circumstantial evidence could not be used in court, and neither could witness testimony. When it came to one's word against another, you could damage a reputation, but nothing more. And Victor had no care of his reputation. All he cared about was his satisfaction."

"So why kill any illegitimate children?"

"Because the children would have counted as evidence, and a noblewoman could use their presence as grounds for a divorce. But only then." So, nobility could have as many partners as they wanted, so long as they practiced safe sex? This sounded typical. "When you disappeared suddenly back then, it was assumed he'd made the connection and killed you directly, so you could not be used as evidence. As if Lady Cigyun would ever use you. She loved you so very dearly, but Victor was incapable of understanding such. He never loved anything. Everything was either a toy or a tool, and he used them all until they broke." Despite the dark words, Steward Ruarc opened his eyes to smile at me. "You can imagine my surprise when the little girl I swore had been killed by her entitled father not only survived, but had grown into a fine young woman. I do, however, apologize if the staring made you uncomfortable, my lady."

"It is fine. I was merely curious." Well, what did you know? My mother hadn't thrown me away for an empty threat. Part of me thought I should be grateful, but the rest of me was terribly bitter about it still. Why couldn't I have at least heard of this earlier? Why hadn't they 'used' me? I had been a baby; I would've never remembered. In fact, as I had gotten older, it might have even been a point of pride to know I had managed to help. No, I wasn't grateful. I did not have to be. I would just accept it, acknowledge it, and move on with my life, just as I walked away from Father Eirik. "Are you certain Cigyun would not mind if I borrowed her clothes?" This meant I should focus on what was in front of me, and focus on the present, not past.

"As I said, she would've been delighted." His smile warmed. "These were her favorites, so she made sure to hide them away, lest Victor tarnish them. I found them again recently; perhaps it was a sign." I thought it sounded more like luck, but he could believe what he wished. "Regardless, my lady, allow me to escort you to the entrance hall. Duke Arvis and Lord Azelle are waiting there, and I know well how confusing the castle's layout can be."

"...I had just one more question." I wasn't certain why I was even asking this. If I had to guess, I would say it was because he actually seemed to remember some of that time, unlike Arvis. "What did Cigyun look like?"

"I fear, like most, I no longer remember, my lady." His smile faltered, apologetic and pained. "The most I remember is her hair was a pale color. Blonde, perhaps, or white? I saw Lady Sunna many more times; she would rush around telling us servants to hide whenever Victor returned."

"I see." It was the same answer as everyone else. I couldn't be surprised. "Well then, may I take you up on the offer of an escort?"

Eager to let the subject drop, Steward Ruarc lead me through all the twists and turns until we made it to the entrance hall. Just as he said, my brothers were waiting for me there, and both smiled when they looked up and saw me approach. However, Arvis's smile soon turned to a frown, scrutinizing something as I walked over to them.

"You're wearing different clothes," he noted when I joined them. Azelle shyly hugged me in greeting. "Where did they come from?"

"Steward Ruarc brought them for me," I explained with a shrug. I knew it looked strange. "Should I change?"

"No, no, they suit you. It's simply..." He frowned more, his brow furrowed in thought. "Did... are those Mother's, by chance?"

"They are."

"Ah. That's why there's something familiar about them." Arvis smiled bitterly. "I'm surprised there's any left, given how much our father destroyed before offing himself."

"Steward Ruarc said Cigyun must have hidden them. I forgot to ask where." Deciding we needed to move the conversation along, I turned to Azelle with a smile. "Shall we be off? This is our first outing as siblings."

"That's quite true." Arvis's own smile immediately lit up at the thought, just as I knew it would. "Come then, and watch your step. I don't want you tripping on the doorframe again, Azelle."

"Arvis, that happened once, and it was all Tailtiu's fault!" Azelle immediately protested, even as we walked. Somehow, I ended up in the middle again. Maybe there was something about me which said 'leave her in the middle', given how frequently it happened. "She shoved me!" Yet despite the flailing and warning, Azelle did not watch his feet and tripped. "Ack!"

Arvis and I both muffled our laughter, if only for Azelle's dignity, and we left the castle to walk into the surrounding town. It was bustling and bright, far more so than Yngvi, though from what I heard, they gossiped about the same things. While we walked, Azelle would point out various stories and places, things he had written to me about, and it was almost enough to distract me from the blatant staring. Even the people in Marpha and Genoa had not stared so openly, and the ones here did not giggle or sigh. They simply stared, watching and studying. It was dreadfully uncomfortable.

"Hey, sister..." Azelle began after a moment, doing his best to not squirm. He noticed the staring too, after all, and I had no doubts it made him feel just as awkward as it did me. "Do you think we can have a picnic lunch later? We can go to the apple groves?"

"Oh, that does sound lovely," I murmured, cheering up at the thought. Arvis and Azelle would often write about the groves, so it would be nice to see them for myself. "But how about we do that tomorrow, so we can spend the day there? Today, we're in town and I would very much like to see the eateries you've written about. For instance, I would like to see the bakery with the cinnamon buns you love so much."

"If we're visiting, Alicia, then you have to actually buy something." Azelle sulked very briefly, and I bit back a laugh. "That's the rule."

"Is it? Then I had best obey." Noticing Arvis's silence, I looked over to him, and almost sighed at the measuring, calculating look in his eyes. He may be walking with us physically, but mentally, he was cataloging and categorizing everything he saw to address and investigate later. In other words, he continued working even as we walked, and this would not do. "I believe sweets also deserve a story, so should I tell you another tale of how Arvis got himself lost while attempting to help me?"

"Another one?" Azelle's eyes widened in surprise; Arvis noticeably stiffened next to me. I knew it would have gotten his attention. "Wait, how many times did this happen?" Sadly, I didn't get to answer.

"What do you mean 'tell another'?!' Arvis immediately yelped, focusing entirely on me and all work thoughts discarded for panic. I muffled a laugh, and noticed how surprised the people looked around us. Were we too loud? "What sort of stories have you been filling his head with, Alicia?"

"I simply shared some tales of when you would visit me, Arvis," I replied innocently. I thought of how Mister Dew would try to get out of trouble, and widened my eyes slightly to hopefully add to the tone. "That's all."

"That doesn't answer my question!" He scowled, and I muffled another laugh. Azelle looked between us with wide-eyed curiosity, tinged with surprise. "Azelle, I disavow all knowledge of anything she told you."

"Arvis, are you accusing your sweet little sister of lying?"

"That... you..." Arvis sputtered some sort of protest, torn between utter embarrassment and his instant denial that he thought me anything but honest. Azelle, meanwhile, burst into incredulous, but bubbly and happy, laughter. This worked out better than I could've hoped. "Alicia!"

"Ah, after the bakery, we should visit the flower shop you like, Arvis. I want some silver izelle for Deirdre."

"Don't change the subject!"

"Yes, I want to hear more!" Azelle happily and impishly agreed. This led to Arvis yelping once more, and I had to muffle yet another laugh. "Tell me, tell me!"

Arvis continued protesting and flailing the entire rest of the walk to the tailor's shop. Azelle, of course, tried to wheedle and plead for more stories, and I spent the time hiding my laughter and smile. The stares continued following us, but it was much harder to care when the two were being so silly. Sadly, the little game had to end once we actually arrived, if only so we didn't disturb the shop. The inside was surprisingly simple. There were tables and chairs, a few books which showed different types of clothes, and a counter in the far back, next to a door, with a small bell resting on it. Without a word, Arvis walked over and rang it, hinting it was a clever way to let the workers know there was a customer.

"Just a minute!" a bright voice called before the sound's echoes faded. There was the sound of movement, and then the back door opened to reveal an older woman. She smiled at Arvis and Azelle, and then immediately froze when she saw me. "Lady... Sunna..?" she breathed, staring for a long moment. Then she shook her head. "No, no, what am I thinking? Lady Sunna died ages ago." She was saddened by the thought for a second, before she patted her cheek to knock herself out of her thoughts and turned her smile back to Arvis. "Good morning, Duke Arvis! I take it you're getting a head start on the new outfits for the Festival?"

"You know my habits a little too well, Sorcha," Arvis replied politely, bowing slightly. He then gestured to Azelle and me. "My siblings will need attire for the Festival as well." Mistress Sorcha's eyes flicked to me again, and I knew she threaded several things together at the statement. "Alicia also needs a wardrobe."

"Oh?"

"I... I need them practical, and easy to move in, as I work as a healer," I immediately requested, hoping I wasn't too forward. This was so absurd. "I do apologize for the specificity, but..."

"Hmm? Oh, my lady, if you heard half the requests I get from the nobility, you'd realize that has to be the easiest 'specification' I have ever gotten," Mistress Sorcha reassured with a bright laugh and brighter smile. I still felt awkward. "Well then, let's get your measurements. Duke Arvis, Lord Azelle, one of my girls will come out to ensure yours are still the same, but I insist on handling Lady Alicia's myself." Was this unusual? Please let it not be unusual. "I'll need to get an idea of what sort of palette would suit her, after all." She opened the door again and beckoned me to follow her. "Duke Arvis, will Felipe pick them up as usual?" Arvis nodded, and it took me a second to remember Felipe was Arvis's valet. "Wonderful! Now, this way, my lady."

Still feeling far from comfortable about this, I did as she asked and focused on keeping her in sight as we walked through the 'workshop' part of the shop. As someone who sewed, part of me was curious about what a professional's workshop looked like, but the rest of me was overwhelmed by the sheer number of fabrics and colors, to say nothing of the wide array of beads and gems carefully arranged in their containers. Why, one section was completely devoted to weaving lace of all colors! The sheer intricacy, and number of needles and bobbins, nearly made me pause, but Mistress Sorcha was quick to recapture my attention and I followed her all the way to the very back room, which was much quieter and bare. All it had was a shelf full of ledgers, a table where another open ledger rested next to a pen, a tapestry of different colors hanging on one wall, and a startling amount of knotted ropes hanging on the other.

"If you might stand in the middle there, Lady Alicia," Mistress Sorcha requested as she turned to a new page of her ledger and carefully wrote my name. Were all these her measurements and records, then? Given how she wrote more down, I guessed she also wrote her observations for whatever reason. "Now then, let's get started." She selected a random, to my eye, rope from the wall and held it next to me. It took me a long second to realize she was measuring the length of my torso. "Arms at your side, please." I did my best to acquiesce, though I truly wanted to fidget. "All right." She ducked back to her ledger and scribbled a number down. "Shoes off, my lady. I need to measure your legs next."

"Of course," I murmured, slipping out of them easily. They were my usual shoes, after all. I... oh, goodness, Arvis would probably insist on going to the cobbler today too. "Is there a certain way I should stand?"

"Just as you normally do. You have very good posture." I would hope so. A proper healer did not slouch. "Ah, goodness, for a second, I truly thought I'd been transported to the past." She measured the length of my legs, followed by separate ones for both my calf and thigh, and wrote them down. "I still remember it well. I was just an apprentice back then, learning from my mother, but it was always such a lovely day when Lady Sunna came in."

"She came personally?"

"Yes, indeed. Many times, she'd come with Duke Arvis, holding his little hand as while she discussed business with my mother." I wondered if this was why Arvis had the habit, then. "She'd bring him even when he wasn't the one who needed new clothes, so I think she used it as an excuse to help him escape the castle for a few hours." She wrapped the rope around my waist, a dark expression on her face. "Then again, maybe she wanted those precious hours of escape for herself. Or... well, since most of those who work here are women, maybe she was limiting the chances of us catching our old lord's eye."

"It could be all of them."

"That is true." She nudged my right arm up to measure its length. "Now then, tell me what sort of work you do, Lady Alicia? I fear I know little about what all a healer has to do."

"Hmm? Ah, well, I am around an open flame quite frequently for teas and medicines, so..."

I carefully described my usual duties as a healer, and the less usual duties I had when there was an emergency, and Mistress Sorcha dutifully wrote it down alongside her measurements. When she was finished, she escorted me back to the front with a smile. Arvis and Azelle were, of course, waiting for me and as soon as I stepped out, Azelle happily showed the way to the bakery, while Arvis and I followed with our own smiles. I suppose if I had taken up Arvis's offer to live in Velthomer, days like this would have been common. Yet if I had, I never would've met Sigurd and everyone, so I think it worked out. For now, I would simply try to enjoy this time.

My new clothes were ready in record time and while I thought some had too many parts, I was gladdened to see most of it was very practical. I had a feeling most were surprised by the wardrobe, expecting something fancier, but they suited me well enough. I was more irritated Arvis had, in fact, sprung a surprise trip to the cobbler. Yes, I understood I would need shoes to match whatever dress Mistress Sorcha made for the ball, but it still made me frown. I knew he didn't tell me precisely because I would have protested, and he had ordered more made to match the rest of my new wardrobe before I had even known what was happening.

But there was no frowning today. Instead, I was studying in the sitting room, having borrowed some medicinal texts from the very extensive library. It was the first time since I arrived I had the morning and afternoon to myself. Azelle needed to reply to some letters, and Arvis was working on something for the Royal Guard in Belhalla. So, I had planned to simply relax and sip some tea while enjoying the quiet. The only person I wished to see was Cathleen, and even then, it was only for her to bring me fresh water for my tea and, perhaps, some snacks. Otherwise, I was to be alone to my reading.

The first sign this planned relaxation would not proceed as expected was the very quick blur rushing past the open door to the sitting room. I paid it little mind, since it was not the first time one of the maids rushed past to clean or 'fix' something. However, when I noticed the blur a second time, I looked up curiously, since it was rare they would pass twice in so short a time. Then I saw it again and realized this was not a servant. As far as I was aware, none of the staff here were so small. And the child shyly peeking into the room was very small indeed. If I had to guess, I would say they were four or five at most, and they may have been younger. When they noticed me looking, they immediately ducked behind the frame, only to poke their head around once more after a moment.

"Well, hello there," I greeted them then. They squeaked in surprise, but thankfully did not hide again. "I don't believe I've seen you here before."

"Came with Mama," they answered, too young to be anything but honest. They glanced around and then carefully came inside. "You?"

"Hmm?"

"Where did you?" Where did I...? Ah, he must be asking the same question.

"I'm visiting my brothers, so I will be here for a few months." I smiled and they crept a little closer. "They're busy, however, so I'm studying."

"Studying?" By now, they had made it to my chair, peering up at me curiously. "What?"

"Right now, I'm reading through a book on medicines." It truly was fascinating to see the differences between what was normal in Grannvale and what was normal in Verdane. Goodness, there were even differences simply between the Velthomer and Yngvi regions. I wondered... Sigurd was close to Lord Eldigan in Nordion. Could he snag me a few books from there so I could see what else was both similar and different? Would Prince Quan be willing to find me similar books from Leonster? Would it be too forward to ask for either? "Earlier, I was studying anatomy."

"Ana... my?" They frowned as they stumbled over the word. "No, no, Anat... my...?"

"Anatomy."

"Ana... toe... me." They smiled triumphantly, and I had to bite back a laugh. "Fun? Is it fun?"

"I like it. I love being a healer, and I love learning."

"Healer?" Their eyes lit up. "That's like Grandpa!"

"Your grandfather is a healer?"

"Yes! At the church! Mama works here. Grandpa works there!" They made to climb into the chair with me, but paused. "Read?"

"Read?" I frowned, wondering what they meant. "Do you want to read with me?"

"Yes!" They squirmed up into my chair then, tucking themselves under my arm. "What's this?"

"That is a picture of a chamomile blossom." I shifted to sit a little more comfortably, and set the book in my lap to make it easier for them to see. "Do you know it? It's known for being quite calming."

"Grandpa makes a tea from it for Mama when she gets grumbly." They pointed to another picture on the opposite page. "This?"

"That is a ruflayia. Their roots are ground up to use as part of a medicine for fevers, but some will use it as a dye for cloth or rouge, since it turns into a very rich red when mixed with water."

"Rouge?"

"It is a type of make-up, in this case used to color the lips or cheeks." I believed that was the definition, at least.

"Oh, like the paint Mama puts on her face?" They made a face. "It doesn't taste good. Doesn't make good pictures either."

"It's not for such." I turned the page then, and pointed to another picture. "Now this one you can eat. I'll use it sometimes to sweeten some medicines."

"Is it used just for that?"

"No, it has its own uses as well. For instance, it's used in many stomach medicines..."

We slowly made our way through the book, with me explaining the different plants and their uses. The child listened eagerly, asking many questions, and I did my best to answer. I think I was about his age when I first gained an interest in healing. This sort of lesson... was what I had always wanted, but never gotten, as a child. I hoped this child would have happier memories of learning than me. I hoped they'd remember this one fondly, for I was certain I would.

We had gotten about halfway through the book when another blur flew by my room. I did not catch any features, only some blacks and reds which may have been their clothing, but it was enough to make me wonder what was wrong. A child wandering about was not cause for concern, but an adult rushing about could be. This was not helped by the words I heard echo down the hall not long after: "Saias! Saias, where are you?!" Now, assuming there was no one else by the name, I could conclude the blur was Aida and she was searching for her son. I wondered if it would it be rude if I asked to meet him? "Saias!"

"Here I am, Mama!" the child tucked under my arm chirped brightly then. My thoughts stilled as I realized several potentially awkward things very, very quickly. "Here I am, here I am!"

"And just where is...! Oh." Aida swung around the doorframe then, proving I was right about her being the second blur, and she stared blankly at the sight of Saias sitting next to me in my chair, with a book in my lap. "Ah, hello, Lady Alicia," she said then, speaking slowly and hesitantly. "I see you've met Saias."

"Alicia?" Saias frowned then, thinking, before looking up at me. "Alicia is Arvis's sister."

"Yes, indeed, she is. She's visiting, so I thought you might want to meet her." Aida sighed gustily then, and leaned against the doorframe. In retrospect, a child wandering about should have actually been cause for concern. I was simply used to wandering on my own, and Shannan and Mister Dew having relatively free reign in the castles. "My... my intention had been to ask you first, Lady Alicia, but the scamp snuck away while my back was turned. I was asking Ruarc where you were."

"But it was open!" Saias turned his frowning face towards his mother. "These rooms are never open."

"That is because they were Lady Cigyun's. Now they are Lady Alicia's. We really shouldn't wander in without permission, as these are her private chambers." She paused, realizing something. "For which I also apologize for, but in my defense, I was very worried about where he went."

"I certainly do not mind," I reassured, freeing a hand to 'wave' the apology away. This was not how I expected my day to go. Life after meeting Sigurd certainly was full of surprises. "I was simply studying, and Saias showed an interest."

"He did?" Aida asked, surprised. Then she became thoughtful. "Well, he does often stare at Father's medicine making supplies. I would think he's a little young for it, though."

"Is he? I was reading similar when I was his age."

"Right, of course, you're like Arvis. You have no concept at all of a normal childhood." Aida's voice was very dry, and I could only tilt my head a little. I knew most children played, but why should he not learn if he wished? "No one in this family is normal."

"This includes Saias." I paused and glanced down at him before looking to Aida once again. "Then again, Arvis has told me how unusual circumstances are."

"Arvis pays for him, but I have full custody and do not plan on ever sharing. I'm a single-parent, and my father acts as his paternal figure. Arvis would be damned awkward about it, and we all know it." She grinned, amused, and I could only smile back as calmly as possible. I knew very well how awkward Arvis felt about all of it, after all. Then again, she had to as well, so humor must be how she tried to smooth things over. "I chose what I did, and I stand by the choice. Saias will learn more as he gets older." She smiled indulgently at him, and Saias looked at her in confusion. "He needs to learn more about the world first. That's what a child should do."

"Would this not include books?" I asked my question with as much innocence as I could muster, and was rewarded with her making a face. "I'm sorry. But he has been enjoying the impromptu lesson, and I..." I knew my smile became shy. "I have been teaching a few others, back with Sigurd's army. It's good practice for me, since they want to continue when I return." I had left lesson plans and books for them to read; I wondered if they would.

"Well, he's smiling." Aida laughed softly, shaking her head. "I think I'll forgive most anything when he smiles like that. Not a good habit for a parent." I truthfully wouldn't know.

"Alicia, Alicia!" Saias called then, tugging at my sleeve to make sure he had my attention. "If you're Arvis's sister, then you have a Mark, right?" I hesitated before nodding. "Can I see? Mama checks me all the time for one for some reason." Well, the reason was 'you are Arvis's firstborn', but clearly Aida was keeping this quiet until he was older. Still, to show him my own mark was... it was uncomfortable, yet I could not refuse a child's honest curiosity. So, I pushed up my sleeve and undid the bandages for him to look. He immediately gasped and started poking at it. Aida made to stop him, both alarmed by the rudeness and worried for my comfort, but I caught her eye and shook my head. It wasn't as if it hurt. "It buzzes!" Besides, his face was lit up with a smile. It made this much more bearable. "Buzz, buzz... like a bee!"

"They say it is because of the power within." Though, I had to admit the mental image of 'Holy Marks are like bees' was quite amusing.

"So, it's not because the flowers?" Saias poked at my Mark again. "These look like petals!" I suppose he was right. My Mark did look like a scattering of flower petals across the upper part of my lower arm. It wasn't too surprising. Despite the association with fire, all of Fjalar's Marks bore some resemblance to flowers. "Pretty."

"I'm glad you think so." However, despite my resolve, I had exceeded my comfort levels and, thus, wrapped the bandages around it once more. Saias made a sad little noise, and I felt terrible about it, but I… I just did not like it shown. I was too used to it. Maybe… maybe one day, I'd become comfortable enough to forgo the bandages. Maybe I never would. It was for the future. "Holy Marks can come with complications, though."

"Is this the noblesse oblige thing Arvis keeps going on about?" He rolled his eyes, a feat I did not think a toddler could do, and Aida had to duck her head to hide her sudden laugh and smile. Given the practiced way he said it, I had a feeling he was repeating Aida there. "He talks about it a lot with Grandpa. Mama mimics it." Yes, he was.

"Some might consider it such. Others wouldn't." This was not a conversation I was willing to have with a child, however. "Ah, but this is neither here nor there. Your mother has returned, so you should probably-"

"No, I wanna learn more!" Saias immediately leaned forward, eyes shining. "More and more!"

"Ah." Oh, I was no match for such earnestness, so I glanced at Aida apologetically, who was now shaking her head in fond exasperation. "Well, Aida, would you like to work in here? There's more than enough space."

Aida agreed and left briefly to fetch whatever papers she needed to review. Then the three of us spent the afternoon in pleasant quiet, with her working at the table and me teaching an eager Saias. It was not how I planned to relax today, but it was most enjoyable. All at once, though, I noticed a strange hush fall over the household. The change was abrupt yet subtle, enough to notice but not enough to really place how you knew. It was like a blanket had suddenly fallen over everything. I looked out the window curiously, wondering if there was any hint there, but there was no one. This was strange in of itself as I had learned these past few days there was usually at least one person tending to the extensive gardens at all times.

"It's nothing to worry about, Lady Alicia," Aida said from her table, once she realized why I was looking around. She didn't even look up from her papers. "Arvis must've returned with a face like a thundercloud. That's all." She frowned over something she was reading before sighing. "It's best to keep away until he cools off."

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning. She did not answer, so I decided to seek it out myself. Thus, I carefully bookmarked my place and closed my book. "I'm sorry, Saias." Then I tucked it under my arm, and stood up careful to not dislodge him. For his part, Saias just stared up in confusion. "But I must see to this."

"Huh?" Aida looked up then, startled. "Ah, really, Lady Alicia, it's better to just let him be when he's like this. Assuming he'll even... hey!"

I didn't listen. I walked out without another word, striding briskly through the halls as I hunted my brother down. I thought I heard her scramble to follow me. I definitely saw quite a few servants peek out from rooms to stare at me like I was insane. I paid them all little heed; I had a purpose, after all. Of course, the castle was so large I wondered just where to begin my search, but it turned out to be very simple. As I passed by Arvis's study, I noticed two things. One, Steward Ruarc and Azelle awkwardly lingered just outside the door and two, the door was cracked open. Taking a guess, I pushed past them and found Arvis within, glaring at the fireplace. Since said fireplace had a roaring fire, one much larger than you'd expect, I could only surmise he had thrown flames out of frustration. Seeing that, I moved to his side and peered up at his face to study it. There was anger, to be certain, and the frustration I knew I'd find. But there were also traces of helplessness, pieces of pain, whispers of guilt. He tried to wall them up within, drown them in the anger, but I could still see it. I could still see it all, and knew what sort of situation would cause such a complex expression. So, while I did not know he and the Royal Guard had been working on, I knew how it had ended up.

"Did the city guard ask for help with a troublesome case?" I asked him softly. The only sign he heard me was his eyes briefly flicking to meet mine. Otherwise, he continued glaring at the flames. "Did a bad case become worse?" He looked away from the flames then, to the floor. His fists clenched at his side, tight enough to whiten his knuckles. That told me everything. "So, it was both." I reached up to touch his cheek, forcing him to look at me properly. When he finally did, I smiled. "How about some tea? You need to relax, lest you snap." He didn't answer, but I knew he wouldn't. Instead, I found the bin of the tea mix I'd made him, held it and my book against my chest with one arm, and took his hand with the other to lead him out of the study. Azelle and Steward Ruarc were both still there, staring as if I had accomplished some grand feat. "Ah, my pardon, but we shall be outside at the garden gazebo."

"I.. of course, Lady Alicia," Steward Ruarc answered, stumbling over the words. He and Azelle exchanged startled looks; I still wondered what was so surprising. "Should I bring a tea set out?"

"That would be wonderful." I smiled at them both and decided I would simply ask later. For now, I had to tend to Arvis. "Thank you."

I held Arvis's hand as we headed outside, and he followed behind me like a lost child. Once at the gazebo, I made him sit down on one of the benches next to it and set down my book next to him. By then, Steward Ruarc appeared with the tea set, so I had him leave it on the table in the middle of the gazebo. Then I set about making the tea in the silence. Arvis remained seated the whole time, refusing to look up for anything. Indeed, he did not move at all until I left the tea to steep and sat down beside him. Then he leaned over to rest his head on my shoulder, and I opened my book to read while I waited. I left the bookmark where it was, though. I did not know if Saias would want to continue the lesson later.

"The city guard was investigating suspicious trade movements within the city," he eventually whispered, the words dragging themselves out. He leaned more against me, sagging even. "They traced it to a lord and brought the case to us, as the affairs of nobles falls in our jurisdiction. We'd happened to be investigating the same lord for potential tax evasion, so we planned to raid one of their warehouses. That was today." He fell silent once more, and I waited for him to continue. I was used to waiting him out, after all. I once read through three books while waiting. Today, it was only a few chapters. "...There were children."

"Children?" I repeated, more as a prompt than anything. While I was willing to wait, I knew sometimes, he needed reassurance someone was actually listened. He'd spent too much time screaming in silence as a child to actually expect to be heard, even now.

"The warehouse was filled with illegal tomes, weaponry, and drugs. All of which we expected. But its workers..." He clenched his fists in his lap. "He evaded the tax collectors by snatching up children from the streets and forcing them into labor. When he used them to their last, he had them sold as slaves. Slaves and sport." He spat out the words, and I rested my head against his in quiet comfort. "How could such an operation work for so long? There's years worth of ledgers, just in that one warehouse alone. We failed them, completely and utterly." He sighed, despair creeping in. "I need to push for more reforms, but what avenues should I use? What loopholes did he abuse? How do I not fail them again? Why do we keep...?" He growled under his breath, and I knew what rant he was about to descended into, again. "Why do we live in a world like this? How can we make it better? We must-!"

"Where are the children, Arvis?" I made sure to keep my voice gentle, and he stilled. "Where are they now?"

"The... they're in protective custody. A mix of both city and royal guard, hand chosen by both myself and the Guard Captain." His hands shook. "They..."

"Are they injured?" I waited for his nod before I smiled at him. "Then, may I offer my services?"

"Pardon?"

"I am a healer, Arvis. It is my job to tend to the injured." We could speculate how such a thing occurred or how to prevent it from happening again later. There were hurts in the present to mend. "So, I can assist, if needed." He lifted his head from my shoulder to look at me, an unreadable expression on his face. "However, I will be most cross if you force my help on them. If they have it under control, then there is no need for me." I would worry, of course, but I could always ask Arvis how they were doing.

"I... will relay the message. Later." He smiled wryly at me, and then rested his head on my shoulder once more. "I would like to rest a little more."

"Of course."

We ended up spending the rest of the afternoon in the garden, only moving from the bench to the gazebo to properly drink the tea. A hesitant Azelle joined us much later with his own book, one of many he borrowed from Evans's library, and the three of us enjoyed a lovely afternoon together. At the least, I enjoyed it.

Two days after the raid, Arvis requested I accompany him to Belhalla to help tend to the children. Azelle saw us off at the Warp Gate with a smile and wave, and in the blink of an eye, we traveled several days' worth of riding to arrive safely within Belhalla's castle. You would think almost every major city would have such, but from my understanding, they were far less practical than they appeared. They required a large number of rare resources to make and needed constant supervision and painstaking maintenance to keep functioning. To have one was a blatant show of wealth, one most could not even consider for a number of reasons. Arvis had one installed when Azelle was a baby so he could quickly move between meetings in Belhalla and lessons with Azelle, an expense he was able to afford since he had none of our father's very expensive habits and because Velthomer was ridiculously wealthy. Though this was actually the second one he'd had made, replacing the original. The previous one had connected to the church, not the castle. King Azmur allowed Arvis to build the second one after appointing him Captain of the Royal Guard, and it was just as much of a show of trust as the title itself.

"Alicia, are you well?" Arvis asked, fretting as always even as we walked the halls and out the front gates. No small few stared at me in surprise, but I could not acknowledge any of them. I was too busy reassuring my worrywart of an older brother. "Warping can be very disorienting. Do you need me to carry your staff, at least? It is the right kind, right?"

"Arvis, I am fine and yes, I do appreciate you buying me a Mend staff," I replied, for the tenth time. It was almost surprising how many times he'd managed to ask the question in so short a time. "Also, yes, warping can be disorienting, but it's not my first time experiencing such."

"It's not?"

"No, Sigurd had a few of us warped Evans to see how things were." At least, that had been the 'official' reason. The true reason had been to subtly avoid Deirdre having to travel through the Spirit Forest, and Marpha, again. We didn't want to risk someone finding and dragging her back, after all. She wanted to stay with us. "I requested to be one of them to set up my infirmaries again." Though, in truth, Sigurd had wanted me to go so Deirdre felt more settled, but no one suspected anything strange about me wanting to get ahead on my work.

"Where did he obtain a warp staff?"

"It belongs to Lady Edain."

"Where did she get it?"

"If you believe Mister Dew, the spirits left it behind, just for her." I became thoughtful then, even as Arvis frowned skeptically. "Then again, perhaps they did. Lex got his new ax from a spirit, after all."

"Lex got a what from a what?"

"Oh, has the story not come up yet?"

"No, it very much hasn't!"

Thus, I was able to distract my worrywart brother by telling him about how Lex acquired an ax from the Lady of the Lake, and sharing the story Deirdre had told about them. By the time I finished, we had arrived at our destination. The barracks of the City Guard were located a short distance away from the castle, a hanging sign bearing their crest the only indication it was any different from the surrounding stone buildings. Arvis knocked on the door as a warning before opening it and showing me inside. The interior of the room was surprisingly cozy, with candles set at regular intervals providing gentle light. Rugs softened the stone walls and floor, and a clerk worked the desk in the back, meticulously poring over some sort of record. They glanced up when the door clicked shut, eyes snapping to Arvis before nodding and disappearing into the back. They were back within seconds, bringing a man around Arvis's age who wore the silver armor of the City Guard and a white cape for some reason. He gave Arvis a friendly, if worn, smile as he approached, but when he turned to me, he stopped and stared. I tilted my head curiously, wondering just why he would be surprised. Then I was confused at Arvis's sudden irritation.

"Is something wrong, Captain Dietrich?" Arvis asked dryly, almost-but-not-quite scowling. I gently nudged his arm, hoping he'd enlighten me to the problem, but he remained stubbornly quiet. "I told you about Alicia."

"Ah, yes, right!" Captain Dietrich yelped, before bowing. It did nothing to hide the faint blush on his face. "You are... earlier than I expected, Duke Arvis."

"We're both early risers." Arvis still seemed annoyed, and whatever he was annoyed by, Captain Dietrich seemed to understand, since he wore a sheepish smile when he straightened. I most definitely missed something. "If anything, I believe we are late."

"I fear I am far too used to other nobles, who say they will arrive at one time, and then appear two hours later." He grinned and Arvis relaxed ever-so-slightly. "I apologize for my lack of manners, Lady Alicia. I am Dietrich, Captain of the City Guard, and you have my deepest thanks for your assistance in this matter."

"Since I volunteered, I should instead thank you for indulging me," I replied, fussing with the strap of my medicine bag and tightening my grip on my staff. How did I politely tell him I wanted to see the children and avoid any small talk? The sooner I saw them, the sooner I could help. Yet, at the same time, I did not want to overstep any bounds. "May I ask-?"

"Dietrich, you said she was here?" My salvation came, fittingly enough, in the form of a priest bursting from the same back door. He froze when he saw Arvis and I standing there, and very quickly attempted to reclaim some form of dignity. "Er... hello," he greeted, bowing slightly. I guessed he was around my age. "I am Anselm. I assist the guard in matters of healing. Forgive my lack of manners, but if you do not mind following me, Lady Alicia...?"

"Of course." I smiled at Arvis, and ducked into the back after Anselm without a second thought. "I do apologize if my aid was pushed on you."

"Hmm? No, no, not at all!" The door shut behind us and he fell in step next to me. "You know as well as I do that these sorts of situations require collaborations." This was quite true. "I also was already considering outside aid for... a number of reasons. The children, as you can expect, are greatly traumatized by their ordeals and..." Surprisingly, he glanced around surreptitiously, even though we were alone in the hall. "My chief reason is one I have not yet shared with Dietrich or his guards yet."

"Oh?"

"When I first treated the children, they shied away. I thought nothing of it at first; they had to be wary of strangers. But then Dietrich followed me in and I noticed something most... peculiar." He rested a hand on his chest. "When I tried to treat them, the children did not look at my face. But they looked Dietrich in the face. They looked at the other guards in the face."

I had a bad feeling suddenly. "What did they look at instead?"

"My robes." I was right to be wary. Anselm's clothing was typical of a priest, the cut and coloring showing he was a member of the Church of Light. It was as much of a uniform as guard armor. "I dislike the implications, and must test the theory. Was it the lack of armor in general? Was it because the cut of my clothing is typical for males, whereas the guard armor is more neutral? Or..." Did the children associate the robes with their trauma? Had someone of his own church been party to their suffering? "While I was deciding how best to go about testing this theory, Dietrich informed me of your offer. I've heard a great deal of your healing abilities from the rumors, Lady Alicia, and based on those same rumors, I know you have some experience with traumatized children." He smiled faintly. "You are also, as I hoped, my opposite in every way, visually."

"I suppose I am." While my clothes were fine, they did not necessarily indicate 'nobility' and they certainly were not robes. "Then, with your permission, I should like to meet the children and see if I have a little more luck. Perhaps in the mean time, you can find clothes to change into?"

"Yes, I'll find some casual clothing. I'd try the armor, but…" He made a face then. "Those things just look heavy."

I muffled a laugh, and he managed a grin. But then we lapsed back into silence until he stopped in front of a nondescript door. He gestured at it, a silent indication I should head inside, before leaving me to find that change of clothes. I hesitated a moment before knocking and stepping inside. The room was large, but that only emphasized how empty it was. I imagined the children were moved here under the belief they would want to spread out and enjoy the space, but they had not. As I closed the door behind me, I found the children were clustered together in the far corner, hiding under their blankets. When they heard me approach, they did everything they could to appear smaller, until they appeared more like strange lumps under covers and not anything alive. So, I stopped in the middle of the room, set my things down with a noticeable 'thump', and sat down to wait. I waited until one of them, a child with a dark purple bruise mottling their face and swelling one eye shut, looked up. Their open eye was wide with fear and curiosity both, and when I caught their gaze, I simply held out my hand in a silent offer. I would not come closer, until they asked. I would not force them to come to me before they were ready. We would move at their pace, each step their choice.

I did not know how long I waited, but eventually, their curiosity outweighed their fear, and the child carefully wriggled out from the protective scrunch of the blankets to crawl over. They couldn't walk; one ankle was so swollen I could barely see their foot. Even crawling had to be painful, based on how red and irritated their hands appeared. But still, they crawled, slipping once or twice on the oversized shirt they wore. They stopped halfway, studying me, and I smiled and continued waiting. There was, however, one thing I noted, one thing which made my heart keen for different reasons entirely. The child never once looked at my clothes. Their focus remained completely on my face.

Eventually, the child reached me, but did not say anything. I moved my hand a little closer, and they hesitantly placed their hand in mine. Now able to study their hands properly, I decided they were even worse than I thought. They were raw, chapped, even bleeding in some places. I studied both of their hands closely, checking for any signs of infection, and then went through my medicine bag for a balm. I popped open the jar and made to scoop some out and rub it into their hand myself, only to see them reaching first.

"Ah, would you feel more comfortable applying it yourself?" I asked softly. They immediately froze. "I can pass it to you, if you want."

"...You... will put it on me?" they asked slowly. Their expression was unreadable, far too used to guarding their thoughts. It made my heart ache; I did not think they were any older than Shannan. "You'll touch it? The medicine?"

"Yes." For emphasis, I scooped a small amount out with my fingers and, noticing how their eyes snapped to it, I rubbed a little bit on my own hand. "See?"

"There's no rash?" They leaned a little closer, frowning as they scrutinized my hand. "No rash, no red..."

"I would hope not. If you experience such, I need to switch medicines for you."

"All the medicine they gave us made our hands itch. We knew they knew, because they never touched it themselves." They awkwardly held their hand out to me once more, letting me rub the balm on it. I did my best to be as gentle as possible. I would need to bandage them to keep everything clean. "It... doesn't burn…?"

"I'm glad. It shouldn't hurt." I finished with one hand, and then switched to the other. "Will you let me put bruise balm on your face? It will help it heal faster."

"...Um..."

"I'll put it on my skin first to show you, if you would like." I smiled and they hesitantly nodded. "Ah, but where are my manners? My name is Alicia, little one."

"...Gabriel." They continued watching me rub the balm into their hands and their fingers curled slightly into mine. "I think... it's Gabriel."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Gabriel."

I worked slowly, tending to Gabriel's many injuries. I asked each time I wanted to do something, showed them the medicines I wished to use, explained what each one did, and waited until they agreed before doing anything. As best as I could, I made each step their choice. I think it worked well, since they had noticeably relaxed by the time I braced their swollen ankle. By then, a couple of the other children had hesitantly left the protective cover of their blankets to sit by me and watch. When I finished, one held out their hand, their face filled with fear and hope in equal measure, and I took it gently to begin the process again with them.

Anselm joined us around the time I started on the third child. He had changed into a simple shirt and pants, the sort of garb one would see anyone wearing if they poked their head outside, and I noticed the children were wary, but did not stiffen when he began talking to them. Since I had their cuts, bruises, and irritation covered, he focused more on potential illnesses. How did they feel? Did their heads ache? Did they have fevers? Did they have coughs? The way he asked the questions implied one of their number suffered from such symptoms, and it was then I learned there was actually one more rescued child, one who was terribly ill and, thus, had to be kept separate. When we finished with those in the main room, I asked if I could see them. I didn't expect Anselm to agree so quickly, but I was glad for it.

"The worst one is Ellen," Anselm explained as we headed to a side room. Already, I could hear throat-tearing coughing bounce off the halls. "She's the youngest of the rescued children, about five. High fever, chest pain, chills, and..." We stopped outside a door, just as we heard another deep, hacking fit. "Well, you can hear the cough."

"The poor child..." I whispered, unable to think of anything else to say. Still, I had asked to see her, so I opened the door with no hesitations. I immediately noticed it was very nicely, if simply, furnished. There were clean linens, a clear window to let sunshine in, and blankets piled high on a well-tended bed. Under the blankets was little Ellen, her face flushed as she twisted over the side, hacking and hacking until she actually vomited into a bucket someone kindly set on the floor. Immediately, I helped steady her before she accidentally fell off entirely. "What medicines have been used?"

"The usual for these sorts of illnesses. None of them were nearly as effective as they should've been, though." So, they provided some relief, but none addressed the underlying condition, only the symptoms. "Because she's so young, I didn't want to risk stronger medicines yet." Yes, with her age, such medicines could easily do more harm than good.

"I see." I sat down on the edge of her bed and brought up my staff to get a better idea of her condition. Immediately, my attention was drawn to her lungs. They were irritated, inflamed even, and it reminded me of... "Was she around mold?" It reminded me of Shannan's lungs, shortly after he was freed from the dungeon.

"All of them were around mold, among other things, but because of her small size, she was forced into tighter areas for... some reason." Anselm shrugged helplessly, adjusting the blankets on Ellen. She was gasping for air, and her eyes were hazy. But oh, she had such a pretty smile. I wondered what she thought she saw when she looked at us with such a sweet smile. "I will admit I didn't hear. They're still investigating everything. But the children said something about her having different duties because she was so much smaller and that involved tighter areas."

"Those tighter areas likely were dustier than the rest. I doubt they cared to clean." I had read a lot about this condition while treating Shannan, and knew dust could cause it just as easily as mold. If they were the same... ah, but even if they were the same, I was worried by how developed the condition was. Shannan's had been mild, but Ellen's... "We need more assistance with her. I can attempt to treat it, but it's certainly very advanced and the lungs can be very delicate. There may even be scarring." A thought occurred to me, and I looked up to face Anselm. "How did the children fair with you? Was it different?"

"As I both expected and feared, they were not nearly as wary once I changed clothes." His smile became bitter. "Most likely, then, a member of my own congregation was party to these atrocities."

"It could be priests in general, since many will visit as part of pilgrimages." I spoke slowly, uncertain if I was overstepping any boundaries. But at his curious look, I continued. "I was thinking... well, I would be the first to admit I do not know hierarchy and chain of command for this sort of thing, but if a member of the church is involved in something this heinous, should we not inform Father Claud?" I knew a little about him, of course. The Bragi Major of our generation, he became the Duke of Edda at a relatively young age, fourteen, and was known for his wisdom and keen intuition. As the Duke of Edda, however, he was heavily involved in the Church of the Twelve Gods. In fact, Edda's politics were the church's politics. This was how Edda maintained power, despite its relatively scarce resources.

"I..." Anselm hesitated before nodding slowly. "You are correct. Contraband, illegal weaponry, drugs, tax evasion, and ties to nobility... if a priest is also involved, he would have to be informed sooner or later."

"From what I've heard, Father Claud usually wears priest robes, yes?" House Edda leaned heavily into their close ties to religion, to the point where their rulers never used the title of 'duke' and most forwent clothes fancier than robes. "Those robes would be different."

"Yes, and given his knowledge and experience, he may be able to help poor Ellen. Those of Bragi's blood are always talented healers." Anselm looked to her, still struggling to breathe, and resolve hardened his eyes. "I do not know how to contact him, but you are right, Lady Alicia. He must be informed of our suspicions, and he may be Ellen's best chance. Shall we meet with Dietrich and Duke Arvis?"

It was the best option, so I agreed. Of course, I didn't know how to contact Father Claud any more than Anselm did, but Arvis had a way. He was reluctant to ask for outside assistance, as could be expected, but I convinced him by pointing out Ellen needed the help. It didn't take long for him to fold, knowing a child's life was on the line, so he sent word. Surprisingly, Father Claud answered and arrived quickly. I was certain it would be a day or two, at the earliest, but within a couple of hours, at most, he had joined us at the barracks.

"That was much faster than I anticipated," Arvis used as his greeting when Father Claud arrived. I was glad to see I wasn't the only one surprised by his haste. "I would've thought you in the middle of many different projects, Claud. You usually are."

"There is, unfortunately, much which goes into coordinating all the congregations in Grannvale," Father Claud replied with a gentle, healer-perfect smile. To my surprise, however, you could clearly see the mischief in it as well. "Yet you so rarely ask anyone for help, Arvis. How could I not find the most convenient stopping point and rush over?" Arvis looked away sheepishly, and Father Claud used it as an excuse to turn his attention to me, since I was standing next to my brother. "Is this your sister, Arvis?"

"Yes, this is Alicia."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," I greeted, bowing slightly. Then I gestured to hallway, since there was no use wasting time. "Please forgive my lack of manners, but would you mind following us, Father Claud? I do not know what Arvis said in his message, but the condition of one of the children requires utmost haste."

Thankfully, Father Claud was just as eager to see the children as we were, so he followed Anselm and I into the back without delay. I expected Anselm to explain the full situation to Father Claud as soon as we were out of earshot of Dietrich and Arvis, but to my surprise, he remained silent. He didn't seem shy or tongue-tied by awe. He was just silent. Why would he...? Did he want me to start the conversation for some reason? Maybe that was the case. This had to be difficult for him.

"There is, in truth, another reason we asked for you, Father Claud, besides Ellen's condition," I began, turning to face the two. Father Claud looked intrigued, but strangely unsurprised. "Anselm?" I looked to Anselm, who was startled for some reason. "I apologize. Were you deep in your thoughts?"

"I... no, my lady," Anselm mumbled, the words blending together. He wouldn't quite look at me. "I was simply surprised."

"Is that so?" I feared I was missing something here, but I wasn't certain what. "In any case, you should tell Father Claud. It's your theory, after all. I'm just helping." His eyes darted to me then, still noticeably surprised. I truly did not understand what was so surprising. "I will if it is difficult, of course, but..."

"No, no, I can..." He smiled shyly, sheepish even, and turned his attention to Father Claud, who watched us both with a benevolent smile. "A-anyway, Father Claud, I fear one of my own congregation may be an accomplice to the atrocities here. The children were fixated on my robes, and kept their distance. Their wariness was nowhere near the same level when Lady Alicia tended to them, or after I changed clothes."

"I see," Father Claud murmured, expression still calm. Either he was truly unsurprised, or he was masking it well. I suspected the latter. "I wonder if this is related to an anonymous message I received a few days ago about potential bribery in the Church of Light." My, that was certainly convenient. I now wondered if the group involved in this had internal troubles. "I had planned on writing Eirik from the Church of Fate, but I am glad I waited until I investigated further." Why would he contact Father Eirik? "So, I take it you wish to see if the children show a similar reaction to priest robes in general. Mine are quite different from the ones worn by the Church of Light."

"Yes, your grace," Anselm answered, speaking clearly and concisely. Whatever hesitations he had before, he certainly did not have them now. "However, we do wish for you to look at Ellen as well. There's something wrong with her lungs and..." Anselm looked to me then. "You asked specifically about mold and dust, my lady, but I only now realize I forgot to ask you why."

"Ah, the condition of her lungs bears similarities to Shannan's lungs when we rescued him," I explained, doing my best to remember everything about that time. The more I thought, the more certain I became. "What differences I noticed seem to be related to severity. When I was researching the condition, I read dust could cause something similar."

"Dust and mold, hmm?" Father Claud mused, crossing his arms to tap his finger on his forearm. He nodded to himself, mentally filtering through what diseases and conditions he knew. "Dry cough or wet?"

"Dry, I believe?" I glanced at Anselm, who nodded. "It's hard enough to make her vomit, which could mask any phlegm, but..."

"Pneumonitis, then? Perhaps due to hypersensitivity?" Father Claud smiled then, a determined glint in his eyes. "Will we pass by the other children on the way to Miss Ellen?" Anselm nodded again. "Then let us go. You can observe their reaction to me as I pass by, and we can try more exposure after tending to her. But the sooner we treat this, the better."

Father Claud walked briskly, his strides long enough I had to jog to keep up. Anselm kept pace with us, barely, and opened the door to the children's room lead us to Ellen's. The children themselves mostly hid as we passed, though I saw one or two watching us curiously, their eyes on Father Claud's face and not his robes. Just as I was about to leave the room with Anselm and Father Claud, however, something unexpectedly touched my hand. When I turned, I saw it was Gabriel, his hand shaking on mine.

"Um... how... how is she?" he asked me softly. The words shook as much as his hand. "I can sometimes hear her coughing, but they won't..."

"I imagine they keep her isolated to ensure the rest of you do not become ill, though it must be difficult to know so little," I whispered, crouching down so I could look him in the eye. He relaxed slightly when I did. "I will not lie. Her condition is grave. However, we will do everything in our power to help her recover."

"I thought it might be bad. Her twin died days before..." He looked away, and it took every lesson I ever learned from Father Eirik to keep from flinching. How many had died? How many had he seen die? "Um..." He hesitated, and I waited for him. "There was... a healer before you came. After the guards dragged us here." 'Dragged', was it? Yes, I supposed the children would not have felt very comfortable with the change, even if it was technically for the better, much like how Shannan had felt as confined in his room as he had the dungeon. "What happened to him?"

"Anselm? He just passed by." I pointed down the hall behind me, and noticed how startled he was by the knowledge. "I apologize if you feel tricked. He noticed you seemed disturbed by his robes and changed clothes to help you feel a little more comfortable."

"Oh." Gabriel looked away then, but his hand moved to my sleeve to hold tightly. "The priest... who gave us balms... back there... wore similar robes." Then it was as Anselm feared. Though, I suppose the robes could have been stolen? "They weren't new, but not dirty or torn. They were worn regularly, and laundered." Ah, but those tiny details hinted otherwise.

"May I tell Father Claud this?" I waited for him to nod. "Then I shall. With luck, we can find the one who hurt you under the guise of helping."

"We'll see." His smile was so terribly bitter and cynical; I could not blame him. "Um... but can I... have a little more of your balm?"

"Of course." I glanced back down the hall before focusing entirely on Gabriel. With Anselm and Father Claud there, Ellen would be fine. If they had need of me, they would find me. "Do any of the others want more as well?"

Others would hunt down the perpetrators and, with luck, things will be a little safer. For now, I would tend to these childrens' injuries as best as I could, and listen to what they wished to say. That was what they needed, after all, and I was happy to do everything I could for them.

I stayed in Belhalla for a week, helping Anselm as much as I could with the children. Only when we were certain the children's injuries were fully on the mend, and they would be fine without supervision did I return to Velthomer with Arvis to continue my 'rest'. I still fretted dreadfully, but thankfully, Anselm did not mind sending me letters to tell me how they were doing. I would need to write him when I left to see if he was willing to send the letters to Evans.

"So, Ellen is recovering well," I whispered to myself, reading through the letter carefully. I was in Arvis's office, sitting in the window seat to take advantage of the sunlight. "I hope it's a full recovery." She would likely have breathing difficulties for the rest of her life, but we could still hope for now. "Ah, but the investigation is proceeding smoothly if slowly." That was to be expected. Father Claud, Captain Dietrich, and Arvis were all investigating the issue, coordinating their vast resources as best as they could. Gabriel, being the apparent eldest of the children at the ripe old age of eight, was their best resource, though Gabriel had to push through his own distrust and wariness to relay what information he had. Most of what he'd told had been first been to me, and I told the others after I asked if it was all right to share. "Ha... Anselm wonders if I should return briefly." While I would not mind seeing them again, I was hesitant to be present at an outright interrogation as I worried what it would do to Gabriel's mental health. I'd write Anselm my concerns so we could make proper arrangements. For now, however, there was a different, more present issue, the whole reason why I was in Arvis's study in the first place. With the Festival of Flowers approaching, Arvis's duties had more than tripled, in addition to the investigations. This meant... "Arvis, if you do not delegate those tasks to Azelle, I will tell him the story about the cats." This meant I had to resort to threats to get Arvis to actually take breaks. Honestly, it was no wonder he went through headache remedies like water.

"You would not!" Arvis immediately yelped, jerking up from the pile of papers he'd been reviewing despite Azelle's attempts to help. Azelle promptly seized the opportunity to steal them from him and organize the lot. It was harder than it sounded; Arvis's office was almost as much of a mess now as it was the day I arrived. "Alicia!"

"Then you had best delegate, dear brother, lest you find out." I looked up from my letter to smile sweetly at him, and he groaned, raising his hands in defeat. "What were you two even arguing about this time?"

"They're missives."

"And most are just people confirming they will attend the ball," Azelle declared with all the dry annoyance he could muster. He wrote down the names of each one, likely for the 'guest list', and burned them as soon as he was done. Though it resulted in a lot of ash piling on the desk, it did reduce the number of papers considerably. "Oh, wait, this one is different." He flipped it open easily, skimming through. "It's from Captain Dietrich, saying His Majesty has approved the Five-Point punishment for the former Count Theobald." He set it in its own space on the desk. "That's the one in charge of the warehouse, right?"

"Indeed, so it only makes sense he would suffer the worst of punishments," Arvis confirmed coldly. He outright glared at the missive. "I should ask if Dietrich wants assistance in wringing as much information as possible before it is done."

"He actually did, and wants your best interrogator. Doesn't have to be connected to the Royal Guard."

"I'll let Aida know then."

"What is this punishment?" I asked, feeling uneasy suddenly. The feeling only increased when neither Arvis nor Azelle would look at me. "Ah, never mind. If you will excuse me, I shall ask-"

"It's an old, traditional punishment, predating even the Empire," Arvis answered quickly, no doubt to keep me from asking anyone else. I knew it would work. "First, the criminal's legs are cut off, to ensure they can no longer run from justice, and are buried in the woods to be eaten by carrion. Next, the hands are cut off and incinerated, so the innocent blood on them will be cleansed. Finally, their tongue is cut out and purified in salt, so their wretched lies can no longer curse innocents." He closed his eyes, and I could only stare. "They're then incarcerated for the rest of their lives, so they may meditate and reflect on their actions."

"I... see..." A punishment like that existed? I should not be surprised, but I was. Why not kill them and let the gods sort them out? I may be a healer, and wished to save all lives, but this felt less like justice and more like wanton cruelty.

"You're not healing him." Arvis's words were firm, and I frowned. "I'm keeping you far away from that wretch."

"I wasn't going to ask." I simply questioned whether this sort of punishment did anything but satisfy people's egos. "With that said, Anselm has brought up the possibility of me returning briefly to help with the children."

"They do seem more inclined to tell you things compared to the rest of us." Arvis frowned then. "I wonder why."

"Probably because Alicia doesn't look like she can kill them with a snap of their fingers?" Azelle suggested, words somehow hesitant and sarcastic at the same time. I frowned, mostly because I didn't think Anselm fit the description. "Though, I suppose it could be something else. Are they more comfortable with women, for instance?"

"Dietrich thought that might be the case, at first, but they remain as wary with the female guards," Arvis explained. After a moment, he shook his head. "I suppose it's simply Alicia's charisma."

"Could be."

"I think you're putting too much thought into it," I sighed, shaking my head. Personally, I thought it was because I did my best to listen and wait for them. People were more willing to talk if they knew they would be heard and knew they would not be forced. "Regardless, Arvis, what do you…?" A quiet knock on the door cut me off. "Come in."

"Your Grace?" Steward Ruarc poked his head in, his expression strangely unreadable. Since he usually wore at least a smile, I knew something unexpected had happened. "My pardon, but we have visitors," he explained. "I will see to their rooms, but you... will want to see them immediately."

"Will I now?" Arvis asked, raising a brow. When Steward Ruarc did not elaborate, he sighed and stood up. "Very well. Alicia, Azelle, I'll be back in a moment." He left without another word, expression stoic and strides brisk. Azelle and I glanced at each other, waited two seconds for Steward Ruarc to kindly move out of the way, and followed. After all, we were both terribly curious.

It didn't take long for us to walk to the entrance hall, even at the sedate pace we walked. We may both wonder who was here, but neither of us were in a hurry to exchange pleasantries. In fact, we were keen to avoid them, so we merely peeked into the hall when we arrived. Of course, we both stilled when we saw the visitors were three older men, each easily old enough to be our fathers, dressed in simple yet fine travel clothes. My eyes immediately fell on one of them in particular, because I recognized him. I may have only seen Duke Ring in the distance a few times in my life, but I did still recognize him. This, however, did nothing to explain why he was here, when he should have been on the Isaachian Front.

"Sister, the other two are Duke Lombard and Prince Kurth," Azelle whispered to me, knowing I would not know who they were. Though a second look at one of the strangers, the tallest and broadest of them, did reveal some similarities to Lex. "Let's... get a little closer and listen in." Without another word, he crept along the edges of the hall, using the pillars as cover. I did my best to follow him, if only to ensure I would not be caught standing awkwardly in the doorway. That felt more embarrassing than being caught eavesdropping.

"No, no, the war is unfortunately still ongoing," Prince Kurth was explaining, no doubt answering Arvis's own question of what they were doing here. He held himself with a strange ease, wearing a gentle smile. In sharp contrast, Duke Ring's eyes flicked about the room, even going towards the ceiling for some reason, despite the smile he wore, and Duke Lombard's face seemed permanently fixed in a scowl, with him only reluctantly lowering the hood of his travel-cloak. "However, we thought it might be better for the public's morale if some of the leadership attended the Festival of Flowers."

"There must be another reason besides that," Arvis immediately replied, expression polite and tone calm. I saw the slight narrowing of his eyes, hinting to annoyance, and based on Prince Kurth's warming smile, I thought he might have noticed too. "The people's support has not waned, and given Sigurd's recent victory in Verdane, their spirits are quite high."

"I am still amazed at how quickly he managed it. What a shame we can't field him for the Isaachian Campaign." Prince Kurth shook his head, and Azelle glanced back at me uneasily. No, Sigurd would not fight in Isaach. Honestly, given what I overheard, he'd fight for Isaach. "Regardless, you are correct. It's simply the official reason. We also hope to lure the Issachians into complacency." ...So, they were... pretending to be arrogant enough to dismiss the threat? They were pretending things were going so well they could spare the time for frivolity? I had no idea what to feel about this, save perhaps ill. It certainly made me nauseous. "Reptor and Byron remained behind to coordinate efforts."

"I see." Arvis was still a little irritated by the surprise, though he did well to mask it. "I have my steward preparing your rooms. You may use the Warp Gate to grab anything you will need from Belhalla. I highly doubt the three of you traveled with clothing suitable for the ball, for one thing."

"Not for my valet's lack of trying! I swear he would've packed my entire wardrobe!" Prince Kurth muffled a laugh, and then looked about curiously. "I must say; I know the Festival of Flowers is soon, but everything seems a little more cheerful than usual. Did something good happen recently?" Then, all at once, Prince Kurth's eyes landed on me. Azelle might have been hidden by the pillar, but I wasn't. I'd been too startled by the conversation to even try. "That's..." Of course, when Prince Kurth saw me, he froze. I wasn't surprised. He'd last seen me as a one-year-old, after all, and given previous comments, I apparently looked far more like my mother than I ever would have guessed. "Alicia?" I was, however, appreciative he did not say my mother's name first. "How...?"

"To answer your question, Alicia is visiting." Arvis turned to frown at me, and his eyes darted to Azelle. However, since Azelle had the good sense to stay hidden, he didn't bring any attention to his presence. "I could've sworn I told you I'd be right back."

"Did you? I fear curiosity may have closed my ears, brother," I replied, purposely trying to jest. I wasn't certain how good of a joke it was, but Arvis cracked a smile. It widened when I joined him. "Besides, I had just managed to convince you to delegate. I worried you might take up more work to compensate."

"Now there's two words I don't hear together often," Duke Ring suddenly joked, even laughing. I guessed he was making up for how Prince Kurth continued staring, and how Duke Lombard's scowl deepened. "Unless the word 'doesn't' is between them, that is. I wonder what the secret is."

"Hmm? Ah, I simply offer to tell Azelle some stories of his visits." I widened my eyes innocently; Arvis immediately stiffened next to me. "For some reason, he's much more inclined to listen to me afterwards."

"Ah, sibling threats. Edain uses them effectively against Andrey as well." Duke Ring laughed again. Arvis looked away, desperately trying to hide his embarrassment. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Alicia. I've heard much about you in my daughter's letters, and the gossips."

"The pleasure is mine."

There were a few more polite exchanges before Steward Ruarc appeared to lead the three to their rooms. Arvis took the opportunity to return to his work, and Azelle went to assist. I did not. No, because of the conversation, I was unsettled, so I returned to my rooms to pen a reply to Anselm. From there, the plan was simple. I would study in the sitting room, and do my best to minimize any and all contact with our visitors. As one can expect, this simple plan fell apart within a few hours. This was mostly because while I was reading, Prince Kurth himself wandered past the open door. I couldn't decide if I was irritated or resigned.

"Ah. You're using them," he murmured, once he noticed me. It had taken him a moment, since he had looked around slowly, like he was walking through a dream. "That's why they're not locked anymore." He at least had the grace to look awkward when I simply stared in return. "I apologize. I was so startled to see the doors open I found myself wandering through before I thought once, much less twice."

"This is the second time someone has meandered in for that reason," I replied, closing my book to be polite. Usually I'd mark my place, but I didn't feel like I made much progress. It would be better to start again later. "Arvis thought I might feel more comfortable in Cigyun's old rooms."

"Well, you did spend most of your time here. Actually in the chair there. Cigyun would hold you in her lap while she read and discussed..." He trailed off awkwardly, the wide eyes telling me he hadn't meant to say any of it aloud. I was rather surprised he remembered such. Even Steward Ruarc admitted to remembering little, and he was one of the very few who remained from that time. Everyone else, especially Arvis, had their memories worn away by trauma, grief, stress, and time. "Er... you probably don't need to listen to an old man's musings."

"From my understanding, Prince Kurth, you're in your early forties."

"Aren't nineteen year olds supposed to consider that old?" He forced himself to smile; I could only shrug. Would I also joke of 'old age' when I turned forty? "It... is nineteen, right? Your twentieth should still be a few months away."

"Yes, it's a couple months after the Festival of Flowers." I knew Arvis wanted me to stay to celebrate here, but I doubted I would survive a second ball and there was no way I could convince him to keep things simple. "I will be back in Evans then."

"Evans?"

"Yes, I am staying in Evans with everyone." I couldn't bite back the smile on my face when I said the words. It felt like a dream still. "As Arvis said, I'm only visiting Velthomer."

"I see." Prince Kurth's own smile became much less forced and awkward. "Ah, I am reminded. While I wandered here out of... never mind. I was actually looking for you." Now why would he do that? I was trying to hide from him, Duke Ring, and Duke Lombard. …Wait. "Might you take a walk with me, Alicia?"

"...Very well." I didn't know a graceful way to refuse, after all, and I really did need to fix this instinct to hide. The whole point of going to the Festival was to not hide. It was so much easier to do when I was back in Evans.

Prince Kurth waited for me to set down my book and then escorted me to the gardens. There, we walked in silence. A few times, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he closed it with a slight shake of his head. Personally, I thought he'd immediately ask me about Ayra and Shannan and braced myself each time I thought he would speak. Yet, when he did finally start a conversation, it was about something else entirely.

"Alicia, I heard you were involved in the recent warehouse scandal," he began without preamble. I had to blink a few times to fully process the words. "Is that true?"

"I believe saying I was 'involved' is severely overstating my importance," I replied with a shake of my head. I clasped my hands in front of me to keep from fidgeting. "When Arvis told me of what happened, I offered my aid as a healer. Anselm accepted to have assistance with the children, and to test a theory of his."

"That a member of the church was involved."

"I did not realize that had already made it to the gossips." I would not have thought my name would be bandied about either.

"Oh, the gossips suspect it given Claud's involvement in the mess, but most are placated by the story of his skills being needed to treat the children. Your name came up as well because of it. The gossip is furious about how the children must be so terribly injured and ill they needed a healer with Fjalar's might and another with Bragi's skill to have a chance at healing." While I would say the children were very hurt, the only one I would say was that bad off was Ellen. Otherwise, if we were speaking only of their physical injuries, Anselm would have been enough. This was why I was no longer needed, except for their mental scars. "I, however, know because of Eirik. He always informs me when he's tasked with investigating something, just in case it leads to something among the nobility."

"Is it usual for him to be involved?" Father Claud had also mentioned Father Eirik.

"Eirik is the one House Edda tasks with internal investigations. Despite having the social graces of a grumpy and feral cat, and the tact of a toddler, he has a keen eye for detail and absolutely no hesitations at all in pursuing every avenue, diplomacy be damned." Well, he certainly had the comparisons correct. I could also concede Father Eirik could be a very determined person. "We actually met because the church was quietly trying to bury a scandal, and he refused to let them because of the number of people who had been hurt." I wondered if this was why Father Eirik claimed to be indebted to him. I would never be so rude as to ask, but it was curious nonetheless. "Which was longer than I care to admit. It was before Claud was born."

"Is that not an admission right there?" I could not help but 'ask', and Prince Kurth simply muffled a laugh. "Regardless, yes, that was why. Any further involvement on my part will be for the children's comfort, but they should all make full recoveries."

"We'll need to figure out where they will go from here."

"Wherever it is, I ask you let the children choose." I remembered what Gabriel had said, after all. "If they are not part of the process, then it will simply become adults doing whatever they want with them again. These ones may have their best interests at heart, of course, but the similarities are there."

"That… is a fair point. I think I'll make it an order to ensure the others don't get carried away with their good intentions." He smiled at me, though there was something bitter to it. "You have experience with traumatized children, then?"

"We took care of some refugees in Verdane, but in this case, Gabriel mentioned being 'dragged' by the guard. There was also…" I trailed off as I realized I almost blurted out Shannan's experience. Did he trick me?

"I suppose you have experience due to caring for the prince of Isaach." He definitely tricked me! "How is he doing? How is his aunt?" I was tempted to not answer in the slightest, but he did seem earnest in the questions.

So, I bit back my sigh and kept hold of my calm to hide both my annoyance and guilt. "They have finally recovered enough from their ordeals to resume normal activities, though they must build up their strength. Shannan's recovery will be more lengthy since he was bedridden for so long." I shrugged and looked at him with a slight frown. "I hope you're not planning a lecture."

"Would you listen if I did?" His easy smile showed the teasing, and despite my annoyance, I found myself smiling slightly in return. I think it was because how familiar his smile looked. Was it some... impression... from when I lived here? That didn't seem right, as it felt like the memory it stirred was from something much more recent, yet I had no other answer. "No, I was merely curious. I will fully admit I had hoped to use the knowledge against Mariccle, but alas."

"You tried to use it against him?"

"It is the duty of those who war to end it as soon as possible, by any means necessary. I'm not above deliberately misleading the other side." He chuckled, emphasizing how blase he was about the notion. I wasn't certain how comfortable I felt hearing it. I supposed I should be grateful he didn't insist on actually using Shannan as a hostage? "So, I arranged a talk and informed him his son was in the custody of a Grannvalian lord. I'd hoped it would shake him enough to force negotiations."

"Since the war continues, I can guess it went quite poorly."

"Indeed. Merchants love gossip even more than they love coin, and they happily trade it with any and all. They also can't resist the profits from selling to both armies, so many have traveled across the Aed with all their chatter. Thus, Mariccle was not only already aware of where his son and sister were, but which lord was protecting them." He chuckled again, amused by the memory, yet there was also genuine respect in his eyes. "I think I'll always remember his response. 'I see your fangs are as venomous as the rest of the snakes of Belhalla, but unfortunately for you, I know the antidote to this kind.' He used a lot of beast metaphors, and I still can't decide if it was out of respect or mockery."

"Ayra has told me Isaachians hold animals in high regard, due to Tiamat of Beasts."

"At the same time, I'm not certain Lombard much liked being compared to a mangy bear." ...Someone had no fear. Then again, based on what I overheard, Mariccle was well aware he would not survive this war. Why be afraid when you already knew death was hovering over you? "He knew of Sigurd from more than just rumors as well, thanks to stories Prince Quan shared when their paths happened to cross while traveling the desert. So, he pointedly asked if Grannvale was so certain of its superiority it could afford a civil war while... well, at the time, you all were still in Verdane."

"Not even Grannvale can fight on three different fronts."

"Still not sure how we managed two." Prince Kurth sighed. "So, unfortunately, the plan failed. Then, as if to prove how little we can afford to split our focus, he proceeded to purposely let himself be captured, which included the usual confiscation of weapons and restraints. He then killed one man with a kick to the throat to force a fight, cleverly timed his dodges to ensure his attackers would kill each other while he freed himself, reclaimed Balmung, and then proceeded to annihilate three units on his own before casually returning to his own camp in time for tea."

"..." I had to admit to staring. Prince Kurth's only response was a wry smile. "Balmung is a Holy Weapon, yes?"

"The Phantasmal Blade, it will cloak its wielder in magic to blend in with the environment, invisible to all. Useful for screwing with the senses, or simply escaping. He, in particular, will use it to lie in wait until a key opponent has dropped their guard. Then he'll strike, as vicious as fangs, and disappear while the corpses drop to escape in the resulting pandemonium. We've had quite a few officers flat-out collapse from the stress of dealing with such an opponent. He's brutal and calculating in equal measure, and I dearly wish I never had to face him on the battlefield. Our only chance will be other Holy Weapons, and utilizing our magical advantage."

"I see." I had no other answer. This made me terribly uncomfortable. "Was curiosity your only reason for bringing up the topic?"

"Yes, though I admit it was curiosity of a different thing entirely which prompted the thoughts." Prince Kurth stopped to face me, and I mirrored him. "Has Princess Ayra said anything about Dahna?"

"Dahna?" Well, now, this was awkward for completely different reasons. "She has not told me anything, no." Yet I had overheard. I had overheard many things, and those things were troubling. Ayra's testimony in particular… it loomed in my memory. I had no right to tell, yet did I have a right to be silent when I knew? "She has not told Sigurd anything either, which may be an answer in itself."

"Oh?"

"Ayra knows what sort of person Sigurd is. So, perhaps she knows the answers may lead to Sigurd doing something reckless, because his sense of duty and honor demand it." I held Prince Kurth's gaze, speaking as truthfully as I could without revealing anything I technically should not know. It felt like the only compromise. "Though perhaps she does not tell because she herself knows nothing. I cannot say. I can only tell you she prioritizes Shannan's safety, and Sigurd's."

"Is that so?" Prince Kurth crossed his arms, frowning. "If he would be reckless, then what would it mean? What is the truth here?"

"May I ask who brought back word of what happened in Dahna?"

"Lombard, but..." His frown deepened, but I could say nothing more. I only asked because I remembered how skeptical Lex had been. "I might need to send some spies on this. I still need every soldier and commander I can get, yet..." After a moment, he sighed and forced himself to relax. "What a headache. Byron's right; I do need to simply carry headache remedies everywhere I go."

"I can make you up some, if you would like."

"That... would be rather nice, actually." He had a most unreadable look on his face before shaking his head. "I do not know what to say to you." That was random, especially since we had been holding quite the lengthy conversation. "Most would say the appropriate thing is something like 'you grew up well', but I'm not certain I have that right, given the mess we made of your life. Besides, you may look physically well, but I read neither minds nor hearts. I do not know the scars there, only guesses and fears."

"...Did he write you about me?" I wasn't certain why I asked. I truthfully wasn't very curious about the answer. Yet it was the first thing which popped into my head. Perhaps... perhaps I wanted to know if he knew everything, and yet had still...

"Every once in a while, but I'm sure you can guess how short they were." He made a face. "I think one was literally two words: 'she's alive'." I had to duck my head to hide my smile. After all, I could see it easily. "Still, Grannvale's politics are ruthless. I thought you safer far away from them." Yes, safety was paramount. It was a shame 'safety' and 'happiness' apparently could not coexist. "Whatever mistakes I made, and there are many, I simply have to bear them."

"You sound like Father Eirik." I said the words lightly, and he playfully made a horrified expression. "Well, since you are talkative right now, might I ask a rude question?"

"You may ask me anything, Alicia."

"If Cigyun hadn't left, would I have still been left with him?" There was another, different, question hidden in the words, but I was not so bold as to ask directly.

He was silent for a long moment, taking his time to think through his answer. "I dream of her still." After all, he no doubt heard the second question anyway. "I dream I did stop her, dream I somehow convinced her to stay. In the dream, she and I married, blessed with children of our own, with you, Arvis, and Azelle living happily in the palace. Sif would stay behind the scenes, shy as she was, but smiling. Everyone smiles. It's a dream, after all. A dream of an unconventional, but wonderfully happy, family." He closed his eyes, smiling at the mere thought. "But then I wake, and I remember I chose otherwise. She had so few choices and, at the time, I feared becoming yet another chain on her. I thought she might be happier far away from Grannvale and all the misery it brought her."

"You say 'at the time'."

"I've looked for her. Simply... simply to check in. To see how she was." The way he said the words implied more, though. It implied he'd perhaps hoped she'd come back with him, perhaps hoped she'd still loved him like he did her. No wonder none of his relationships since then had lasted long. "Her trail ends at Yngvi every time. She'd taken no possessions or anything, simply left in a carriage. At an inn just within Yngvi territory, she asked the driver to stop so she could stretch her legs and he could get some water. No one ever saw her again. She simply disappeared, like a ghost." He opened his eyes then, the smile on his face now a little helpless. "But that was not your question."

"You still answered it." The answer was 'no'. If Cigyun had stayed, then I wouldn't have been left in Yngvi. But she had left, for whatever reasons, and he felt he could not protect me as my mother wished. He felt he could not watch over me when his own heart was shattered and crushed with pain and guilt. Thus, I remained with Father Eirik. "I suppose it doesn't matter. It is what it is."

"Now you're the one sounding like Eirik." He chuckled, sadly amused by it, and I simply smiled. "Ah, this is a poor topic for the garden, isn't it? Might you share some stories from Verdane? I've sadly never been able to visit, but I'm rather curious about it."

"Most of my stories involve the infirmary, but if you are still curious, I can share."

He was, in fact, very curious, and so, for the rest of the walk, I shared anything and everything about the Verdane Campaign, even the more painful parts. I only hid Deirdre's past and the dark magic. Those secrets, I would take to my grave.

It was not the first walk I took with Prince Kurth. Every day, save for the couple I spent in Belhalla helping Gabriel with a written testimony, he asked to take one, and we would discuss a variety of things. Some were light topics, such as what sort of flowers were in the garden, and others were more serious, like more details about the Verdane Campaign or my impressions about things with the warehouse children. I learned to plan my days around it, as I never could figure a polite way to refuse and it... was not bad, walking with him. I would not call it comfortable, but it wasn't uncomfortable either. It helped we never talked about the past after the first walk. It was much better to speak of the present. Present hurts could be healed; past hurts could not.

What I had taken to do after our walks was read in the gardens, and this day was no different, save for what I read. For once, I was not studying. Before I left, Deirdre had shyly lent me the book she'd brought from her village, the one she loved so dearly whose protagonist happened to share my name. Though I had not read fictional books since I was very little, I could not refuse and, so, found myself making my slow way through. What surprised me most was how... it was like the book had been printed on one of the first printing presses. The ink was faded in random places, the letters ever-so-slightly uneven, and the lines themselves slanted downwards. Even some of the phrasing and spellings were archaic, things I had only seen in the oldest books in the Church. Maybe this was why the cover was so worn you could no longer see the title.

As for the story itself, it seemed simple. The most intriguing thing was how there was technically more than one 'protagonist' to the story. One was the girl who shared my name, a princess hidden in the darkness by a demon most foul, but the other was the young boy who found her in the dark, a squire named 'Seliph'. I took a quick peek at the ending to see if they ended up together; thankfully, they didn't. Yet what little I read implied this Seliph was a prince, in addition to being a squire. So, were they siblings or were they royals from different countries? Perhaps 'princess' was used in a more figurative sense? It was so terrible of stories to have to go in a proper order. I wanted to know everything at once. Yet there was nothing for it. I had to keep reading to find out. So, I did. I read and read and read, until…

"Ah, so here's our missing lady." Until a cheerful voice, warm and bright, startled me right out of the book, and it was only then I realized the dim and dimming light. When had the sun started setting? Surely, it could not be so late? I was glad I had thought to wear a shawl since the temperature had also dropped, but it was still surprising. "Young Azelle was looking for you for tea, but you were not in your rooms." Ah, I was being rude. Regardless of how startled I was, I should at least acknowledge the speaker. Still, I would not have expected them to be Duke Ring. "How lucky I decided to take a walk before dinner," he continued, chuckling to himself. I simply smiled, and hoped it looked neither sheepish nor awkward. "I'd been hoping to speak more with you."

"I could not imagine why, Duke Ring," I murmured in return, marking my place before closing my book. I was about halfway through, and the plot had certainly picked up. Who would've guessed the trusted knight of all characters was manipulating the two protagonists? "I find myself to be a rather uninteresting person."

"Nonsense! I've heard much about you from Edain. Her letters sing your praises, and how much she enjoyed learning from you." She learned from...? When did this happen? I didn't recall teaching her anything? I did, vaguely, remember Lady Edain had expressed a desire to learn, but only as part of the ruse to trick Prince Quan into letting us leave to recruit King Jamke. "But, truthfully, the reason I wanted to speak with you was to express my gratitude."

"I do not remember doing anything worthy of your thanks."

"And yet, you did. You healed the people of Yngvi, and you are why Midir survived." The good humor faded for earnest sincerity. It was easy to see how he and Lady Edain were related when he wore such an expression. "My steward is still calculating the full damages, but you tended to the townsfolk in the initial aftermath, and you saved Midir's life. I owe you a great deal for both."

"...While I accept the thanks, I would argue you do not owe me anything." I may or may not learn to accept what Sir Alec had said about gratitude being a way to show respect, but payment and debts were a completely different thing. "I simply did my job as a healer."

"Most are paid for their jobs."

"The joy I feel when I see my patients recover is more than enough."

"I must at least repay you for saving Midir. I can't have him dying before he finally asks to court my Edain, now can I?" He grinned suddenly, the very picture of mischief, and I ducked my head to hide my smile. "Not sure why neither have brought it up yet. They're not subtle."

"Mister Dew, a child who joined us in Verdane, asked me when Sir Midir would propose, truthfully." I could not say much more. I knew the rumors, and I knew what bits I saw, but staying in the infirmary as much as I did meant I did not see much. Maybe I… should walk around more when I returned.

"He better not propose before courting. We must be proper." His grin softened to a smile. "But still, if you will not accept the repayment of a lord whose people were harmed, then will you at least accept a father's for saving the one his daughter loves most?"

"I still argue I have no need for repayment."

"You are very stubborn. Not sure if you inherited it from Sunna, or learned it from Eirik." I could honestly say I wasn't certain how to feel about either prospect. "Very well. I shall simply have to surprise you later." He chuckled, amused, and I tried to think of how to reply.

When I did, my mind latched onto the one thing I didn't expect. "So, you knew my mother?"

"We met once or twice, when she met with Prince Kurth to pass a message. She rarely left Cigyun's side, and Cigyun never left Velthomer Castle. Honestly, until Prince Kurth met her, I and most of the court thought she was some figment of Victor's imagination." Once again, I struggled to think of a reply. "Hmm?" However, before I could, Duke Ring suddenly looked up, focused on the castle. "There... on the wall..." Curious, I looked up as well, but did not see anything unusual. "Is that a person climbing?"

"Oh, did Arvis lock himself out of his office again?" I hunted for the window I knew was his office, but I still did not find what Duke Ring spoke of. Where...?

"This probably is not the time, but pardon?"

"Arvis accidentally locks himself out of his office fairly frequently, though sometimes, others have locked it themselves to try and force him to take a break." Still finding nothing, I returned my attention to Duke Ring. His own remained on the castle. "Since Aida refuses to teach him how to pick locks, he resorts to climbing up the side of the castle to slip in through the window."

"A shame we have no time for me to ask more about this." Why would we not have time? I almost asked, but Duke Ring suddenly kicked a small rock into his hand and threw it hard. It hit... at first, I thought it merely hit a shadowed part of the wall, but then something dislodged and fell. Absently and stupidly, I wondered why a cloth bundle would be on the wall. Then there was a terrible 'thwump' of a sound, and I realized it had not been a bundle. It had been a person. "Must be a newer assassin, to actually try the 'climb up the wall' trick."

"If they fell from such a height, they must be...!" Immediately, I stumbled to my feet and tried to run towards them. Duke Ring caught me before I could. "Duke Ring, they're injured!"

"I would hope so. I threw the rock to kill them." He said it casually, leading me in the opposite direction. I pretended to cooperate just long enough for his grip to relax before slipping away and running off. "Lady Alicia!"

I ran. It wasn't proper for a healer to run. Without any medicines or staves, I doubted I could do anything for them anyway. But still, my instinct was to run. Someone was hurt; I had to see if I could help. I had to see if I could heal them. Would it be better if I couldn't? I didn't know. I couldn't make such judgements. I could only follow my heart. So, I ran. I ran, clutching Deirdre's book to my chest, until I made it to the castle's walls. From there, I walked along it until I spotted the red trickling through the grass. It marked a clear path to the cloaked body, and when I got close, I wrapped Deirdre's book in my shawl and set it to the side, away from the blood. Then I knelt and reached over to check them over.

Their hand immediately snatched my wrist, proving they were not dead yet. Their eyes were set in a cold and hard glare, but they were already glazed over in pain. Their grip was weak enough for me to break easily. They made no move to grab a weapon; their other arm was too broken to try. Given how unnaturally still their legs were, I guessed their spine was broken or cracked. The blood trickling down their neck hinted to a head injury. I reached out with my other hand and ran my fingers along their scalp, knocking their hood ajar in the process. My fingers came back sticky and red. The head injury alone might be enough to kill them, or at least leave them with lasting health concerns. When taking all the visible injuries into account, I was surprised they had the strength to grab my wrist at all.

"Lady Alicia!" Duke Ring called my name from somewhere behind me. I didn't acknowledge him. Instead, I kept checking over the person, even as their glare softened to incredulity. I let them continue holding my wrist; I didn't see a point in pulling it back when their grip was weakening so quickly. "Lady Alicia, you should not...!" I didn't listen. I kept doing my job, even as I came to the same conclusions. The fall hadn't killed them yet, but it would. Even if I had my staves, I would not have been skilled enough to save them.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to them. By now, their eyes were so unfocused I doubted they could see me. The grip on my wrist had loosened to the point their hand was more 'resting' than 'holding'. "I wish I had something for the pain, at least." But I had no medicines. There was nothing I could do for them. Then again, given the whole 'assassin' part, maybe it would've been an insult if I did help them.

They frowned at me then. It was just the slightest quirk of their mouth. I wondered if they heard me. It was hard to say. Given the potential brain damage, they may have never even realized I was there, only that someone was. But, right before they finally collapsed, the frown became an even slighter, incredulous smile. Then they hit the ground again, a quiet 'splat' in their own blood, and they did not move again.

Duke Ring yanked me up then with such force I nearly stumbled when I got my feet back under me. "You are supposed to run away from assassins," he grumbled, speaking slowly like I was a child. I simply shrugged and picked up Deirdre's shawl-wrapped-book. It thankfully remained clean, though I needed to keep my other hand away. The blood still shone sickly on my fingers. "Your hand..." Duke Ring pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and took my hand to wipe away the blood, solving the problem. Now I could hold Deirdre's book safely with either hand. I'd keep it wrapped in my shawl to be safe. "Regardless, we should head inside. Being out in the open when assassins are wandering about is not the best of ideas."

I nodded dumbly, and he took me by the arm to ensure I would not slip away again. It didn't take long to get inside; he knew the paths well. Yet the inside of the castle was in chaos. Servants and guards flitted back and forth, with people checking who was where, who was with who, was everyone accounted for, was anything suspicious. No one spoke to us. Duke Ring quietly yet firmly escorted me through the mess, barely acknowledging anyone until we found Azelle. Though, this may have been because Azelle rushed over to hug me.

"You're all right..." Azelle breathed, jumping back to look at me. I made sure to smile at him, despite my misgivings about the situation, but his expression clouded with worry. "There's mud and blood on your skirts." So there was. I should've changed clothes first, to keep him from fretting. "What happened? Did you fall? Are you injured?"

"No, the blood belongs to one of the would-be-assassins, because she defied common sense and ran towards them because they were injured from their fall," Duke Ring sighed, shaking his head. Remembering how they had died, I simply bowed my head. "What a remarkable lack of self-preservation from a healer. Edain didn't mention this in her letters. Does Sigurd have a guard for her?"

"I believe it is one of his priorities, once everything settles in Evans." Everyone worried far too much over me. "Anyway, where were you two?"

"The gardens. I was taking a walk for some exercise, and she was reading when I found her. Seems the gods decided I needed more than just that to lose the belly I've developed over the years." Duke Ring glanced around, nodding approvingly about something. "Where's Arvis?"

"Last I saw, the main hall to chase down a duo."

"He's fighting, then?" I asked, jolted out of my thoughts. I immediately frowned and tried to head for the main hall; Azelle grabbed my arm. "We should check on him."

"Alicia, I think we should worry more about the assassins if Arvis has gotten them," Azelle mumbled, not looking at me. Beside him, Duke Ring nodded. I only frowned more. "So, we should... whoa!" This time, I didn't bother trying to slip away. Azelle was light enough for me to drag. "Alicia!"

I didn't listen. Absently and logically, I knew I probably should. Both had far more experience with this sort of thing than me. But my instincts screamed anyway, and my heart was already rattled, so I walked through the halls with Azelle trailing behind me. By this point, I actually knew the way to the main hall, so it didn't take me long to reach it and a sudden rush of heat welcomed us when we stepped inside. The source was, of course, Arvis, casting a fire spell as easily as he breathed to reducing someone to ash. His eyes were harder than stone, his expression twisted in tranquil fury as he called for more flames to launch at another cloaked figure. The only other person in the room was Aida, visibly exasperated about something as she stood to the side, and part of me wanted to ask her what was wrong. The rest, however, focused on one thing and one thing alone; Arvis's cheek was bleeding.

"Arvis!" Without thinking, I let go of Azelle, rushed over to Arvis, and brought my hand up to the cut on his face. He immediately jerked back, anger vanishing for surprise. "Ah, my apologies, does it hurt?" I asked, frowning worriedly. He blinked at me a few times, no doubt processing my presence, before he looked away and brought his hands to his side. The flames he'd held faded to flickering embers. "Arvis, that is not an answer."

"...No…" he finally mumbled, still not looking at me. Undeterred, I touched his cheek to examine the injury. It looked like a clean cut, very shallow despite the blood, but I worried for potential poisons and debris. "I'm fine."

"You're bleeding."

"I'll be fine."

"You will let me check you over, yes?" I waited until he nodded slowly. "Thank you." A sudden sound startled me, and I turned to see Aida had gone after the cloaked figure. The sound had been her knocking them to the ground, and... and pinning their arm to the floor with a sword. "Aida?"

"No, don't worry about me, Lady Alicia," Aida immediately dismissed, waving her hand. She sighed then, rolling her shoulder. "I'm just glad to actually have an assassin to interrogate, for once." I frowned, but she shook her head. "I will be checked after I've secured them. I promise." She looked up then, and waved to the staring Azelle and Duke Ring. "You two mind helping me?"

Though I still worried, I decided it was better to check Arvis's wound. So, I led him to my rooms and, after safely storing Deirdre's book, found my staff and medicinal kit. Arvis meekly sat in the sitting room, remaining unmoving until I returned to check and clean the cut on his cheek.

"I didn't... the cut is from shrapnel," he explained softly while I fussed. He was slumped in the chair, refusing to look up, and held himself more rigid than a statue. "One was faster than expected, so I broke a statue by accident."

"While that is a relief, I feel sorry for the servants who have to clean it," I replied, now worried there were stone chips in the cut. There was already some ash sticking to the blood. "Was it necessary to use so powerful a spell?"

"It's better to attack with everything from the start and end things quickly." I supposed, but if he cast a spell with enough force to explode a statue, I would hate to think of the other damages. "I'm... I'm sorry..."

"I am not the one you should apologize to for damages. I think those should be given to Steward Ruarc."

"No, it's not that. Though I will apologize to him later." He hesitated, glancing at me only briefly before letting his gaze skitter away. "No, I'm sorry for what you saw in the hall. I'm sure I frightened you..."

"No, you didn't?" Not knowing how else to respond, I nudged his face towards mine and smiled at him. "Why would I ever be afraid of you? You would never hurt me."

"...Yes, that's right..." He breathed out slowly, letting himself relax at last, and leaned forward to rest against me. I gently stroked his hair and went back to my fussing. "...One of them…"

"Hmm?"

"One of them… was in your room." Were they now? "Where were you?"

"I was reading in the gardens, and then I chatted with Duke Ring." Satisfied at last there was nothing abnormal about the cut and finished with my cleaning, I made to step back to give him some space. Arvis, however, brought up a hand to snatch my sleeve and hold me still, so I stayed where I was. "We didn't notice anything wrong until someone decided to climb the wall."

"Now why would they…? They could've at least waited until it was darker." He sighed, and I stroked his hair again to have something to do with my hands. "If you were there, they… they would've hurt you. They might've killed you. Because you don't fight."

"No, I do not."

"You were taken hostage twice, caught behind flames and injured. And here, you could have been…"

"Even so, my feelings on the matter have not changed." I would do no harm. I couldn't. The very idea made me nauseous. It made my chest tighten, and my vision blur. "I fear I remain more stubborn than anyone."

"That you do." He fell silent again, his grip tightening on my sleeve. "I… must do better." Despite how softly he spoke, the words were firm with resolve. "I must. So you can live in a world where you can afford to not fight."

"Oh, Arvis…" He said the same thing years ago, when we last 'discussed' the matter. I still thought the same thing I did then; such a world was impossible. I had simply escaped by hiding. Now, I no longer hid, as much, and thus, I would be at greater risks. Yet I had chosen my path, and had no regrets. "I'm not alone, you know."

"Reminder the hostage situations and the flames happened while you were 'not alone'."

"Yet I was saved, protected, and cared for." Ayra striking Munnir… Sigurd rushing when he realized Sandima had me… Lady Edain's scolding about my recklessness… I would forever remember, because now I knew why. I knew it was because they valued me, and worried for me. It was still difficult to accept, but I at least knew. I knew I was loved, for myself. It was so strange, but I hoped I would become used to it. I liked the feeling. "I will be fine, despite remaining a stubborn child in so many ways. You should trust others more."

He didn't say anything afterwards. I didn't expect him to. Instead, I let him rest and gave him whatever comfort I could. It was what he needed.

I never did learn more about the assassins. All I ever heard was Aida's reassurance she had 'dealt with it'. I remained curious, but since I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything even if I did know more, I chose against further questions. Instead, I focused on other things, like how insane everything and everyone slowly became. In the days leading up to the ball, the entire castle and town were enveloped in the most frenzied of energy. The amount of cleaning done was absurd even by my standards, to say nothing of how many times everything was decorated, and then completely redecorated. I swore it happened every time I blinked. The craziness culminated on the day of the ball itself, when Cathleen subjected me to hours of torture. Just how many baths and 'beauty treatments' did a person need? I would not have thought I looked that bad.

"Hmm? Oh, no, you are, as always, very beautiful, my lady!" Cathleen chirped, carefully brushing and tying back my hair in a simply ponytail decorated with fresh flowers. I had off-handedly mentioned the amount of preparation to her, mostly because I was too tired to keep all my thoughts in my head. "This is just to enhance what is already there."

"Is that so?" I asked, hoping I at least did not sound as exhausted as I felt. The ball hadn't even officially begun yet. The guests were just arriving. "It seems a little much."

"Oh, but this is the shortened version!" She had to be joking. She had to be. "Most noble ladies would've started yesterday, but you don't need the extra preparations, my lady." She sounded completely serious and sincere, though. "I'm certain you're quite nervous, but nothing serves as better armor at a social function than good looks and fashion."

"I shall take your word for it." The very idea of wearing armor, of any form, was uncomfortable, and it did not make me like my dress any better. Oh, it was beautifully made, of course, a dress of pale blues and silvers. The collar was somewhat low, lower than I'd prefer, yet for some reason, it had... my shoulders were bare. Yet it still had sleeves. 'Off the shoulder', I believed Cathleen described it. They were long, and were more lace than cloth, given the illusion my arms were wrapped in flowers. The skirt flowed like water and had more flowers delicately embroidered across the hem, allowing only the barest peek of my matching shoes. It was all highly and terribly impractical and I longed to get rid of it all as soon as I possibly could. At the least, though, I wished the sleeves were not see-through. Arvis had convinced me, somehow, to not cover my Mark and I hated how you could see it so easily through the lace.

"Hee... I can't wait for everyone to see you. You'll stun them!" At least Cathleen was happy about all of this. Someone needed to be. "So... oh!" At that point, someone knocked on the door. "Just a minute!" Cathleen finished tucking one last flower into my ponytail, and bustled off to the main door of my rooms. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, and did not recognize myself. "Oh, Lord Azelle! Are you here to pick up Lady Alicia? Here, follow me back!"

"I am, if she's ready," Azelle confirmed, stepping in after Cathleen. He stopped and stared for a moment before smiling. "You look lovely, Alicia!" I was glad someone thought so. It would be a shame if Cathleen put in all this work for nothing.

"Doesn't she?" Cathleen gushed, checking my hair one last time. Satisfied, she helped me up and clapped in delight. "I'll have a bath ready for you when the ball is over, my lady!"

"Then, shall we?" Azelle offered me his hand, and I took it with a perfect smile painted on my face. I could get through this. I just had to keep my 'healer's mask' on the whole time and I could get through this. I hoped. "This way, sister. We'll walk in with Arvis."

Azelle and I left my rooms hand in hand and walked in silence until we found Arvis waiting for us by the private entrance to the ballroom, the one which led to the living areas of the castle. He was nervous, fussing with his cufflinks, but he smiled when Azelle and I approached. The smile reminded me how he finally let me heal the cut with my staff yesterday, and I let the relief from that soften my own smile into something I hoped would fool Arvis into thinking I was fine. The way his own smile warmed hinted it either worked or he appreciated my efforts nonetheless. Either way, there was no point in delaying the inevitable, so Arvis opened the doors without a word and all three of us walked in together. The noise was... loud. I didn't like it. It wasn't 'loud' in the same way the celebrations were back in Verdane. There was a certain warmth missing from the atmosphere, so no matter how lovely the music sounded or how much the guests chattered, I could not bring myself to like it.

Of course, it did not help there was an immediate hush as soon as we made our 'grand' entrance. All of these well-dress and fancy people could do nothing but stare as I followed Arvis, sharp and greedy eyes boring holes in me. It was expected, of course. Not only was this my official 'social debut', but my clothing contrasted sharply with the blacks and reds both my brothers wore. Even if this were not their first time seeing the 'hidden child of Velthomer' I would've stood out. But this did not make any of it feel more comfortable, and I almost wished I had listened to Cathleen about carrying a fan. I could see many of the noble ladies using them to hide their faces, mask their whispers. But I... had chosen to hide no longer. Carrying a fan to use it as such felt like a step backwards.

With that said, I still 'hid' somewhat. Azelle quickly split off to speak with some of the nobles, but I stayed by Arvis's side. I had no doubts the 'proper' thing to do would be what Azelle was doing, but the very idea of attempting to converse when I felt so exhausted and so overwhelmed was more than I could bear. I would rather be anywhere but here, but here was where I chose, so I endured by following Arvis on his rounds and greeting the various nobles he introduced to me. I didn't remember any of their names. They might as well have been blurs and blobs. I wished I was in my infirmary back at Evans. I truly did.

"Duke Arvis! How wonderful to see you again!" someone greeted excitedly, a noblewoman somewhere around Prince Kurth's age. She was dressed prettily and wore the barest of jewelry, yet Arvis's own smile immediately stiffened at her appearance. "It's truly been too long!"

"I am pleased to see you remain in good health, Countess Avila," Arvis replied, careful to keep his expression perfectly polite. This was not a person he wanted an extended conversation with. "Might I introduce to you my sister Alicia?"

"Ah, so this is she?" Countess Avila looked me up and down in a blatantly scrutinizing manner. "Goodness, Lady Sunna is her mother, isn't she? I still remember her own debut. Everyone was captivated by her. What a shame she lost her family soon after. I think your mother took her in then, yes, Duke Arvis?" Well, this was a very convenient way to learn about my mother. What a shame I didn't actually care about it. "That's how the daughter of a lowly baron was able to rise so high."

"Sunna was my mother's first lady-in-waiting, and her best friend. Their ranks did not matter to either." Arvis's polite smile was cracking. I rested a hand on his arm, hoping it would help comfort him. His slight relaxing hinted it did. "But such talk is not suitable for such a happy occasion. It is the Festival of Flowers, after all."

"Too true! It's a celebration of new beginnings and meetings! And speaking of meetings, I don't think you've met my youngest girl." Ah. Well, I knew now why Arvis didn't like her. "Here, we should rectify this!"

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly-"

"Nonsense! She's been dying to meet you!" Then, without so much as a 'by your leave', Countess Avila seized Arvis by the arm and dragged him off. At first, I tried to follow, but the crowd 'conveniently' surged to block, and based on the smirk Countess Avila wore when she glanced over her shoulder, I had a feeling this was not simply about her trying to pair her daughter with Arvis. She also wanted to isolate me for whatever reason. Given how she'd brought up my mother, I half-wondered if it was some twisted 'revenge' against a dead woman. If so, she led a very sad existence.

However, this put me in a situation I never wanted to be in. I was alone in a crowd full of people, and given the sharp eyes of those closest, I felt like I was about to be eaten. I wanted Sigurd. I wanted Deirdre. I wanted... everyone who wasn't here right now. If they were, this would be fun. If they were, I would not feel so uncomfortable. But they were not, and even if I resolved myself to no longer hide, I had no desire to simply be thrown to the flames. Yet before even the first person took a step closer, help arrived from a very, very unexpected source.

"Lady Alicia." It arrived in the form of Duke Lombard, who had avoided me just as much as I had avoided him since his arrival. I hadn't even seen him during dinners. "Here, it's better to rest on the edges," he 'explained', offering me his arm. I hesitated before taking it and letting him lead me out from the middle of the crowd. No one even tried to come speak to us; I think they were afraid of his scowl. "Arvis should've taken more precautions."

"I do not think even he anticipated someone bodily grabbing him when he's the host," I replied, not certain what else to say. What 'precautions' could have been taken? "I do thank you for rescuing me. I did not like the look in their eyes."

"They see fresh meat for their ravenous gossip, and a potential new pawn for their games. I'm more surprised they did not leap as soon as Arvis took two steps away." He led me to the wall, and made a show of studying my feet. "Ah, so that is why you are not limping already. You are not wearing heels, as is typical."

"I had no desire to break an ankle." Cathleen had tried to talk me into it, but comfort won out. "The dress is long enough most will not be able to tell."

"Clever." All 'cleverness' about the dress should go to Mistress Sorcha. "Most would have tried to wear the heels anyway, to conform to expectations, and hurt themselves." This still didn't imply cleverness. If anything, it implied 'stubbornness'. "Then again, I suppose you would not be one to conform to anything. Why else would you serve with Sigurd instead of returning to Velthomer at the first sign of danger?" I genuinely could not tell if this man was insulting or complimenting me. "That is how your heritage was revealed, yes? Fighting in Verdane?"

"Yes, the bandages I usually wear to cover it were damaged during a fire." I did my best to not attempt to dig my fingers into it. I had to pretend, if only for today. "I did not fight, though. I served as the Chief Healer."

"Impressive, especially given the low casualties." 'Low', he said, but I knew the number. I would always remember how many I failed to save. It would never feel 'low' to me. "Lex... was among the fighters, I heard."

"Lex? Yes, he was. I'm told he assisted in the battle to liberate Yngvi's castle, alongside Azelle. I joined afterwards."

"How is he?" Something awkward flitted into his scowl then. "It's been two years since I last saw him."

"He was well when I left Evans." A hard feeling pooled in my chest as I remembered how much Lex flinched when someone unexpectedly reached for him, and Arvis's suspicions to why it had been two years since Lex had been home. But I decided against saying anything. Guesses and fears, based only on observations and what others had said, were no grounds to make accusations, especially when he just helped me. "He tells stories to Shannan often."

"That so?" It was difficult to tell what he was thinking. He still wore the scowl. I wondered if his face was frozen in the expression. "He always devoured books. Not surprised he remembered them too. He's always been intelligent, far more so than his brother." I... would not comment. "Thankfully, Dannan and his wife are not attending today, since her pregnancy has been rough for her health." I hoped she would be well. Perhaps one of the medicines Mistress Yesui used would be helpful? "Otherwise, I know he'd say something ridiculous and nearly get himself immolated again."

"You don't have a high opinion of him."

"I think as much of him as he thinks at all." My, that was blunt. "He's always overestimated himself, fallen woefully short, and has never taken the steps to improve. Lex, meanwhile, was intelligent but inclined to run away. I'm rather impressed he had the backbone to join Sigurd. I thought he'd hide forever in Velthomer."

"..." The hard feeling grew and crystallized in my blood and this time, I could not bite my tongue. "I believe Lex simply wishes to use his talents for a cause he thinks is right, or to protect those he loves. I would hope his own father would know this."

Duke Lombard stared back at me for a long moment, before suddenly chuckling. I was surprised his scowl could fade. "Well now. You're more tranquil about it, but Fjalar's fires live in your eyes just as much as the rest of the main line." Again, I could not tell if he was insulting or complimenting me. "Here I thought you were passive like Sunna."

"A healer must be calm. An upset or panicking healer only sows chaos in their patients." I clasped my hands in front of me. A small part of me wondered what he meant, if he knew my mother, but my anger drowned it. "But only a fool will mistake such 'passiveness' for weakness."

"Indeed, and I am reminded why." He nodded then, a certain amount of respect in his eyes. "Perhaps we will talk again at another time, Lady Alicia." Before I could reply, he glanced at something, nodded to himself, and walked off, leaving me alone by the wall. Yet I did not have time to comprehend both how baffled I was, and how little I wanted to ever speak to him again.

"A-li-cia~!" That was my only warning before a storm barreled into my side and latched onto my arm. "Oh, wow, you're even prettier than I imagined!" the storm gushed, staring up at me with sparkling eyes. I could only blink a few times in return, trying to make my brain work again at the sudden appearance. "Hey, did I thank you for the tea? Or, rather, did Azelle write my thanks? I told him to, multiple times, but never heard if he did or didn't!" Tea? Wait, was this...?

"Tailtiu!" A rather harried nobleman appeared in front of us then, scowling. I was… more than a little bewildered by all of this, and looked around for Arvis or Azelle. Sadly, neither were near enough to rescue me. "Tailtiu, I told you to not rush ahead," the man scolded, frowning. The storm-girl stuck her tongue out at him and tightened her grip on me. "This is an important function, first of all, and second of all, it's not polite to cause a commotion."

"But I've been dying to meet her, Bloom!" Storm-girl sulked beautifully, and it finally processed this was Tailtiu, one of Azelle's best friends. Azelle had talked down her energy, it seems. "You know how much I've looked forward to it!"

"Yes, indeed. You actually stayed still for your fittings for once." The harried man sighed, and I belatedly remembered 'Bloom' was Tailtiu's older brother. "You still should not have run ahead! We have to greet our host!"

"Alicia doesn't count?"

"No, she is the sister of our host!"

"Dear, you shouldn't work yourself up in a froth." And now we had more company, two noblewomen with one half-hiding behind the other. The speaker was a tall woman with darker hair, and the hider was somewhere around Lady Ethlyn's age and had brown hair. "You're being rude to our host's sister as well, are you not?" she asked rhetorically, muffling a laugh. "People are staring." Yes, indeed, they were. They've been staring ever since I walked in.

"I… no, you are right, darling," Bloom sighed, making himself relax. Tailtiu shot the speaker a grateful smile, but remained by my side. "I apologize for both my rudeness and my sister's, Lady Alicia. I am Bloom, heir to House Friege, and the one insisting on being a burr is my younger sister, Tailtiu."

"I am Hilda, daughter of Marquis Tristan, and this is Ethnia, Bloom's youngest sister." Hilda smiled indulgently at Ethnia, who looked up at her with an adoring, if shy smile. "Please forgive her for not speaking up herself. It's her debut and she's so terribly shy. She feels too exposed even when she hides behind her fan." As if to prove her point, Ethnia ducked more behind Hilda. When she shifted so she could still peek out, I made sure to smile. "Bloom, I'm certain Duke Arvis will not mind our lapse of manners since we were greeting his sister."

"Still, I should..." Bloom hesitated before bowing to me. "My apologies, my lady, but I believe I had best give the greetings sooner rather than later." There was a pause, clearly waiting for some sort of response, so I nodded. "You have my thanks."

"Do be sure to return before the dancing starts, dear." Hilda waved him goodbye as he strode off, and I noticed she wore a shining, clearly new ring on her hand. This reminded me of what Azelle and Lex had joked about in the Spirit Forest and...

"So, did he find one which matches your resplendence?" The words were out before I could stop them, and I was 'rewarded' with three curious looks. "Ah, my apologies, it was simply..." I began, wondering how to word this. I didn't used to let my thoughts slip so much. Then again, I supposed I also didn't used to interact with people much. "Is that an engagement ring?"

"Hmm? Why, yes!" Hilda explained, her entire face lighting up in clear, if a little haughty, delight. "It is a blue taenean, only found in a certain shop in Miletos!" I was... going to assume this was something fancy. Ethnia sighed happily, giggling like it was something terribly romantic, though Tailtiu rolled her eyes like she was thoroughly unimpressed. "I admit I was beginning to wonder if Bloom would ever propose, but it seems he simply struggled to find a jewel."

"Yes, I heard." I smiled at her, and for some reason, her own dimmed. "Azelle and Lex joked how Bloom refused to settle for anything which did not match your 'resplendent beauty'. Those were, apparently, his exact words."

"Were they now?" Hilda's smile became mischievous now, though there was something sharp in it as well. "I should tease him about it." She studied me closely then, something hard to her gaze. Tailtiu gripped my arm a little more tightly. Ethnia looked confused. "Though, I must admit, given the rumors, I half-expected to see a ring on your hand. Then again, since it seems the knight in question is marrying someone else, with much haste, perhaps..."

"Pardon?" I blinked at her a few times, wondering what she was talking about, and a strangely victorious smirk crossed her face. Then I focused on the 'knight' and the previous conversation and... "Hee..." Well, I tried to muffle my resulting laughter when I realized what she was referring to, but I failed miserably. The laughter burst forth, echoing through the room, and while the staring at been constant, no small few now openly gaped at me. It was probably for being so loud, and rude, yet I truly could not help it. "Oh, goodness, did those ridiculous stories make it all the way here? Gossip's speed is truly unmatched by all but it's tendency to repeat nonsense!"

"Nonsense?"

"You speak of the tales linking Sigurd and me romantically, yes?" Slowly, I forced myself to calm down, though I could not force my face into a 'proper' smile. I could only hope I did not look deranged, with my smile so wide and my eyes narrowed as they were. "Our soldiers took innocuous events and came up with their own reasons. He and I would discuss the soldiers in the morning, for instance, and I make tea mixes for those I am close to. Tailtiu has a mix, actually." Tailtiu immediately beamed at the reminder, leaning more against me. "People do love talking about whatever they wish, regardless of the truth."

"..." Hilda's expression was very peculiar. It was something between confusion and a scowl, yet the pretty smile never left her face. "It truly does not bother you? The rumors, or his marriage to another?"

"Of course not." I finally managed to calm down enough to wear a properly serene smile. "Why should it?" Gossip was either an annoyance or uninteresting anyway.

"I see." Now I was certain her smile was forced. "So... oh." She made a show of catching sight of someone and making her smile apologetic. "Ah, my apologies, but I promised Ethnia I'd properly introduce her to Marchioness Gertrude, since she's sweet on her son." Ethnia's face immediately went bright red, and she fully hid behind Hilda then. "I just saw her, so..."

"You need not explain. It's wonderful to help your sister-to-be with her own romance after being so successful yourself." Something told me it was better to play along. "It was a pleasure speaking with you." It was more 'confusing', but...

"Likewise. We should have tea sometime." She curtseyed in farewell, and walked off with a still-blushing Ethnia following one step behind.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Tailtiu started snickering. "Oh, don't mind her, Alicia," she told me with a bright grin. "She's just snippy." At that, I could only tilt my head curiously. "See, originally, the biggest things about this ball were Hilda and Bloom's engagement and Ethnia's debut. It would've been a big, grand day for House Friege, and Hilda thrives off attention. But then it was whispered you would be debuting here, Alicia, and all the attention focused on you. Everyone was speculating about who you were, what you looked like, who your mother might be... and that was before the gossips realized you were the healer for Sigurd's conquest of Verdane." Even though I knew it was technically accurate, it was uncomfortable hearing it called such. Verdane would hopefully be 'unconquered' once the peace talks were done, with Sigurd as simply a watcher in Evans. "Once that happened, you became all anyone would talk about for weeks. While this is one of the biggest events of the social season, almost everyone who attended hoped to see you in person at last. Then you stunned them when you entered, setting off a new wave of interest. Thus, Hilda didn't get any of the attention she thought she would."

"Is that so?" It seemed odd to me, but if it made her happy, she was more than welcome to every shred. I would much rather people did not stare.

"Yep, and I guess it doesn't help you're Fjalar Minor like her, but you're from the main line, not some offshoot branch from ages ago." I supposed such things were important? "And you're the heir." I was not the… well, no, I supposed technically, I was Arvis's heir. As far as the public knew, Arvis had no children, and based on what Aida said, I doubted Saias would be officially recognized as such even when a Holy Mark appeared. So, as the elder of his younger siblings, heirship defaulted to me. I didn't like it. "And... uh... maybe I didn't help because I was much more excited about seeing you."

"Were you?"

"Oh, yes! I've wanted to meet you almost as long as Azelle! Lex has too, but he'd never admit to it." She glanced around furtively and leaned a little closer. "But, I mean... Ethnia's debut is nice and all, but it's hard to be excited about the engagement ring when I know what Bloom did."

"Hmm?"

"The seller Hilda mentioned? He didn't want to sell it to Bloom. It's a difficult gem to mine, so the store works on a 'waiting list' basically. The gem Hilda is wearing was supposed to go to someone else, someone who had been waiting years and years." She drooped then. "But Bloom wouldn't hear a refusal. He bribed and threatened until the store owner was forced to relent. All so Bloom could give Hilda yet another rare bauble she probably won't wear for more than a few months." She sighed. "I love them, and I'm glad they're happy, but gods, they're just so..."

"How do you know this?"

"Oh, one of the knights told me. I noticed the group that went with Bloom looked uncomfortable and badgered them until they relented." She shrugged and shook her head. "Anyway, that's far too serious and boring! We're at a ball! Let's walk around and talk to people!"

I had to say I was uncomfortable with the subject change, and not simply because I did not know how to be social. What happened to the store owner? Were they all right? These questions lingered in my head. I did not like how Tailtiu simply treated it as an annoyance, but perhaps it was to a noble. If so, I would be very glad to leave. For now, though, I was stuck, so I had to make the best of it. At the least, it was much easier walking around with a cheerful Tailtiu at my side than being alone.

A sudden change in music apparently signaled the start to the dancing, since everyone began pairing up. Almost immediately, I found myself surrounded by many people, their voices meshing together in a cacophony which automatically made me flinch and step back. Tailtiu, thankfully, moved with me, scowling at the crowd, but I still managed to bump into someone. Worse, I bumped into Prince Kurth.

"Easy, are you all right?" he asked, steadying me. I could only nod, mortified beyond belief. I would never attend another ball. Never. "Ah, hello again, Tailtiu."

"Hello, your highness," Tailtiu chirped, smiling and bobbing a quick curtsey. She then scowled at the crowd once more. "Isn't it against etiquette to swarm a person for a dance?"

"Extremely." Prince Kurth raised a brow at them before turning to me. "With that said, I was coming over to ask for a dance myself, so perhaps I should not judge so harshly."

"Why would any of you ask?" I asked, doing my best to not sigh. I didn't know how to dance, save for the little Sigurd taught Deirdre and me. "You have to know I've had no lessons."

"In this case, I suppose they want to brag about being your very first dance," Tailtiu observed, leaning more against me. I closed my eyes to hopefully check my annoyance. "Best guess I've got."

"I'm not certain such a thing is worth trodden feet." Shaking my head, I opened my eyes once more to smile wryly at Prince Kurth. "I do not wish to inflict that fate on you."

"Thankfully, I've been told I'm quite a good dancer, so I can cover any mistakes," Prince Kurth pointed out with a grin. As per usual, the familiarity of the expression softened any annoyance or worries I had. "If I ask, they can't attempt to cut in, and I can conveniently drop you off by Arvis. He's been worried ever since you were separated."

"That..." I began, hesitating. Tailtiu's reassuring smile, however, encouraged me to nod. "I shall take you up on the offer then, and apologize in advance."

"You'll be fine." Prince Kurth offered me his hand, and I took it. "Tailtiu? Will you be well?"

"I'll be fine!" Tailtiu laughed, letting go of me and stepping back. She then clasped her hands behind her back and rocked back on her heels. "I'm going to find Azelle."

"Ah, yes, you do prefer your first dance to be with him," Prince Kurth noted blithely. Tailtiu's face immediately turned pink. "You really should tell him."

"T-tell him what?! There's nothing to tell! I like mature guys!" Romance may have been implied, yes, but it was never actually said, Tailtiu. "Urgh... I'm going... bye!" With that, she rushed off into the crowd, her ears burning red.

"She may have infatuations, but Azelle is still always the only one she dances with." Prince Kurth bit back a laugh and led me to the 'dancing area'. "So, your hands go here..."

Prince Kurth kindly talked me through the dance, going slow and easily covering for any stumbling and fumbling I did. True to his word, by the time the first dance ended, we were 'conveniently' by Arvis and I could duck behind him when the next round of askers tried to appear. Of course, my second dance ended up being with Arvis, and I danced a third time with Azelle, after his own dance with Tailtiu was finished. Both had asked, in their own shy ways, and I couldn't refuse either. I decided then and there, however, I disliked dancing and would be very happy if I never had to suffer through it again.

...Well, I would dance at Sigurd and Deirdre's wedding. That would be the last.

At last, the Festival of Flowers ended and all the guests and visitors departed, including Prince Kurth, Duke Ring, and Duke Lombard. A few days after they left, I began preparations to return to Evans. To my discomfort, it would be by carriage. I had protested, given how much trouble it all was, but Arvis rightfully pointed out I couldn't carry all my things, including the new wardrobe, on a horse and I would need an escort anyway since I had no way to defend myself. So, I had no choice but to yield. At least I could study while in the carriage, even if the knights Arvis tasked with escorting me worried too much over my comfort.

"My lady, are you well?" Sir Reynard asked, peering into the window to check on me. He was one of the higher ranked of the Roten Ritter, though I did not know his exact rank. I only knew he was surprisingly young for the whatever position it was, given how he was around Sigurd's age, and Aida herself had recommended him as my escort. "We're within sight of Evans Castle, so it will not be much longer."

"I am fine, but thank you for the concern," I replied, closing my book. Thanks to the assassins and ball, I only just now finished Deirdre's book, but I was glad I finished before returning. "I haven't been the one riding."

"It's relaxing for me, and good practice for Vaha." Sir Reynard smiled and I smiled back before tucking the book safely in my bag. "If there is anything, please do not hesitate to inform me."

"Of course." When he left the window to return to the 'rearguard', I peeked outside to see Evans Castle myself on the horizon. My smile grew when I did. Finally, I was back.

Though my time would've better been served reading or studying, my sight remained fixed on Evans Castle slowly growing larger. I only looked away once we entered the bustling town surrounding the castle, so I could check I had everything in my bags. The carriage rolled to a stop once, at the gates, and after some exchange of greetings, the gates opened and we drove into the courtyard. I kept fussing with everything, anything to keep my excitement contained, and I glanced out the window once more when the carriage stopped again. This time, I caught sight of Deirdre at the front doors, and couldn't help but wave. I thought her face lit up with a smile, but I looked away to do one last check of my bag. Then Sir Reynard opened the carriage door and helped me out. Yet I had barely set one foot on the ground before…

"Alicia!" Deirdre all-but-flew across the courtyard and enveloped me in a giant and warm hug. The momentum nearly sent me right back into the carriage, but Sir Reynard steadied me and helped me set my other foot down. "Oh, welcome back, welcome back!" she cheered, laughing brightly as she continued hugging me. "Did you have fun?"

"I enjoyed seeing my brother, yes," I answered, going for the most technical of truths. Ignoring how I did not visit to 'have fun', very little of that way of life amused me. I much preferred being here. "I am glad to be back, though. I've missed everyone."

"We've missed you too!" Deirdre finally let go of me, beaming. Sir Reynard muffled a laugh and went to assist Lady Vaha in unloading my things. The carriage driver, whose name I never did learn, tended to the horses. "Oh, is that a new dress? It looks new!"

"Arvis insisted."

"It's so pretty!" She laughed again, warm and bright, I found myself relaxing at last. It had been a long few months. "Ah, but here I am talking your ear off when you have to be tired."

"I am never too tired to talk with you, Deirdre, and in fact..." I reached into my bag and pulled out the silver izelle blossoms I had pressed. "These are for you."

"They're beautiful...!" Deirdre actually spun around from sheer happiness as she took them from me. "Silver... flowers... oh, Alicia, you tease!" She made a face, but any attempt of annoyance was outshone by her smile. "What kind are they?"

"Izelle. They're native to the Velthomer region. Silver is apparently the rarest, though blue ones don't grow until later in the year." I couldn't help but smile. "I arranged for some to be sent here when they do blossom."

"Alicia!"

"Alicia!" The second call of my name was from Lady Ethlyn, who rushed over to greet me. "Ah, you're here earlier than expected, based on the letter Arvis sent," she 'complained', her smile warm. "I had planned on waiting here with Deirdre."

"I only just arrived, as you can see," I reassured, still smiling. Ah, it was so wonderful to be back. "I don't think I've taken a step away from the carriage."

"Still..." She frowned, which became a full sulk when she noticed my attire. "Aw, you did get new clothes while away. I expected such, but I did still hope to buy some new ones with you."

"...I can endure another fitting for you." How could I refuse her, after all? "But I must insist on only one or two. I have too many."

"Really?" Her expression lit right back up. "Oh, that'll be wonderful, especially since Deirdre should get new clothes now that she's settled." Deirdre immediately made a face, but her smile softened the expression. "We should also start on designs for your dresses for the wedding!"

"I suppose." My own cheer faltered as I remembered the dress for the Festival. "Might I request no lace sleeves?"

"Huh? Why would there be?" Lady Ethlyn looked very confused. "You prefer covering your Mark, and the bandages would look strange through the lace." She tapped her cheek, thinking, and I couldn't help but smile at her. "I suppose gloves might work, but gloves aren't really in fashion right now. Do you want to try it?"

"Perhaps I can at a later date."

"True, true. We're just starting our plans, after all." Lady Ethlyn giggled, just letting my request go for now. "And... ah! There's Naoise to help move your things!" Indeed, Sir Naoise had arrived, and he bowed briefly before assisting Sir Reynard and Lady Vala. "So, let's head inside! But first, Alicia, close your eyes."

"Pardon?"

"Please?" She giggled, eyes dancing with mirth and mischief. "I promise no pranks!"

"This does not reassure me." Yet when I glanced at Deirdre, I saw her also looking at me pleadingly, so I sighed and closed my eyes as they asked. "Now what?"

"Now, Deirdre and I are going to lead you inside." Her small hand took mine, and Deirdre tentatively took the other. "Ah, kind knights, are you going to stay the night to rest?"

"No, given the early hour, we'll head out as soon as the driver has confirmed the horse's health," Sir Reynard answered easily enough. He made some confused noise, no doubt over why I suddenly had my eyes closed. "Lady Alicia, it's been an honor to escort you."

"Thank you very much," I replied, tilting my head towards his voice. I didn't much like having my eyes shut for so long while awake. "The two of them are being silly, before you ask, and I am indulging them."

"I was wondering." He tried, and failed, to choke back a laugh. "Have a wonderful day, my lady."

"And may you have a safe journey back."

With that, I headed inside Evans Castle. Deirdre and Lady Ethlyn led me through the halls with ease. Every once in a while, someone would call a greeting, or even a 'welcome back', towards me, and I did my best to reply despite having my eyes closed. Most of them didn't think there was anything weird about the situation, aside from some good-natured laughter. It made me feel a little better about all this, even if my confusion spiked. Still, I dutifully kept my eyes shut, even as I heard them open a door and lead me inside.

"You can open your eyes now, Alicia," Deirdre said, words shaking in silent laughter. Relieved, I did so, only to stare. The room I was in was... someone had decorated it with care in pale greens, with some blues and whites as accents, from the sheets and blankets on the bed to the curtains fluttering by the open window to the tablecloth on the table by said window. Yet what truly held my attention were the flowers. The whole room was lavishly decorated with fresh flowers, courtesy of a certain blond former-thief based on how Mister Dew darted from vase to vase like a bee, arranging the bouquets. He was so fixated on the task he hadn't noticed our arrival yet. "We decorated your room while you were gone." This was my room? How? It had looked nothing like this when I left. Even the furniture was different! "The furniture was made by Altan, in Marpha. Sigurd and Jamke came up with the idea of us redecorating everything as an excuse to funnel money into the economy." Altan made…? Was it before he lost his hand, or had he…?

"We thought about decorating your workshop too, but decided against it since we didn't want to mess up your organization," Lady Ethlyn added, giggling. I was still gobsmacked by this. "And before you fuss, like Deirdre said, we redecorated everything. I needed new sheets to go with the blanket you gave me, after all. I still can't believe you just gave that beautiful thing to me!" Well, for me, it had simply been a blanket I made for a purpose. I would have cut it down to reuse the cloth if I hadn't given it to her. "Anyway, Dew? Did Shannan leave? He was here when I last checked."

"Shannan is checking if the towels and robes are still hanging, since we thought we heard something fall in the bathroom," Mister Dew answered before turning to face us. To my surprise, and delight, he had his stuffed bird tucked under his arm. "Wait, Lady Alicia? When did you get here?!" He didn't wait for an answer; he simply grinned and raced for the bathroom door. "Shannan! Lady Alicia's back!"

"Alicia!" That is when Shannan zoomed out of the bathroom, almost knocking Mister Dew over in his haste to tackle my legs. Like Mister Dew, he carried his stuffed cat, with his hooked over his shoulder. "Welcome back!" he cheered, grinning wide. "I kept track of everything!"

"He even wrote things down so he wouldn't forget to tell you." Mister Dew joined us, though he hesitated in actually coming over for a hug. I reached over to ruffle his hair, and his smile softened at the gesture. "Led to a five hour discussion about the different ways soldiers and knights give reports of all things between countries. I didn't even know there were different ways to tell people things." Truthfully, I wouldn't have thought so either, unless it was a differing order of priorities. "Anyway, sit, sit!" Mister Dew seized my hand and led me over to the table. Somehow, I did not trip over Shannan. "We're still decorating some, and I think we should see Finn and Oifeye right about-"

"Dew, did you… oh." As if summoned, Finn suddenly appeared in the doorway, carrying a tray of steaming mugs. "You're… here already, Alicia," he mumbled, smiling shyly. "Uh… oh, sorry, Oifeye!" He stepped inside to make room for Lord Oifeye, who carried a tray piled with fruit. "A-anyway, we thought you might want a snack when you returned, Alicia, so Sir Arden made some apple cider. Lord Lex insisted on the fruit before he and Lady Ayra left to a morning patrol with Alec. Something about you liking apples?"

"I do like apples," I replied, doing my best to muffle my laughter. This was so… "A snack also sounds nice. We had a light breakfast."

"Ah, that's... good."

"In that case, we should set up the table," Lord Oifeye helpfully pointed out. He smiled warmly at me. "Welcome back, Lady Alicia. You have been very missed."

My room became incredibly festive and cheerful then, though I was forbidden to help. Everyone was insistent on setting the table and arranging things for me instead, and when Sir Naoise appeared with the first of my things, Lady Ethlyn and Deirdre split off to help organize everything. Finn and Lord Oifeye left to help Sir Naoise bring the rest of my baggage, while Mister Dew bolted to inform Sigurd of my return and Shannan went to fetch his 'report'. I could not hold back my laughter at their antics, and had to quiet myself by drinking the apple cider and nibbling on the fruit. Both were quite good.

A knock on the open door, however, brought my attention back up, and I saw Prince Quan standing there with a stack of books tucked under his arm. "I was wondering why everyone was laughing as they rushed about," he commented, walking in. "You arrived earlier than expected. We thought we'd have to endure another hour of your absence."

"So I keep hearing," I commented, unable to keep from smiling. It was so strange, having my arrival be so anticipated for no reason. "I apologize if I disrupted anything."

"What disruptions? I think most spent the morning simply preparing for your arrival." He grinned in return. "Well, we might have to deal with Sigurd sulking. He'd wanted to wait in the courtyard with you, but discussions with the locals are taking longer than originally planned. Dew passed me on his way to get him."

"Is everything well?"

"Yes, it's just some discussions on how best to move forward since, as we expected, Sigurd is staying here in Evans as Verdane's watcher for the foreseeable future." His grin softened to a smile. "The other cities, however, will have local lords."

"Verdane will keep its sovereignty as well?"

"It's pending final approval from King Azmur, but by the end of the initial discussions, his diplomat seemed more than happy to let Jamke remain king." Oh, that was such a relief. "Jamke does need Sigurd's approval to appoint the new lords of the main cities, but it won't be a problem." Sigurd more than likely would simply smile and nod at any of King Jamke's suggestions. They had already convinced Khasar before I left, so I wondered who would take over Genoa. I wondered who they would appoint to help Sigurd here, since I knew they would. It would make the transitioning Evans back into Verdane's hands easier when everything finally settled. "There will probably be a few more rounds of negotiations, but the first ones are always the hardest. It should be smoother sailing from here."

"I see." I nodded to the books he still held. "Are those for the next set of negotiations?"

"Ah, no, actually. These are for you." He passed them to me, and I studied the titles to hide my surprise and confusion. "When I wrote home to ask if anyone could be spared to bring Altena here in time for Sigurd's wedding, I also asked if the healers had any medicinal books they'd recommend."

"You did?" Though it was no doubt rude, I immediately opened one up to flip through. The first pages alone were utterly fascinating.

"You like to study, and you seemed to enjoy learning specifically about regional differences." He shrugged. "I apologize if I was too forward."

"No, no, I…" Embarrassed, I half-hid behind the open book. "Truthfully, I was wondering if it would be too forward to ask you for books just like this."

"I suppose wise folk do think alike then." He grinned and I smiled in return. "Sigurd wrote Eldigan for some books from Nordion as well." It was wonderfully ridiculous they knew I would enjoy such a thing. "Anyway, mind if I steal some of the fruit? I had to skip breakfast."

"Please, help yourself."

Prince Quan sat down then to share my snack and share some of what the negotiations had covered. Lady Ethlyn and Deirdre returned before long to gush about my 'beautiful new clothes' and share ideas of what the tailors should make for the three of us. Sir Naoise, Finn, and Lord Oifeye brought the rest of my things, to be organized later, and Mister Dew and Shannan burst back into the room to share their own tales. Ayra and Lex appeared before long, with bright smiles as they shared in the festive gathering in my room, and though Sir Alec did not join, he did stop by to greet me.

Eventually, Sigurd swung in, with a bright smile and a harried look hinting he'd rushed over. "Welcome home," he said breathlessly, the words simple and sincere.

"...Yes, I'm home," I answered, as happy as I'd ever been. After all, for the very first time in my life, I... was home. I was finally, finally home.

Chapter Text

Interlude – Guard

When the army officially dissolved in the wake of the peace agreement, I expected things in Evans to quiet down. Somehow, however, they didn't. Most of the soldiers continue to come in and out of the castle for training, now as the city militia, and Sigurd hired many locals as servants. Thus, the castle remains lively. I didn't mind. It made every day cheerful.

"The ceron flower is a plant used in many, many different types of medicine and grows in a variety of different environments. For this reason, you can find it in most apothecaries across Jugdral." I spoke clearly and slowly, giving Lord Oifeye time to take notes. He always took notes during lessons, unlike the other three. He said it helped him remember better. "Despite its uses, one must be very careful with it."

"Is it because you can over-forage?" Dew asked, looking up from his writing lesson. I was having him copy some sentences I wrote down, simple ones he could read, while he listened. Not only was he very good at multitasking, but he actually focused better when he did. "If it's used for a lot of things, then lots of people must be pulling it up."

"Thankfully, ceron flowers grow in abundance, so you would have to try very hard to pick everything in an area," I answered, leaning down to point at that paragraph in the book, mostly for the other three. Sigurd had kindly bought copies of my medicine books for the four, making it easier for me to teach them. Today, because the weather was so nice, said lesson took place in the courtyard, where I sat on one of the benches in the side-garden and the boys sat on the ground at my feet. Finn and Shannan shared one book; Lord Oifeye and Dew shared the other, as best as Dew could manage. He still relied a lot on the pictures. "No, the reason why you must be careful is because it is poisonous when used alone."

"...A plant used in many types of medicine is poisonous?" Dew looked unamused, while Shannan and Finn looked alarmed. Lord Oifeye dutifully took his notes, frowning in concentration. "I guess that makes some sense? Maybe? It always feels like medicine has two outcomes depending on how much."

"I would argue four. But yes, it is something to always be wary of, both when making medicine and administering. This is why we always strive for the minimum effective dose." I smiled at them. "We can discuss that more later. For now, continuing with the ceron flower..."

"Wait, how poisonous is it?"

"Very. Thankfully, it is easily curable. If you do not have a staff on hand, which you four will not, the antidote is simple to make. The most common reason why care would be delayed is because they will try the broad-spectrum antidote first and waste valuable time."

"So, it uses a different one?"

"Yes, but let's focus first on the most common uses for ceron flowers, starting with the roots. Then we'll talk about the symptoms of ceron poisoning."

Thus the lesson continued, with the boys stopping me every once in a while to ask questions or for me to repeat something. Not even being outside changed how these lessons usually went, though there were certainly more distractions compared to my workshop. After all, our proximity to the gates gave us a good view of all those entering and exiting the castle. Sir Arden was in charge of guarding it today, and he somehow made conversation with literally everyone who passed as he checked everyone was who they said they were, going through any papers, etc. Most of the time, they were those we knew fairly well, family members of those who worked in the castle or those asked to come in for a quick job.

At one point, however, an unusual group appeared. It was a trio who were all wearing traveler's cloaks, still dusty from the road, and what made them stand out was their clothing was different from the ones typically worn here in Verdane. So, while my four students busied themselves discussing what I'd just gone over, I twisted to get a better look at our guests, noting the trio was actually a group of four. The eldest of the group, a man around Prince Kurth's age, carried a baby in a sling across his chest while he talked good-naturedly with Sir Arden. The other two, a boy and a girl around Finn's age, held the reins for their three horses, looking around in blatant curiosity. As I studied them, I decided their clothes looked familiar. The quality was lesser, but the cut was the same as Prince Quan and Lady Ethlyn's own clothing.

"Finn?" I asked softly, reluctantly interrupting them. Thankfully, none of them minded. "The ones at the gates... Do you happen to recognize any of them?"

"At the gates?" Finn asked with a frown, standing so he could get a better look. He nearly fell when his legs protested the sudden change, since the lesson had been going on for a good couple of hours, but Lord Oifeye reached up to let Finn use him as a balance. "Thanks... now, gates..." He looked over, studying them all carefully. Then he blinked a few times before calling out, "Duke Dryas?" The older man with the baby glanced over at the name, catching Finn's eye almost instantly, and smiled. "And that's... Glade and Selphina with him. Glade is the son of Duke Acamas, and Duke Dryas's squire, while Selphina is Duke Dryas's daughter. I'm not certain why they're here?"

"Would it have something to do with the baby Duke Dryas is carrying?"

"Baby?" Finn got on his tiptoes to see and he smiled finally. The boy at the gates, meanwhile, noticed us and quickly asked Duke Dryas something. "Ah, of course. They must have brought Princess Altena." Oh? This seemed a little small for a royal escort. "How did you guess I would know them, Alicia? They're not wearing clothing typical of Leonster nobility or knights."

"The styles are similar." I noticed the boy tying two of the horses' reins to a nearby post so he could run over. "Which one is this?" I didn't want to make assumptions, after all.

"Glade, Alicia." Finn stepped around Lord Oifeye then and greeted the boy with a smile. "Hey, it's been a while."

"It has indeed, Finn!" Glade answered, answering with his own smile. At my feet, Lord Oifeye and Dew stood, glancing at each other, while Shannan climbed onto the bench next to me to cling to my sleeve. "You have been missed. General Xavier sends his regards!"

"Now why would he do that?" Finn looked genuinely confused, and Glade rolled his eyes. "Ah, never mind. Is all well back in Leonster? If you're dressed more like commoners, I am guessing Thracia is gnawing on the border again, so you traveled in secrecy."

"As always, you're quick on the uptake." Glade shrugged. "There was a raid not long ago, simple enough to disperse. A quick show of force, and they ran off like carrion. Still, you know as well as I do how clever Travant is, and he has been unnaturally quiet in recent months, so it was deemed unsafe to travel openly. Thus, Count Dryas's ruse. We pretended to be simple travelers, a father and his three children."

"He should've chosen 'son-in-law' for you, Glade." Finn grinned, mischief incarnate, and Glade suddenly turned a remarkable shade of red. The girl glanced over with a noticeable frown and very quickly tied her own horse to the same post. "Ah, wonderful! You still have your crush on her!"

"By Gaia's grace, Finn…!"

"What's got you two all lively?" the girl, Selphina, asked as she ran over to find out what was going on. Taking a look at her, I guessed she was maybe a year younger than Glade and Finn, and, thus, was Lord Oifeye's age. "Come on, tell me!" She pouted at both, and neither Finn nor Glade actually answered. Combined with Finn's comments, I could only conclude Glade had a crush on Selphina. "Ugh... you two always do this! Why am I always left out?"

"I'm certain one day it will make more sense, Selphina," Finn replied, his smile a touch sheepish. The girl, Selphina, scowled. "A-anyway..." He glanced at me a little desperately, and I smiled reassuringly. No, I did not mind being a convenient distraction in this case, and I doubted the others would either. "I'm being rude. Glade, Selphina, let me introduce you first since Duke Dryas is taking a long time at the gates."

"He and Sir Arden are chatting about this and that, nothing major." Selphina smiled prettily at all of us, her earlier annoyance forgotten. "Hello! I'm Selphina, a bow knight in training for Leonster." What a shame Sir Midir was in Yngvi, then. Perhaps he could have given her some advice. "This is Glade, my father's squire. He's training to be a lance knight like Finn."

"Glade and I became squires in the same year, while Selphina joined the year after us." Finn gestured to Dew and Lord Oifeye first. "This is Oifeye, Lord Sigurd's squire and distant cousin, and this is Dew..." Finn hesitated then, not certain what to add, if anything.

"I'm a former thief taken in by the army," Dew answered for himself without a trace of shame. He even grinned before nudging Lord Oifeye. "Anyway, since the kid is here, you want to get her parents while I get her aunt and uncle?" Lord Oifeye thought for a moment, and then nodded, bowing apologetically, somehow, to the two. "Then we'll head off to do that!" Both bolted before any of us could say anything. Well, then.

"Fast as always," Finn observed, noticeably impressed. Then he turned his smile right back to Glade and Selphina. "I apologize for their rudeness. Dew is very big on efficiency." That was certainly one way to put it. "Regardless, this is Alicia, who served as the Chief Healer for the campaign here and now remains as the castle's main healer. Next to her is Shannan, another child Lord Sigurd has taken in." That was the most tactful, and safest, explanation, especially when Shannan eyed them so warily, half-hiding behind me. "We were just having a lesson on medicines, which... er..."

"We would have had to stop soon anyway as you four have chores," I noted, gently reassuring Finn about the interruption. His smile still became sheepish. "Well met, you two. I hope the journey was not too hard on you?"

"Ah, no, we managed well enough," Glade answered, bowing respectfully for some reason. His eyes even shone from admiration. "So, you were the healer for their campaign? Prince Quan's letter home sung your praises, my lady."

"My, my, there is no need to flatter me."

"It is no flattery! Princess Ethlyn similarly praised you, and how much she learned from your example." He might have continued on the topic, or perhaps Selphina would have chimed in since she looked ready to say something. However, I was saved from the potential awkwardness by Duke Dryas finally leaving Sir Arden to join us. "Ah, Duke Dryas, are you finished gossiping?"

"Information gathering is not the same thing as gossip, and Sir Arden remains as good of a source as ever," Duke Dryas answered with great dignity. Shannan hid more behind me, especially when Duke Dryas's sharp gaze landed on him. I subtly shifted to hide him further. I didn't know what all he knew or what his opinions were, but I would not let him hurt Shannan, duke of Leonster or not. "Finn, it's good to see you again. You have been missed greatly in Leonster."

"Glade said the same thing, and even told me General Xavier sent his regards," Finn replied, noticeably more formal with the duke than he had been with Glade and Selphina. The baby, Altena, immediately squirmed and fussed in the sling at his voice. "...I was wondering why, but did it have something to do with Princess Altena's naps?"

"It was not the only reason!" Duke Dryas laughed, while Glade rolled his eyes and Selphina sighed gustily. "Ah, but since you are here and she's already reaching for you..."

"H-her parents should hold her first!" Finn stepped back and brought his hands up. "I dare not!"

"I highly doubt our prince or princess would care." Duke Dryas shook his head, smiling a little as he easily settled Altena back down. "I see you remain awkward with her, no matter how good you are."

"Well, he is still young," I commented, pushing myself onto my feet. Shannan moved with me to better hide behind my skirts. "Ah, the books..." I made to pick them up, but Finn hurriedly did it for me, as I thought he would. It gave him a perfect excuse, after all, and the relieved look he gave me told me he knew I'd done it on purpose. "Given how he fusses, I imagine he worries about dropping her." Finn's slight wince and slighter sulk hinted I was absolutely correct.

"Mmm, that's a fair point," Duke Dryas conceded, nodding. He then smiled indulgently at Selphina. "I remember being similarly awkward with my daughter. Though, in my case, I didn't get to meet her until she was four months old."

"Oh?"

"Unfortunately, there was a bitter campaign with Thracia, so I was away for over a year. I learned of my wife's pregnancy through letters, yet I could not afford to return with Thracia's dragons nipping at our heels." Duke Dryas glanced at Finn, and I wondered... Finn had told me he had been orphaned young thanks to a sudden raid from Thracia's knights. Was this the same campaign? "Still, Finn, it will be good practice for when you have a child of your own."

"...Who would marry me?" Finn asked, genuinely curious. Almost immediately, both Glade and Selphina facepalmed. Given their reactions, and some tidbits I'd overheard from the servants, I had a feeling Finn actually had plenty of admirers, but was as oblivious as Sigurd. "Er... what's wrong? Why do you two...?"

"I imagine it is because they think the same as me. A kind and responsible young man like yourself will easily find a partner once you become interested in such things," I answered, deciding to be terrible and tease him. I'd found I quite liked teasing those I loved. It was fun! "That's all."

"I... that..." Finn turned delightfully red and sulked at me. "You're teasing me."

"Dreadful, I know." I ruffled his hair, and he was torn between smiling and sulking still. "Yet I believe it to be true nonetheless."

"Alicia!"

"Duke Dryas!" Prince Quan's voice carried far through the courtyard, saving Finn from further teasing, and we all turned to see Prince Quan and Lady Ethlyn sprinting towards us. There was no sign of Lord Oifeye; he must be getting rooms ready. "Well met, well met!" he greeted, as soon as he was close. Lady Ethlyn didn't bother trying to be polite; she immediately seized her little girl from the sling and cuddled her against her chest. Altena's bubbly laughter showed she did not mind at all. "I thank you for-"

"Prince Quan, you should take after your wife and forgo politeness," Duke Dryas interrupted, laughing at them both. He reached behind his neck to remove the sling, rubbing his neck as he was finally freed from the weight. "You've been separated from your daughter for months."

"I still have to thank you! You did me a terribly huge favor!"

"My prince, I am a duke of Leonster and a knight in your service. You owe me no favors."

"I highly disagree!"

"Oh, my baby girl, I missed you so, so much..." Lady Ethlyn gushed, stepping over to my side for some reason. She then beamed at me, making sure she had my attention. "Here, Lady Alicia, this is Altena." She shifted her arms so I could see her daughter a little better. "Altena, this is Lady Alicia." Given how Altena was not even a year old, I somehow doubted she would remember who I was. Still, I smiled at her, and urged Shannan to step out from behind me to look too. "Oh, Shannan, I didn't see you. I'm sorry." She sat down on the bench to make it easier for him. "This is my daughter."

"The one you and Quan keep bragging about," Shannan noted, peering at her curiously. For her part, Altena stared back, just as curious. She even reached up to bat at his face. "Hey, don't do that?" He tried to poke her hand away, only for her to latch onto his finger. "Uh..."

"Hee... she likes you."

"Taking your word for it. Only experience I have with babies is the refugees." Shannan moved his hand back and forth, and Altena gurgled at the 'game'. At least, she did until I leaned a little closer. Then she immediately let go of Shannan's finger to snatch a fistful of my hair which had fallen over my shoulder. "Uh... I know I did that too, so I don't really have a leg to stand on, but..."

"And she likes Alicia's pretty hair, it seems!" Lady Ethlyn, ignoring how my hair was not 'pretty', said hair was still attached to my scalp and I could not move now. This was like with Zaya's baby, except worse because Altena insisted on waving her arms and, thus, pulling on my hair. "Quan, can you come here, please? I can't break Altena's grip by myself." At first, I wondered why it would be hard when Lady Ethlyn had a minor strength boost from inheriting Baldr's blood, but then I remembered something potentially terrible. Altena, as Prince Quan's first born, most likely had Major Njorun blood, and she had Minor Baldr from Lady Ethlyn. Both were Holy Bloods which boosted strength. Yes, both Holy Bloods were known for their not-as-specialized blessings, but... "Before Altena pulls out Alicia's hair like she did Calf's beard?"

"Yikes, sorry, Lady Alicia, hang on," Prince Quan immediately said, at our side in an instant. It took him a few tries, but he managed to pry Altena's fist open long enough for me to pull my hair free. My scalp stung. "There, per... ah..." Of course, Altena did not like being deprived of her 'toy' and scrunched up her face in indignant tears. "I'm sorry, Altena, but Lady Alicia's hair is hers, not yours." He picked her up then and cradled her against his shoulder to pat her back. "There, there..." Yet now I felt guilty, and looked about for some sort of distraction. Thankfully, there was an easy one; Sigurd had arrived and I waved him over.

"Glad I checked the courtyard first," Sigurd joked, with a bright smile and brighter laugh. His attention, however, snapped to the crying Altena and he went to Prince Quan's side to frown worriedly. "Aw, but my niece is so terribly upset. What happened?"

"She grabbed Lady Alicia's hair to use as a toy, and is mad I 'took' it from her," Prince Quan explained, still working on calming Altena down. Thankfully, she was just sniffling by this point. Much more crying and I might have given her my hair back. "Anyway, look, Altena, it's your Uncle Sigurd."

"She's adorable." Sigurd offered his hand to her with a smile, and Altena took his finger. "Yes, quite adorable. Taking after Ethlyn already, lucky her. I feared she'd take after you!"

"Very funny, Sigurd."

"Is there something wrong with her taking after me?" Lady Ethlyn asked archly, a wicked grin on her face. Prince Quan immediately sputtered out some protest, while Lady Ethlyn laughed. "Well?"

"You would think him happy to have such an adorable little girl," Sigurd 'agreed', easily teaming up with Lady Ethlyn. Prince Quan glared at them both, a sight not the least-bit-intimidating with Altena trying to now grab and eat his hair, while still holding onto Sigurd's finger. "Will you be mad if I say she's even more adorable than you were?"

"In this case, no!"

"I hate both of you sometimes," Prince Quan sighed, even as he very expertly kept Altena from climbing onto his head outright. Did she do it often? "What is with you and heights, Altena? You're always trying to climb."

"She likes heights?" Sigurd asked, surprised. Then he grinned. "She definitely doesn't take after you. You turn green when you're any higher than a horse!"

"I do not!"

"You were paler than snow at Verdane's Castle!"

"I was still reeling over what we witnessed! We had to watch you and Lady Alicia try to out-hero each other! I was too far away to help!" ...Out-hero?

I was almost tempted to ask, but Shannan tugged my skirt and distracted me. When I looked down, he pointed to where Deirdre lingered a short distance away. She was curled in on herself, fidgeting and fussing with her hands, an awkward look on her face. I smiled as soon as I saw her and headed over to nudge her forward. I didn't say anything; I didn't need to. Deirdre looked at me, eyes wavering with worry, and I simply nudged her again with a smile to give her silent encouragement. She hesitated a moment longer before nodding, smiling and making a point to ruffle Shannan's hair. Then she tentatively walked over to join the group, with Lady Ethlyn immediately seizing her arm to drag her the rest of the way.

I muffled a laugh at the sight, and watched as Sigurd took Altena from Quan, cradling her with ease and letting her curiously pat his face. Then I wondered what to do about our guests, only to see Finn already taking over escorting them inside. So, I took Shannan's hand in mine and the two of us left, walking around the castle. I... I was trying to break the habit of always rushing back to work. It was hard, but things like this, taking a walk with someone, helped a lot. Shannan knew and understood. He even grinned as he clung to my hand, happy as can be, especially now that we were away from strangers. So, we wandered, having no destination in sight, but somehow ending up behind the castle, near the training yards. Perhaps Shannan had led us here, since Lex and Ayra were sparring there as per usual. I'd learned upon returning it had become part of their routine, since Lex had difficulties fighting against very fast fighters who could dodge quickly and Ayra had difficulties fighting against heavily defensive warriors. They were winding down as Shannan and I passed, though, and both smiled when they saw us.

"Hey, what's up?" Lex asked, trotting over. Ayra followed at a more subdued pace, and we met them by one of the many benches set up by the yards. This one was the only one which currently had towels on it. "Heard some sort of commotion up front."

"We have visitors," I explained, passing Lex a towel. He promptly handed it off to Ayra before grabbing his own. "Specifically, Altena's escorts have arrived."

"Oh, is that why there was a squeal loud enough to make my ears ring?"

"Lady Ethlyn did not squeal that loudly. In fact, she did not squeal at all." I smiled a little, and Lex laughed. "Regardless, we were out front having a lesson when they arrived, but I fear my students had to scatter."

"Dew and Oifeye played messengers, while Finn is playing the guide by now. That'll explain why I saw Oifeye running around earlier." He wiped the sweat off his face, and frowned when he noticed Ayra's worried look. "What's wrong? If it's strangers being here, don't worry. I don't think any of Leonster would do anything, if only for Quan's sake, but if they try, we'll keep you safe."

"Hmm? Oh, no, it's not that," Ayra replied, shaking her head. She patted her face and neck with her towel, thinking over her words. "I was fretting more over... Altena is Quan and Ethlyn's baby, right? How difficult it must have been for her. I mean… going through Aed was hard on Shannan..." She trailed off, and I had to 'snap' back to my calm to keep from replying. I remained very uncomfortable by it, truthfully, but she was here safely and that was what mattered. "That's all. I can't help but fret."

"It's a journey Quan's made a lot over the years," Lex pointed out. It was strange how the words were not comforting. "I get your point, but I think they were better prepared than you were."

"Logically, yes." She sighed, shaking her head. "Like I said, I can't help it."

"Maybe you'll feel better when you see her. I'm sure they'll parade her around to everyone once the initial greetings are out of the way."

"Maybe." She smiled faintly to let Lex know she appreciated the attempt to cheer her, and then she focused on me. "I take it this is why you and Shannan are taking a walk then?"

"It is," Shannan confirmed, grinning. He still held my hand, but he reached out to grab Ayra's too. "Want to join? It should be a good way to cool down, right?"

"Well, you're not wrong," Ayra began slowly, clearly hesitating for some reason. But then she smiled. "All right, if Alicia doesn't mind. Lex, what will you do?"

"He'll come with us, right?" Shannan turned to Lex with the most pleading eyes. Lex didn't even last a second before sighing and nodding. "Yay! Let's go!"

We ended up having tea after the walk, mostly because Lex and Ayra were both thirsty from their spar. Lex shared some gossip and stories while I brewed the tea mix I made him, and I kept note of just what Ayra and Shannan might like in their teas. I wanted to make mixes for them too, eventually.

It was unusual for me to be by myself in my workshop. Someone cleaning, someone helping me make medicines, someone bringing me things to mend, someone doing inventory... there was almost always at least one other person in my workshop with me, no matter the hour. In fact, the person was usually Dew, but he was helping run messages today since one of the usual messenger boys was home sick with a cold. Finn or Lord Oifeye would try to be here if Dew wasn't available, but both were having lessons with Sir Naoise and Sir Alec today. Shannan did pop his head in earlier, but it was while he and Ayra were heading out with Lex and Sir Arden to watch a match in the local arena. Prince Quan, Lady Ethlyn, Sigurd, and Deirdre were, as one would expect, doting on Altena now that they had seen Duke Dryas, Glade, and Selphina off. They hadn't stayed long; Duke Dryas had to return as soon as possible in case Thracia attacked. As his squire, Glade apparently had to stay wherever Duke Dryas was, and Selphina certainly wasn't going to stay in a foreign castle without her father.

So, I was alone. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it gave me time to work on my current project: Deirdre's wedding veil. In Verdane, it was traditional for the Maid of Honor to make the bride's wedding veil, and it was to be kept a total secret from the bride and groom. As soon as I'd learned, I had sent Mistress Yesui a letter asking about patterns, and she sent back a few of the more popular ones. One of them incorporated flowers, and I chose it so I could embroider aevlise and klelia blossoms. It wasn't just to tease Deirdre further with them. No, I remembered what the flowers meant: peace and healing, hope and protection. I hoped they might lend Deirdre both for her wedding. I knew she'd be nervous; she was already nervous. If this could give her any comfort, then...

"Alicia!" Sigurd's sudden call startled me, and I leapt to my feet and hastily hid the veil, nearly upending my sewing basket in the process. "Er..." he continued, staring. I couldn't blame him; I'd even knocked my chair over. "What was...?"

"Veil," I blurted, adjusting my awkward covering to ensure he did not see even one thread. It wasn't supposed to be 'bad luck' if he did see it by accident, but it wasn't 'good luck' either. "I was working on Deirdre's veil."

"Oh." He blushed and his smile became sheepish. "Well, I promise I didn't see anything. I'll... be sure to knock from now on as a warning." I probably should only work on it in my room anyway. Deirdre and Sigurd both came to my workshop frequently to check on me. "A-anyway..."

"What brings you here, Sigurd?" It was best to move the conversation along. "I would have thought you would be doting on Altena." In fact, I had planned on it!

"Altena's asleep. As are her parents. Deirdre was actually tucking them in." He bit back a laugh, and I had to smile. "But something was brought up and..." He trailed off, suddenly uncertain. I righted my chair as I waited. "Your birthday is soon, isn't it? Next month?"

"How would you know that?"

"Lex." Azelle, just how much did you tell your friends about me? "So, as you can imagine, as soon as Lex let it slip, some of the others, namely Ethlyn, thought about throwing you a surprise party."

"Is it a surprise if you tell me?"

"First of all, you wouldn't show you were surprised besides staring blankly, and that's no fun." He had a point, at least about the first part. "Secondly, you hate being the center of attention. Surprise parties, by definition, center all the attention on the one being celebrated." He smiled wryly. "Yet even if you were uncomfortable and hated every second, you would still endure with the calm smile you always wear. If only for the sake of those around you."

"..." I could only sit back down in my chair, since I didn't have a reply. He was right, after all. "Why bring it up then?"

"I wanted to ask if there was a compromise you'd be comfortable with. I do think you should be celebrated, especially given what Alec reported." A strangely dark look crossed his face, and I wondered what Sir Alec had said. Given the context, I would guess it had something to do with me, but... wait, did Sir Alec tell him about the encounter at my house? Why? "But your comfort is most important. If you don't want anything, simply tell me. I'll make sure the planning stops."

"I see." I leaned back a little in my chair, resting my hands in my lap as I thought. He was right; I didn't like being the center of attention. The festivities when I returned were my absolute limit, even with everyone here. Yet I did want to indulge their strangeness, and I... "I do... want to learn how to accept the affection you all give me." I spoke slowly and softly, in an attempt to somehow order my thoughts. "I fear I am... unused to such things."

"I know." They were simple words, but they held a lot of weight. Yes, Sir Alec had told him about the encounter at my house, and Sigurd had taken some educated guesses based on what he had observed and what I had told him myself. This was another reason why he came to ask me directly. "But there's no need to force yourself. We're not going anywhere. You can take your time."

"This is true." I took a breath and smiled at him. "Might we try something simple, like a dinner, this year?"

"A dinner filled with apples?" He grinned and I made myself make a face. It startled a laugh out of him. "If you don't want that, then you'll need to tell us what else you like."

"Truthfully, I never thought much about it. Food was always just food. I like apples because they remind me of my brothers. Velthomer has apple groves, and Arvis and I met during Yngvi's Harvest Festival."

"Oh, the Harvest Cider is simply the best..." He sighed happily at the memory, and I had to muffle a laugh. I knew he'd understand. "In that case, we'll simply make it fancy and see what you like." Yes, I think... something like that would work best. "What would you like to do about presents?"

"Presents?" It took me a very long moment to process, and when I did, I felt foolish. If they were going through the trouble of planning a party, then of course they would go through the trouble of giving me presents. It hadn't occurred to me; only my brothers had ever given me gifts in the past. "I... might it be private? They can just be handed to me?" I did not want any sort of... anything.

"All right, I'll slip it into conversation." He chuckled, amused. "What a relief. I was half-afraid you'd say something like 'I do not need presents', like how you are about gratitude and payment." Well, I couldn't deny I thought about it. "It would be awkward explaining to the merchant if I had to send the books back to Miletos."

"...Miletos?"

"I snagged some medicinal texts from there." He did? Truly? "You have to wait until your birthday for them, though."

"Can I not have one now and the rest later?"

"Aren't you still going through the books Quan asked for from Leonster?"

"I finished those last week."

"Huh. Better get on Eldigan about those books from Nordion then." He became thoughtful; I began plotting how to get him to give me the books ahead of time. "Ah, but I should get on the topic I used as my excuse to head this way."

"Do you need an excuse?"

"I had to distract Ethlyn. She's stubborn even when half-asleep." He grinned, and I could only sigh, shake my head, but smile in return. I suppose I had been his conspirator yet again, in a way. "Anyway, there's to be a tournament soon."

"There is?"

"Yes, it used to be a yearly event for Evans, taking advantage of how it's on the border of three countries to bring in tourists and mercenaries. Of course, it hasn't been held in the past couple of years thanks to the plague..." His words and expression faltered, and I could only look away. We two, and King Jamke, were the only ones who knew the 'plague' had likely not been a plague at all. We still didn't know how Sandima and his fellows managed it. "A-anyway, Esen suggested we host it again. Not only is it my hope it will show the people we want to honor their culture, not replace it, but he thought it might help remind them of happier times." Esen was... ah, yes, he was the person King Jamke recommended to serve as Sigurd's 'local aide'. In reality, the plan was to install Esen as the lord of Evans once Sigurd was allowed to leave. "However, I wanted to wait for further plans until you could attend a meeting."

"You wanted me to attend?"

"I figured any and all safety precautions needed a healer's eye. After all, if something goes wrong, you'll have to deal with the blood." He shrugged, as if it was obvious. Perhaps to him, it was. "Are you free now?"

"Yes, I am." I smiled at him. "I need to take the veil back to my room first, so where should I meet you?"

"The main hall?"

"Very well."

I returned the veil to my room as quickly as I could, tucking it into one of the drawers to keep it hidden, and met Sigurd just as he was placing word of where we were heading. Then we left to visit Esen in his home, a manor which had belonged to some noble or another who had left in the plague's wake and had not returned. He greeted us with surprise, yet smiles, and we had a quick tea as we went over the basic details. It didn't take long; intensive planning would have to wait until we toured the arena ourselves to see what safety protocols were already in place. So, we set a date for the tour and Sigurd and I left in high spirits. Not long after we left, Deirdre found us to suggest a trip to the markets. So, instead of returning immediately like we had half-planned, the three of us ended up walking down the main street and perusing the shops and stalls set up.

"Oh, look, the one there has such pretty ribbons," Deirdre commented, pointing to one of the stalls while she clung to me. She walked between Sigurd and me, holding onto my arm because crowds still made her queasy. Yet she smiled brightly, invigorated by the cheer. "Hmm... oh, that blue one would look nice in your hair, Alicia."

"I fear if you buy me a ribbon, I will use it as a bandage in an emergency," I tried to refuse, shaking my head. Many glanced at us in curiosity, but most smiled indulgently. "There's no need to waste the money."

"Mmm... but it would be pretty, and I can always save to buy you another if you did..."

"What's this about 'saving'?" Sigurd asked with a laugh. He caught Deirdre's hand to kiss it, smiling innocently at her deep blush. "We shouldn't spend wastefully, of course, but buying a gift for a friend isn't wasteful." It could be, depending on the gift and the amount. Then again, like Velthomer, Chalphy was situated on a trade route and, thus, was very wealthy. "I agree the blue ribbon will look nice on Alicia, and there's a purple one which matches your lovely eyes, Deirdre." He grinned, and I already knew the next words out of his mouth. "Be right back~!"

"Oh, Sigurd!" Deirdre yelped, startled out of the post-hand-kiss daze. Yet Sigurd had already gone to the stall to purchase both ribbons. "I need to get him a gift in return. What would he like?"

"I believe the greatest gift you can give him is a smile," I answered, honest and truthful. It had the same effect as my teasing: more blushing. "Does he not say so himself?"

"Th-that... oh..." Deirdre pouted, and I muffled a laugh with my free hand. "So mean, Alicia."

"I know; I'm terrible."

"No, mean. Big difference."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Sigurd returned before I could ask Deirdre to explain the 'big difference' and he tied Deirdre's hair back in a ponytail with the purple ribbon. I brought my hair over my shoulder to braid before either could do anything, and took the blue ribbon to tie it myself. Then we were back to our walk through, Deirdre clinging to my arm once more. Quite a bit caught our eyes, but not enough to actually stop and buy things. Then again, the purpose had been to look around, so it didn't matter too much.

"Hmm? Is that Quan?" Sigurd asked at one point, pointing down one of the streets. We stopped to see he was right; Prince Quan was out and about, with Altena settled against his shoulder to look at all the people. "Quan!" He waved to catch Prince Quan's attention, and Prince Quan walked over as soon as he saw us. "What brings you here? I would have thought you would still be asleep, my friend."

"Altena woke up, so I brought her outside," Prince Quan explained, once he was close enough to speak without yelling. Altena twisted to look at us, and smiled and babbled when she did. "Ethlyn needs her rest."

"Ah, so you're out finding a surprise gift for her." Sigurd grinned and Prince Quan blushed and looked away. "You're always like this."

"I really don't need to hear this from you." He scowled then, his blush only growing. Deirdre giggled, and I muffled a laugh. "What brings you here?"

"Deirdre suggested a walk, since Alicia and I got out of a quick meeting." Sigurd shrugged. "Anything in particular you're looking for? I just bought ribbons for Deirdre and Alicia at a stall, and they all seemed like good quality."

"That explains the ribbons in their hair." Prince Quan thought about it, and leaned his head away when Altena tried to grab his reddened ear. He was still blushing. "I'd want something else as well, but Ethlyn was saying she needed a new hair ribbon, so I can start there."

"Of course." Sigurd slung an arm around Prince Quan's shoulder, careful to avoid Altena. Altena, however, reached for him in silent demand. "Hmm? Want me to carry you for a little bit?" He twisted to hold both hands out and Prince Quan passed him Altena. Immediately, Sigurd lifted her high into the air, to Prince Quan's yelp. Altena, however, giggled like it was the best thing ever. "There we are! High as a cloud!"

"Sigurd, hold her properly!"

"I am, though?"

"Not above your damn head!"

"Careful, careful, there's a child listening."

"She's not going to remember!"

"Sigurd, can you at least wait to hold her so high until we're out of the crowded market?" I requested, mostly to deescalate the situation. We were attracting a lot of stares. "What if someone bumps you?"

"Ah, fair point," Sigurd conceded, tucking Altena against his shoulder. She pouted at not being high anymore, but placated herself by sticking Sigurd's cravat in her mouth. "So, back to the ribbon stall?"

"There was a yellow one which would suit Lady Ethlyn..." I glanced at Deirdre to confirm, and she nodded with a shy smile. "We should see if it's still there."

"Then to wherever else Quan wants to go, since we didn't exactly have a destination. Besides the apothecary, knowing you."

"...I wasn't going to ask." Still, I looked away, pointedly ignoring everyone's laughter. "What about perfume? Lady Ethlyn mentioned she liked the ones Verdane made."

"Now that's a thought..." Quan replied, mulling over the suggestion. He tried to reclaim Altena, but she instead reached for Deirdre. "...I'm being ignored by my own daughter..."

"Is it not a good thing she is so fond of her aunt?" I asked, speaking lightly. Both Deirdre and Sigurd blushed, even as he passed Altena to her. Altena tried to grab Deirdre's circlet, but was soon distracted by her hair. "You two blush easily."

"They do. I should tease them more to make up for the slight." His grin belied any attempt of sounding surly, and I muffled a laugh. "Ah, right, I need to find a good weapons shop too."

"Does Lady Ethlyn need a new weapon?"

"No... well, maybe." He thought about it for a moment, and Deirdre looked intrigued for some reason. "Ah, it can be worried about another day. Truthfully, I'd like to commission something for Finn. His sixteenth birthday is coming up." Was it? I should think of a gift. "I fear if I had it made in Leonster, it would take too long to arrive."

"There's a smith in town who Jamke likes," Sigurd answered easily, gesturing for us to step out of the way of something. A quick look showed a cart trying to make its way through. "We can head there and see the wares. That should tell you if the quality will match your standards."

"Very true," Quan agreed, smiling. He smiled more when Altena squirmed and reached her pudgy hands out to him, demanding to be held by him once more. I think she liked being passed around, strangely enough. She certainly looked happy enough when he took her back. "But we should first go to the ribbon stall."

"Quite true. It was back this way, I think." With that, Sigurd led the way, with Prince Quan close behind. Both Deirdre and I also followed, but...

"Alicia, Alicia!" she hissed before we took two steps, tugging my sleeve. She glanced surreptitiously at Prince Quan and Sigurd and leaned in close. "Um..."

"Have you thought of a gift for Sigurd?" I asked softly, tilting my head towards her so we could better talk quietly. Some people gave us weird looks, but neither of us paid them mind. "Is it something else?"

"Something else. I was thinking of getting a weapon for Ethlyn. But I want it to be from me, and if Sigurd learned, he'll buy it for me." Ah, yes, Sigurd had a habit of spoiling those he loved. "...I know technically our money is shared, but still..."

"You want it to be a gift you picked and bought, not something you picked and he bought." It was easy enough to understand. "What sort of weapon?"

"She uses swords mainly, since the Baldr blood gives her an instinctual grasp of the weapon, but I'm certain a horseback healer needs range. So, maybe a magic blade?" Deirdre hummed a little in thought. "Can they do that?"

"We can always ask. If this smith can't, I'm certain they'll know who can." A thought occurred to me. "Since it will be from you, maybe it can be a light magic blade?"

"Oh, I like that...!" Her eyes sparkled at the thought. "But how to ask without those two finding out? I don't think Quan can keep secrets from Ethlyn."

"We'll split off on our own and circle back."

"Yes, that might work best."

"Are you two all right?" Sigurd called back then, startling us. We looked up to see him and Prince Quan waiting a short distance. Altena was actually asleep on Prince Quan's shoulder. "You're falling behind."

"Everything is fine," Deirdre reassured with a bright smile. Sigurd immediately softened at the sight. "We were just talking."

"About?"

"It's girl talk, Sigurd."

"Ah, never mind." Sigurd nodded, accepting the explanation without any hint of skepticism. I supposed growing up with Lady Ethlyn and Lady Edain had taught him not to pry when that was the explanation. It would explain why Deirdre thought to use it. "In that case, should Quan and I move ahead?"

"No, no, I don't want to get lost!" Deirdre laughed, and I muffled my own. "We're not far from the stall, are we?"

We weren't, and Prince Quan did buy a couple of ribbons for Lady Ethlyn. From there, we went to the smith, where Prince Quan did end up placing a commission, and then it was to a stall specializing in fragrances of all kinds. While Sigurd and Prince Quan chatted with the owner about the different scents, Deirdre and I snuck back to the smith to place her own commision. This... did lead to us returning to find Sigurd and Prince Quan bought perfumes for us too, but it was a small price to pay for secrecy. I think.

In most ways, my life didn't change after making my 'social debut', but there was one way it did. Drastically. I received... far more letters than I used to. Before, only my brothers would write to me, but now, I had so many I had to actually set time aside each day to review them all. Most of the time, I did this in Lady Ethlyn's room, since she had her own correspondence to sort through, and Deirdre would just as often join us to study what she'd need to know as the lady of a noble household. I didn't know what all it entailed; what little I did made my head spin. I was glad I would never have to worry about it.

"Goodness, why are they inviting me to a ball?" I found myself asking during one of these quiet mornings. I was at a table by the window, sifting through today's letters, while Lady Ethlyn did the same at her desk. Deirdre had curled up in a very plush chair near the same window, reading through a book on finances and economics. "Are they trying to curry favor with Arvis?"

"Some could be," Lady Ethlyn answered absently. She was more focused on her own letters, since many were from Leonster's nobility. I didn't know what duties she had as a princess, but given Deirdre's lessons, I decided I didn't want to know. My head spun enough. "Others might have been impressed by you at the ball." She sulked suddenly, turning to me with a tiny, little frown. "Oh, I wish I had known sooner you were going to debut there, so I could attend too. But by the time I learned, it was far too late for me to arrive in time."

"I might have enjoyed myself if you were there." I skimmed through the letter, hoping for some indication of why they invited me to whatever ball this was. I feared everything blended together too much. "As it stands, I do not know how they could have been impressed. I didn't do anything."

"Sometimes, all you have to do is catch attention. That's why many do their best to make as big of an impact as possible." If others wanted it, they could have it. "Anyway, I'm assuming you don't want to go to whatever it is."

"No, I do not."

"Then may I see that one?" She leaned over in her chair and held out her hand. I scooted my own chair a little closer to pass it to her. Deirdre glanced up from her book, no doubt curious about what was going on, but quickly went back to her studying. I think. She'd been on that particular page for a while. "Hmm..." Lady Ethlyn's hum, however, brought my attention back to her. "Yeah, this is one of those you impressed. She and her husband tend to favor those who can hold onto their calm no matter the situation. Write back you regretfully refuse as you cannot leave for such an extended period given your duties here. They won't feel slighted and, in fact, it'll boost your reputation with them. They're very duty-minded themselves." She passed it back. "Truthfully, they might have been captivated by the rumors of what happened here, and only waited for your social debut to invite you. It's against etiquette to do so earlier." I would very much take her word, and advice, on all of that. "Any other invitations?"

"There is..." I quickly rummaged for the one I was thinking of and held it out to her. "This one is the other proper invitation in today's mess."

"Only two today? I think they're finally figuring out you are not a socialite. Last week, there were fifteen!" She skimmed through the invitation, nodding to herself, and I tried to not sigh at the reminder of all the previous invitations. "This one is close, only a couple hours away. You could attend easily if you wanted." I didn't want to, though. "Oh, it says you can bring guests. Pretty obvious hint they want you to bring Deirdre." I glanced at Deirdre, wondering if I should even bring it up. Given her grimace, though, she had not only been listening in for a while, but she wanted to attend even less than I did. "However, there's no limit to your guests, so what if I tag along too?" ...Well, if Lady Ethlyn attended, it might not be a chore. "I know the lord and lady enough to know they aren't trying to set you up for a fall. It's a very genuine invitation." She smiled prettily then. "I think it'll be good for Deirdre's first true outing, and she really should go to a few before the wedding."

"Hmm..." I looked to Deirdre again, who was distinctly uncomfortable at the notion. "What do you think? Do you want to try?"

"Mmm..." Deirdre kept grimacing, but slowly nodded. "I think I need to, at least," she finally murmured, marking her place and closing her book. If she was giving up now, then she had definitely been stuck on a page for a while. "I know Sigurd would never force me, but if I am always hiding here, I know rumors will spread."

"Rumors will spread no matter what, so you might as well win some allies," Lady Ethlyn declared with a pleased, proud grin. She then brandished her pen like a sword. "That's the best way to fight back in the social sphere! Of course, you won't have to worry too much. Sigurd usually keeps to Chalphy, rarely venturing to other areas. Even then, it was always the homes of those he loves, or the capital."

"So, he never stayed in other countries until now? I've read fostering isn't uncommon for noble children."

"Oh, no, he… well, he was never fostered. Neither of us were. But he did live in Nordion for a year or so to support Eldigan."

"What happened?"

"Shortly after they graduated from the academy, his stepmother unexpectedly died in one of the skirmishes which plague Agustria."

"Stepmother? Skirmishes?"

"Oh, uh..." Lady Ethlyn paused, thinking of her words. "Stepmother is the easier one to explain. Lachesis and Eldigan are half-siblings. Eldigan's mother died when he was young, and his father remarried. He and his stepmother were very close, so when she died, Eldigan was heartbroken. Meaning, as you can expect, Sigurd rode through the night as soon as he heard." Then he had stayed, to ensure his friend would be well as he grappled with his grief. "As for the skirmishes..." She trailed off, frowning. "How much do you know about the Dominion of Agustria?"

"Not a lot. There was..." Deirdre smiled bitterly. "There was... no need to learn..."

"It's fine. Most people get fooled by its reputation as a country of knights. And it is. But there's a reason they have so many knights." Lady Ethlyn twirled her pen about her fingers and leaned back in her chair. "Agustria was, and is, an alliance more than anything. In the past, they were clans led by warlords. Though nominally part of the Loptyrian Empire, their constant infighting meant not even the Emperor could control them. However, during the Holy War, they were united into an army by Hodr, the Black Knight. He accomplished this by taking advantage of their tradition of trial by combat, defeating each one and forcing them to submit to his authority. Thus, it was, and is, a country united solely by the reverent fear they have of Hodr, the one blessed by Jarl of War. While he reigned, the country knew peace, but when he died, the country's internal conflicts spiked. They're still united, due to continued respect and fear for the line, but it is not uncommon for minor squabbles to suddenly turn into outright battle. Hence why they have so many knights, and why those knights are so terrifyingly skilled." I supposed that made some sense, maybe, but my heart ached at all the pointless deaths. If the start was so 'minor', did anyone remember why they fought in the first place? Did Lord Eldigan even know what caused the skirmish which killed his stepmother? "King Imuka holds the lords of Agustria in an iron grip, ruling with fairness and wisdom to keep the peace. It's why Eldigan is so devotedly loyal. Neither have a liking for warfare." She paused then, still twirling her pen. "Wait, I forgot why we're on this topic."

"You said Sigurd rarely traveled?"

"Oh, yes. The point I was originally trying to make was you'll mostly deal with local nobles, and they like Sigurd. You don't have to do much to win them over. They'll love you because they love Sigurd." She smiled brightly then. "Then you'll charm them because you're you, Deirdre."

"Now you tease me." Deirdre made a face and Lady Ethlyn laughed. "Truthfully, I'm very nervous about meeting all these people. So many love him... and now I'm even more worried about meeting Eldigan and Lachesis. It's clear they're close..."

"They will adore you to bits, especially Eldigan. Lachesis might be snippy initially, because she's a little lioness who is very protective of her loved ones. Once she sees how much you love Sigurd, she'll warm up to you." Lady Ethlyn grinned, but Deirdre did not look reassured. "I mean; she did it with Alicia."

"Oh?"

"...She did?" I asked, surprised. I tried to think of my interactions with her before, but... "I know she would stare with a frown, but I was working, so I never called out." Everyone who needed me would tell me, and those who did not would leave me alone. That was how things always worked before coming here. "I think our first proper conversation was the day we were attacked by Prince Cimbaeth."

"She was watching you work to see if you were as skilled as Sigurd and I claimed," Lady Ethlyn explained, her smile now slightly apologetic. She then yelped because she had still been twirling her pen about her fingers and nearly dropped it. Deirdre and I pretended we didn't see it happen. "That's the start of it, at least."

"I will take you at your word." The wording implied there was more to it, but I decided to not ask. For all I knew, it had to do with the ridiculous rumors about Sigurd and me being romantically involved. I had no idea when those started, after all. "Regardless, I suppose I should pen my acceptance then. Should I let them know in advance I will bring both of you?"

"Yes, it's only polite. Want some help? I think it's the first you've accepted."

"Let me try on my own first, and then you can edit it."

To my surprised relief, Lady Ethlyn barely needed to edit my response, so I had to only rewrite it once and set it to the side for the ink to dry. From there, I decided to sort through the rest of the correspondence, picking one at random. This one was different from the rest, since it was paired with a package. Curious, I decided to open the package first and inside was... inside was a very beautiful, blue shawl embroidered with light blue izelles and roses. It was a good size, large enough to be worn over the shoulders or draped about my arms depending on my preference, and the darker color and design meant I could wear it with anything in my wardrobe without it looking odd. Just who was this from? Now confused, I set the shawl in my lap and opened the letter to discover it… it was from Prince Kurth.

'I am certain it is strange to receive a present from me, all things considered. But it is your birthday soon and I originally wanted to send you a present when you came of age. Eirik advised against it, worried it would draw too much attention when you were still hiding. But since you are now walking your own path, I could not check the impulse. I didn't know what medicinal supplies you would need, nor what books you already had, so I opted for this. You always wore one in Velthomer. As for the flowers, you asked the most about the izelle and roses in the garden.'

There was a little more afterwards, simple things like how he wished me well and that I would have a happy and peaceful birthday. It ended abruptly with his signature, making it all too easy for me to see how awkward he was about it. He still felt terribly guilty about how his choices had affected my life, but he had truly wanted to celebrate my birthday. So, he had taken the time to commission something he hoped I would like, would not be redundant, and would be something I could use in many situations.

"Oh, how pretty…!" Deirdre breathed, leaning over to stare at the shawl. Lady Ethlyn made a curious noise, so I set down the letter and held up the shawl for her to see as well. In the light, I could better appreciate the embroidery. It truly was beautiful. "Look at all the flowers…"

"Wow, that is pretty!" Lady Ethlyn gushed, actually standing so she could come over and look at it better. "Can I…?" She held out her hand and I passed it to her. "It's light, but it should still be warm enough for all but the chilliest of weather." She draped it over my shoulders then, and I could see another quiet indication of the care put into the gift. It did not impede my movements at all. I could wear this even while working, if need be. "It suits you!"

"It does!" Deirdre smiled at me, though there was a hint of worry, like she could since my conflicting feelings. When I smiled back, she relaxed. "Who is it from?"

"Prince Kurth, actually," I answered. I picked up the letter again and skimmed through. On a second read, the awkward shyness became more apparent. "He was a friend of my mother's." There was more I could say, more of an explanation, but I chose against it. I didn't know what to think or feel about him still. I was angry about the choices he, my mother, and Cigyun had made, but he accepted it and did not seek forgiveness or atonement. Even this present was no attempt to make amends. He had simply… he had wanted to gift me something, and did his best. "He's awkward around me because of it." That was the best summary of it. He and I were both… terribly awkward.

"I see," Deirdre murmured, glancing at the letter. I held it out to her, and she read it carefully. "How are you going to reply? The way he worded things implies he doesn't expect one, but…"

"I'm not sure." I wanted to thank him. I did. I wanted, and needed, to do that much, at least. But… "I do think… I want to know more about him." I wanted to know more about the person my mother had died to protect. I wanted to know more about the person Cigyun had loved, and the person even someone like Father Eirik respected.

"Then, you should write that, I think." Deirdre rested a hand on mine. "It's clear he cares a lot about you. Why else would the shawl be so perfectly suited for you?"

"I think so too," Lady Ethlyn agreed, leaning down to hug me. I was startled enough by the gesture to stiffen, but I made myself relax. I didn't mind it; I was just unused to it. "I can help you figure out what to write later. Might be better to mull over your words first." She had a point. Replying now would only result in an incoherent mess.

So, I reclaimed the letter from Deirdre and folded the shawl to carefully place next to it. Then, as Lady Ethlyn returned to her seat, and Deirdre switched to a different book to study, I went back to my letters. As my luck would have it, it was another oddity, though not because of the sender. Anselm thankfully was more than happy to continue sending me updates on the children despite me being in Evans now, and this was another of his letters. Yet there was not only a letter inside. When I opened it, two other folded pieces of paper fell out and when I unfolded one, I discovered it was a picture. It was a picture of someone who wore blacks and blues, with red hair and... green eyes... wait, was this me?

After staring for a moment, I unfolded the other and discovered it was another drawing. This one had more stick figures than the former, but there was more than one subject. There were two others, smaller, and each one had a giant smile drawn on their faces. Now even more confused, I found Anselm's letter and read through in hopes of finding some sort of answer.

'The children's health continues to improve by leaps and bounds and, as such, we believe they are ready to be placed in verified safe homes. Dietrich and I will continue monitoring, especially since we are still unaware of the full extent of this tragedy. Prince Kurth weighed in on the matter, requesting we involve the children in every step of the placement process, after hearing your worries. I must admit; it did not occur to me they would have felt as trapped by us as they did their former employers. But I suppose good intentions can so easily blind us to how our actions come across.'

I had to pause then, feeling a little... overwhelmed might be the best word for it. I knew I had told Prince Kurth such, and I knew he had listened, but it was still a surprise to realize he had, in fact, taken my worries seriously. He had made certain it was conveyed. I... was glad. I was glad he took me so seriously. I was glad Anselm did not feel offended either. I would... I would write to tell him I only thought of it thanks to my experience with Shannan. For now, there was more to read...

'Gabriel and Ellen will stay together. He was insistent, and she was in no hurry to leave his side. I believe he did his best to protect her in the warehouse; it matches how he watches over the other children. It was more difficult to place them because of it, of course, but Duke Arvis offered to take them in himself, so they will travel to Velthomer once Ellen's health has improved a little more. When the two learned you did not live in Velthomer, they insisted on adding their thanks to my letter. Given neither can read or write still, they opted to draw instead, and apply themselves anew to their studies so they can write it next time. I enclosed both. Gabriel's is the one just of you, while Ellen insisted on drawing all three of you.'

There was a little more, talking of the other children and where they were placed. When I reached the end, I had to set down the letter to pick up the drawings again, looking at them with fresh eyes. This... this was how Gabriel and Ellen showed their thanks? This had to be the sweetest thing anyone ever gave me.

"Hmm? Drawings?" Deirdre asked, looking over my shoulder once again. She then wordlessly squealed. "Oh, these are of you, aren't they? How adorable!"

"Yes, two of the warehouse children drew them for me," I explained softly, unable to keep the smile off my face. I had never had anyone go through so much effort to thank me before. "They're still learning to write, so they drew instead."

"That just makes them extra cute!" She giggled, delightedly clapping her hands. "We should frame and hang them somewhere."

"...Yes, we should." I smoothed them out and set them gently to the side, next to the shawl. "We'll put them in my workshop."

"Not your room?"

"I spend more time in my workshop."

"Fair point." She pointed to the drawing of three. "So, you're in the middle there. Who are the other two?"

"Hmm? Ah..." I studied the drawing again, noting the hair colors scribbled on the smaller figures. "The one with black hair must be Gabriel, while the one with yellow hair must be Ellen."

"And given the blue dots, they must have blue eyes."

"Yes?" I frowned in thought, trying to remember. "Yes, they do. Why do you ask?"

"You never describe anyone, so I was curious." She smiled, both teasing and sincere. It took me a long minute to realize she was right. I did barely pay attention to what people looked like, unless something about their appearance was particularly striking. Then again... "I suppose it's because everyone was interchangeable, since they all treated you the same."

"Yes, I suppose they were." I had no names for the people I spent my life around. They all ignored me when I wasn't useful, badgered me when they needed my skills. They were all... faceless to me. "I suppose you'll need to prompt me if you want to know; I'll do my best to remember."

"I will." She beamed at me. "I promise."

"By the way, do you need help with your studying?"

"No, but I think I am at the point where everything blends together." She made a face; I muffled a laugh. "I'm going to keep trying for now, though." To emphasize her point, she leaned back in her comfortable chair and applied herself anew.

I muffled another laugh, mostly at how adorable it was she took her studies so seriously, and returned to the letters. The next one came from a surprising source: Dietrich. He had never written to me before now, so I wondered why he would. The answer became terribly clear within the first few lines.

'I apologize for contacting you out of the blue, Lady Alicia, and I ask you do not inform your lord brother of this missive. He did not wish to trouble you further with news of the investigation into the warehouses, but considering all you have done for the children, including writing Gabriel's own testimony, I felt it was a disservice to not keep you abreast of the situation. More to the point, there is an avenue of investigation I believe you can help me with.'

...It did not surprise me Arvis did not want me to hear more about the investigation. He was always protective, and it was clear this would be a very messy investigation. It was like cutting away gangrene, leaving only a raw and oozing wound which could easily infect. Anyone and everyone in connection was likely in some danger, from physical retaliation to plummeting public opinion. He would want me to stay away, so I was not dragged into the mess. Yet here Dietrich was, writing me behind his back, because he truly felt I should know and could still help.

'A recent raid on another warehouse turned up an unexpected clue. I regret to say no children were found within. It appeared they were... already sold off. Whoever was last there, however, failed to clean up properly. They tried to burn a letter, but in their haste, did not ensure it had fully burned. Thus, we recovered a small portion. The scrap had minimal information, but mentioned Chalphy's port.'

I had to pause there, both because my heart keened about the children and to wrap my mind behind the last sentence. It was terrible how much it made sense. Chalphy's port was Grannvale's main connection to Miletos, the mercantile nation of Jugdral. It wasn't founded by a Crusader, but its location made it vital for many trade routes and, thus, the country was home to many booming markets. Consequently, it also had a reputation of putting a price on everything, including the less than legal. Anything and everything could be found in its markets, for the right price. Given how Arvis told me the warehouses would sell its child workers into slavery and worse, it only made sense for Miletos's black markets to be involved.

'I intend to investigate further, but I fear I must limit who is involved. Given how extensive this is and how quickly the raided warehouse was 'cleaned', I have to wonder if some of my own guards are involved. Thus, the favor I mentioned. Might you inform Lord Sigurd of this possibility? It is my hope we can cooperate and gain more information, without tipping our hand.'

So, that was it. He wished for me to serve as a link between him and Sigurd to widen their net. It was simple enough; the hardest part would be to convince Sigurd to not go to the port himself. I folded the letter carefully and tucked it under the shawl to keep it hidden. If Dietrich was being watched as he feared, then it might be suspicious if I replied right away. I would bring it up to Sigurd in the coming days, and we would move from there.

In the meantime, I still had more letters to look through, so I picked up the next to read. I discovered I had been wrong; I had one more invitation. But it looked different from the others, so I didn't recognize it immediately as such. It was a single piece of paper, decorated beautifully with drawings of leaves, and in the middle was a date and the mention of a 'naming ceremony'. On the back, I found a little note signed by both Zaya and Sarnai. The message was simple: a wish to invite me to the ceremony.

"Hmm? That's a pretty letter," Deirdre noted, leaning over curiously. Suppressing a laugh at how she clearly had given up on studying for the morning, I passed it to her and she gasped. "Oh! A naming ceremony! It's a big honor to be invited. There's usually a public party to celebrate, but the ceremony itself is reserved for immediate family and those the parents highly respect and cherish!"

"I see," I murmured, looking back at the invitation. Yes, this made sense based on what Sarnai told me, but why would they invite me? I had no idea. Yet, at the same time, I... I was both honored and touched. "I... should definitely attend, then." A quick look at the date again proved they had also given me plenty of time to make arrangements. "Do... do I need to make a gift?" What was the protocol here? What was polite?

"It's not necessary, but no one will refuse either. After all, while the most important part is giving the baby a name, it is also their birthday." This was true, but what could I give? "Maybe a blanket? It suits your more practical nature." Deirdre giggled, beaming as if she were the one invited. Lady Ethlyn glanced at us in confusion, no doubt wondering what we were talking about. She, after all, had been busy with her own letters.

"Yes, I do have some practice in making blankets." Maybe I could even make a quilt? "I will need cloth for it, and a pattern."

"Sounds like another shopping trip." Deirdre clapped her hands together in delight and turned to Lady Ethlyn, who still looked confused. "What do you think?"

"I have no idea what you two are talking about, but I'm always up for shopping," Lady Ethlyn declared, setting her pen down. She then hopped to her feet and stretched her arms high above her head with a little squeak. "So, what's the cloth for?"

"It will be for a blanket," I explained, biting back a laugh at how easily she agreed. Yet a thought wormed its way into my head and replaced my mirth with anxiety. "...Say, Lady Ethlyn?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you...?" This had to be too forward, but her curious look prompted me anyway. "Would you like me to make a blanket for Altena as well?"

"Eh?" She stared for a moment, and an apology bubbled to my lips. But then she smiled as brightly as the sun. "Oh, that sounds wonderful, Lady Alicia!"

"Then I had best buy plenty of cloth, then."

This was how, hours later, the three of us were still in the market, looking at cloths of various materials and colors to determine the absolute best for my purposes. Though I felt it was too long, I couldn't be mad. Both Deirdre and Lady Ethlyn smiled the entire time, and I had to admit it was fun thinking of what patterns to use. Sewing things for others... was much more enjoyable than I ever could I have thought.

Eventually, the day of the tournament arrived, with far more participants than expected. Esen and Sigurd had expected maybe a handful, just enough to make things 'exciting' and all veterans of the Verdane Campaign. We ended up with many, many more, from our former soldiers to our knights to those who simply wanted to test their mettle to wandering mercenaries. As a result, it ended up being far more festive than originally planned, and everyone scrambled with decorations and whatnot.

As the primary healer for the castle, I was not involved in any of the decorating. My job for the day was double and triple checking every safety protocol alongside Esen and Sigurd. Then, once we were all satisfied, Esen left to go on a date with his fiance, and Sigurd headed to the private balcony where he could watch the matches away from the crowd, high above everything. I had originally planned on returning to the castle, but Deirdre somehow managed to convince me to stay. I still wasn't certain how, but if I had to guess, I was certain it had something to do with Shannan. The four of us were watching together, after all, since Ayra was participating and, thus, could not keep an eye on him.

"Lady Alicia, do you need anything?" Technically speaking, Lord Oifeye was also with us, but it was easy to 'forget' since he'd spent so much time rushing about. It all started with Deirdre absently mentioning she was thirsty and somehow turned into him fetching food and drink for us. "Do you need more water?" he asked me earnestly, frowning over my not-quite-full glass. "I can..."

"Lord Oifeye, I assure you, I am fine," I replied, flipping through my book. Sigurd caved and gave me one of the medical books from Miletos before my birthday, and I eagerly read through. "You should sit down."

"But you're sitting so far back..."

"That is by choice." It was bad enough I could hear the fighting; I didn't want to see it.

"Still..."

"Oifeye, am I going to have to order you to rest?" Sigurd teased, reaching back from his own seat to ruffle Lord Oifeye's hair. He and Deirdre sat to watch, while Shannan enjoyed watching from the railing despite having his own seat. Mine should have been with theirs, but Sigurd had kindly moved it back for me despite how heavy they were. ...Then again, maybe the chairs weren't heavy for a Baldr Major. "Then again, perhaps that is as useless as telling Alicia to stop working."

"I'm not working; I'm studying," I corrected, smiling a sweet and patient smile. I did try to nudge Lord Oifeye to his seat, and wondered if we would have had this trouble if Prince Quan or Lady Ethlyn were with us. Neither were; they were having a picnic with Altena. Sir Arden was in the crowd, ready to intervene at a moment's notice if something went wrong during a match, while Sir Alex and Sir Naoise both participated. "Do you want me to rush down for every bruise?"

"We already agreed you shouldn't."

"Then I'm studying."

"Do you want me to hold your hand, Alicia?" Deirdre offered, twisting in her seat to peer at me worriedly. "I'm sure it's difficult to simply let people get hurt when you're a healer."

"It… is, but Sigurd and I both agreed I shouldn't coddle them," I replied, giving Sigurd a look. Sigurd simply smiled back, because it had been quite the lengthy 'discussion'. But I yielded to his own experiences, something about competitors comparing injuries. "However, I fear I must refuse your offer. I will likely drag you with me."

"I see." She was thoughtful for a moment before turning to Lord Oifeye. "Still, Sigurd is right, Oifeye. You should rest. I would dare say we have enough snacks and drinks to last the rest of the tournament. Where did they even come from? Please tell me you did not run back to the castle for them."

"Hmm? Ah, some are selling directly to the spectators, Lady Deirdre," Lord Oifeye answered with a slight smile. He did, reluctantly, sit in his chair, next to Sigurd. Shannan's chair was beside Deirdre's, where mine had been before it was moved. "I bought them there."

"Oh, how clever. But this only emphasizes my point we'll be fine. So..."

The crowd below suddenly roared in excitement, and all of us turned our attention to the arena. I had to sit up straighter to see, but it soon became clear why. Sir Naoise was fighting against a blonde-haired swordsman and was losing. Badly. The crowd's excitement was due to how easily and efficiently a trained knight was overwhelmed.

"Who is that?" Deirdre asked curiously, watching with a frown. In the time it took her to ask the question, the match ended in the swordsman's victory. "He's strong."

"He is, indeed," Sigurd agreed, smiling good-naturedly. His gaze, however, was focused, studying the one who so easily defeated one of his own knights. "To deal with Naoise so quickly... I should see about hiring him."

"Oh?" Deirdre's frown deepened for a moment, but Sigurd glanced at me for some reason and she suddenly smiled. "Oh. Yes, I think that would be a good idea too."

I thought about asking, wondering what I had missed, but the words dried up when the swordsman looked up at our balcony as he exited the arena. I wouldn't have thought anything about it, except his gaze... it fixed on Shannan. He did not look at the rest of us, only Shannan. Why? Was it because having a child up here looked odd? Was it something else? I...

"Shannan?" I called softly, settling back in my chair. Immediately, he left the railing to skip to my side, smiling at me. "I'm sorry, but might you stay near me?"

"I won't fall!" Shannan immediately promised. I hadn't thought about the possibility until then, truthfully, since Sigurd kept him within arm's reach. "We're pretty high, yes, but I'm safe."

"I'm certain, but if this match proves anything..." I needed to word this carefully. "I fear I may not be able to keep my promise to Sigurd during the later matches, if all of them are this intense."

"Ooooohhh, you want me to help make sure you don't slip away!" He grinned, laughing all the while. I smiled, pretending he was right. In truth, I simply wanted him a little more hidden. I doubted any would harm him, especially with Sigurd and Deirdre here, but it made me feel better. "I can do that. I think." He then climbed onto my chair to perch on the arm. "And I can see just fine, so we're good. Anyway, Deirdre, did I tell you about the kittens I saw in the garden? I asked around and found out they belong to one of the mousers!"

The tournament continued on and on just like that, with all the various matches and plenty of breaks in between for the competitors. I studied through it all, fascinated by how Miletos's medicinal texts actually took into account how near everything could be found in their markets. It was to the point it listed which sections of the various markets carried which herbs, in addition to where they were found in nature. So caught up in my reading as I was, I did not keep track of the fighting in the slightest until Shannan gasped in surprise and nearly fell back into my lap.

"Sorry!" Shannan yelped, doing his best to right himself. I supported his back and shoulders and Deirdre quickly came over to help. "I just... I didn't think anyone could beat Lex with weapons. He's got Nal blood!"

"Even the strongest shields can be chipped away, Shannan," Deirdre whispered, holding his hands to make sure he was steady. Even then, she kept an eye on the arena. "Lex did last the longest against that man. I'm certain he's mildly frustrated at worst."

"Maybe..." He frowned a little more before shrugging. "Well, I guess it makes it easier to choose who to cheer for during the final match."

"Oh, are we already at the finals?" I asked, looking to the field. I wasn't surprised to see the same blonde-haired swordsman who had defeated Naoise walking off. "I see our mysterious swordsman is one of them. Who is the other?"

"Lady Ayra," Lord Oifeye answered, hopping onto his feet. At first, I worried he was about to run errands again, but this time, he only stretched. "She defeated Alec in the last match, after beating Finn."

"Ah." Right, Finn had also been participating. Dew had stayed out of it, and remained in the castle to practice his reading and writing.

"Finn did well to last as long as he did," Sigurd noted with a laugh, standing to stretch as well. He kept one eye on the swordsman until he left the field. "I can't wait to tell Quan. He'll be ridiculously proud."

"No, no, he'll be properly proud," Deirdre 'corrected', laughing softly. Though Shannan was balanced again, she still held his hands. "Finn will only think it is 'ridiculous'."

"Fair, fair. He and Oifeye are the same in that regard."

"Lord Sigurd!" Oifeye immediately yelped, flushing from embarrassment. His reaction sparked laughter from both Sigurd and Deirdre. "That is... I mean..." Though it was terrible of me, I couldn't help but muffle my own laugh at how flustered he was. "D-does anyone need anything before the final match?"

No one did, of course, so instead, everyone settled in and waited for the fighting to resume. I didn't pay attention once the match started. I focused on my studying, as I had during the previous. The only times I looked up were to support Shannan when he nearly fell off the arm of my chair, fixated as he was on the fight. So, it came as a surprise when the general air of excitement suddenly burst with gasps and shouts of shock. I looked up, wondering what was wrong, and saw red. Blood. There was blood. The blonde swordsman... he was bleeding, yet he still kept fighting. He and Ayra continued their long, brutal slog of a fight, a steady trail of blood marking their path.

"Aunt Ayra accidentally used Astra," Shannan breathed, watching the continued fight with bated breath. He barely looked away even when all four of us frowned at him in confusion. "That's what we call it, the power of stars Hnoss received from Zorza of the Skies. I'm... I'm still learning, but its power allows us to strike as fast as a shooting star, five attacks in the space of one swing. But because of the speed, it'll draw blood even with blunted weapons." Well, that answered one of the many questions I had.

"You say 'accidentally', Shannan, but you really mean 'instinctually', don't you?" Sigurd asked, pushing himself up. He then walked over to stand behind me and rested his hands on my shoulders. 'Wait'. He wanted me to wait. "Ayra told me a little about it, mostly explaining how she knew she wasn't at full strength yet. She said the ability required a certain mindset and a great amount of skill."

"Yes, and Father always says we are to use it only against difficult foes. We should not use it on a whim, but only when we fear our lives or the lives of those we protect are at risk." So, did the swordsman go at Ayra with killing intent or was he simply skilled enough she instinctively feared for her life, even if logically she knew she was safe? "Weird that there's not as much blood as usual." There was a long beat of silence. "It's... it's five strikes, and Aunt Ayra is skilled. There's usually more blood."

"Mmm... yes, I think I see your meaning," Lord Oifeye murmured, walking over to the railing to better see the fight. It was still going. "They're moving fast, so it's a little difficult to tell, but based on the blood trail, there's only two sources. He only has two bleeding injuries." So, did only two of those 'super-fast' five strikes hit or did he have hidden injuries? "With all that said, my lord..."

"I already signaled Arden," Sigurd answered, squeezing my shoulders reassuringly before reaching down to take my book from me. It was only then I realized how tense I was. "We'll hear it soon. My dear, can you fetch Alicia a staff?"

Deirdre did, in fact, find a staff for me. I didn't know where or how, but she did. So, when Sir Arden declared the final match a tie, I was able to leave immediately, not bothering to linger as the crowd roared in approval, and Sigurd gave some sort of closing speech. Instead, I walked briskly through the halls, staff in hand. No one stopped me; the few wandering the halls even pointed me to the right path. They knew, after all, why I would be here and not in the castle. So, it thankfully did not take me long at all to find the 'waiting area' for the combatants, where they could rest yet still watch the field. It also did not take me long to find the bleeding swordsman. I did wish I didn't find him in the middle of an argument with Ayra, though.

"How did you dodge?" she snapped, face like a thundercloud. It added a force to her words, despite how out of breath she was. "How?"

"The same way I dodge any other attack, obviously," the swordsman replied drolly, his expression locked in irritable stoicism. Ayra noticeably bristled. "However, I believe there's something else to be said about using such an attack during a 'no-death-blows' tournament."

"I... er..." Ayra looked away in shame. "I... I apologize. You're right; it shouldn't have been used. It was not long ago I had to fight for my life regularly and my instincts ran away from me."

"Yes, it can be hard to fight against it when you've no practice at it." The swordsman shrugged, bringing up an arm to examine his still bleeding injury. The other was along his collarbone. "So, it's no surprise it happened to you." Ayra immediately scowled once more, and all I could think was how this man was as skilled with playing her moods as he was with a blade. "Are we blocking your way, miss?" He glanced down the hall then, right at me. How long had he'd known I was here?

"What are you... Alicia?!" Ayra yelped, startled by my appearance. "What are you... oh, wait, of course, you're here to treat him. I saw you up on the balcony."

"Treat?"

"This is Alicia, our healer." She sighed gustily, shaking her head. "Ugh, my head must be a mess if that wasn't the first thing I thought of. I should be more surprised you weren't here to meet us."

"Sigurd had me wait until the match was called, so Deirdre had time to grab a staff for me," I explained, cautiously stepping closer. The swordsman's expression did not change, yet there was something much more piercing to his gaze now. I couldn't describe how, but I was certain of it. In fact, the only description I had was a phrase from the story Deirdre liked so much: 'I felt like prey before a predator, one deciding if I was worth the time to hunt.' "Might I see your arm, sir?" Still, no matter how I felt, this was no reason to withhold care. He was injured, so I would treat him. It was as simple as that.

The swordsman stared through me a second longer before inclining his head. "It's Chulainn, and there's no title with it," he replied, obediently holding out his arm. I immediately went to work, noticing it was a shallow, if messy, cut. "You're the one who was reading through the matches."

"I did not realize I stood out so much."

"Who else has bright red hair in this crowd?" He... had a point.

"Alicia, you were reading? Really?" Ayra asked dryly then, not actually surprised despite the words. She sighed heavily when I only smiled at her. "Of course you did. Bet it was a medicinal text as well." There was... nothing to say to that, so I healed Chulainn's arm and moved to inspect the injury on his collarbone. "What am I to do with you?"

"Seems you're rather close to this group," Chulainn commented, his attention back on Ayra. Yet even then, I had a feeling he was keeping an eye on me. "Explains the fierceness behind your strikes. You're fighting for more than glory."

"I... well, yes?" Ayra grimaced a little, since she didn't have the words she wanted. "I joined the tournament to see how well my condition has improved. From there, I can tailor my training to shore up my weaknesses and boost my strengths. I... I wish to fight for Sigurd with all I am."

"I see." A very, very slight smile appeared on his face. I might not have noticed it if I were not standing right next to him. "Perhaps I should meet with him and see just how grand he must be, to win the loyalty of an Isaachian."

"I can't tell if you're mocking me or not." She scowled, but shrugged. "I'll introduce you. You can decide from there." Chulainn only nodded. "Regardless, Alicia, please tell me you did not come down here without an escort." I actually paused in my healing to give her an incredulous look, and she scowled. "What? You have the worst of luck when it comes to trouble."

"Ayra, who would attack me here?" I asked, even as I went back to healing Chulainn. The one on his collarbone was just as shallow as the one on his arm, but its placement made the healing a little trickier. "You worry too much."

"I think I worry enough," Ayra grumbled, crossing her arms. I could only shake my head. "All right, so Chulainn, I'll need to escort her first, and then I'll take you to Sigurd."

"Ayra, I will be fine returning to the castle myself."

"You keep tempting fate, and refuse to learn how to defend yourself. So, no, I'm escorting you."

"Ayra!"

Despite my continued protests, Ayra refused to yield. Chulainn watched... no, he studied us both impassively and did not say one word, even when Ayra finally won the argument and walked with me back to the castle. Later, I learned Sigurd hired him on the spot after a short conversation. No one was surprised, and quite a few even welcomed the new addition to our little group. I hoped he'd get along with everyone; I knew how strange they could seem to those unused to their friendliness, after all.

Some things never changed. Even though the army had officially dissolved, Sigurd and I continued to meet in the mornings. Now, though, the meetings were informal, sharing stories and information so we could keep everything running smoothly in Evans. Everyone knew we kept the habit, so it also served as the perfect opportunity to tell Sigurd about Dietrich's request.

"We heard a little about the warehouse scandal down here thanks to gossip, but this..." Sigurd hissed, his hand shaking as he gripped the letter. For convenience, I had asked him to read Dietrich's letter. "Of course, these dastards used our port."

"You know; I think I agree with Quan. You can use stronger language for those you dislike," I replied, purposely keeping my tone light as I handed him some tea. His slight smile, and noticeable relaxation, told me it had the intended effect. "Why hold back?"

"I'm building good habits." He sighed and made a face. Then he let the letter drop on his desk so he could lean back in his chair and drink his tea. "More seriously, there is no word strong enough for my feelings, so I might as well have a little fun with it. This time, at least." Yes, last time... well, he never admitted it to me, but I still thought he'd pushed down his anger at Prince Munnir to also push down his fears for Lady Edain's safety. "Regardless, if he wishes for information, I will gladly lend all my aid."

"You cannot go to the port yourself."

"I... oh, fine." He sulked for all of a second before chuckling. "Even if I think of a reasonable excuse, my presence and reputation might cause them to bolt, won't they?"

"Unfortunately, I think so."

"I cannot deny being tempted, but if you say to hold back, I shall." He set down his mug and scribbled something down. "I'll task Alec with it. He's been complaining about having too little to do."

"I'll let Dietrich know then." I muffled a laugh. "Still, has he truly been complaining? From what I hear, Sir Alec is very busy charming all the ladies in town."

"No, that's not work for him. It's just fun and completely natural." Sigurd did his best to say it all with the most serious of tones, but laughter broke through by the end. "More seriously, I need to throw work at him before I get angry fathers demanding I force a marriage on him."

"The way you say it makes me wonder if you've already had to deal with something similar."

"Thankfully, it was a case of a lookalike, and I knew because on the day of the supposed encounter, Alec was helping me. It was still a very interesting day, and his brother swears to lecture him if he ever does end up married because of his habits." He might have continued, but someone knocked on the door then, and both of us stiffened. Very few would interrupt these morning meetings. "Yes?" Sigurd quickly flipped his note over to hide the words. "Who is it?"

"Sorry to bother..." Ayra carefully opened the door to peek inside. "This isn't important, so I can come back later if I'm interrupting," she continued, looking between Sigurd and me. "I know you two still discuss things in the morning. I thought you'd be done by now."

"No, at the moment, Sigurd was telling me how Alec is going to fall into serious trouble if his flirtations don't stop soon," I answered, careful to speak only the truth. Sigurd helpfully groaned at the 'reminder', and Ayra rolled her eyes, hinting she knew well what I was talking about. "Do I need to step away?"

"No, like I said, it's not important. It's only something I wanted to say before I forgot." She walked in then, closing the door behind her. "It's about Chulainn."

"Chulainn?" Sigurd repeated, sitting back in his chair once more to drink his tea. I pointed to the pot to silently ask Ayra if she wanted a cup herself, but she shook her head. "Has there been a problem?"

"Not at all, and this isn't anything bad either," she explained, fussing with the hair by her face. She wore a slight frown, but it seemed more thoughtful than annoyed. "He has death's eyes." ...Sigurd and I could only stare blankly at her in return. "Which apparently is not a phrase Grannvale has. All right, how to explain...?" She fell silent, winding a lock around her finger. "It's... people with death's eyes are... neutral to it. They do not revel in killing, but neither do they fear or detest it. They kill without thought not because it is something they enjoy, but because it's another task. Another duty. At worst, they will view it as a particularly burdensome chore. At best, they don't think about it any more than they do breathing."

"So, for them, killing is about efficiency more than anything? They will kill without flinching, but do not go out of their way to kill either?"

"Yes. Morena of Death may be the kindest of the fairies, but she is also the most dutiful. This is why death is inevitable, because she never shirks. She always performs her task, with neither mercy nor fervor, because death is a natural part of the world. It is what gives life its meaning, from joys to sorrows." While all of this was very true, as a healer, I felt an instinctual urge to protest somehow. "So, those with her eyes view death the same. A duty. A necessity. Nothing more and nothing less."

"So, any regrets with killing would be related more to orders and effort, not emotions." He paused to drink his tea, thinking. "How would such people be as a guard?" Hmm?

"In my experience? Perfect. The captain of our royal guard, Bran, has them. He's one of those who was born with them, instead of gaining it as he grew older after... well, most who gain them do so only after trauma." Ayra glanced at me then, with a little smile. "He'd be an excellent guard for Alicia." ...In retrospect, I should've guessed this was why Sigurd asked a whole lot sooner. This must be how he got Deirdre to agree about hiring him during the matches themselves. "Especially since she would probably try to heal the person trying to kill her." I couldn't decide if I should be offended or not, but I was leaning towards 'yes'. Yes, I did try to heal a supposed assassin back in Velthomer, but they didn't know that. I think. "The only reason I'm bringing it up, Sigurd, is because you lean towards mercy. Most of us, especially your knights, are aware of this and accommodate, but he will always choose what is most efficient for his given orders. You'll have to tell him directly if you're planning to, say, capture instead of kill. That's all." She paused, frowning at me suddenly. "Though, even with a guard, I still think you should learn some form of self-defense, Alicia."

"You can have fun; I gave up on the argument." He didn't exactly try very hard. Then again, he'd listened when I explained why I refused and didn't press. "I think she's the most stubborn person in the army."

"I'm right here," I 'reminded' both of them, partly out of irritation and partly to prevent them from continuing on the topic. I did not want to fight; I did not want to learn. I would not hurt another person. I would not be like my father. "Regardless, how long have you been planning to make Chulainn my guard?"

"Since we saw him beat Naoise," Sigurd admitted easily. I was right; this was why Deirdre had suddenly smiled then. "I have been looking for a dedicated guard for you already. I actually got a letter from Ring all but demanding it." Maybe they did know about the assassin then. "The problem is everyone has their own duties. Only Lex and Ayra would potentially have the freedom to guard you. Yet for all his defensive capabilities, Lex is a front-line fighter first and foremost. His fighting style relies on his Nal blood to allow for otherwise reckless attacks, a tactic not conductive towards protecting someone. As for Ayra..."

"I normally wouldn't mind, and certainly insist on being the backup if Chulainn has to step away, but I'll also be the first to admit that I am not one to stand back when there's a fight," Ayra answered for herself, her smile both wry and sheepish. Still, there was no shame in it. "I may not be mounted, but I will still rush into the fray. All the more so because Lex is a reckless idiot, and Sigurd is almost as bad."

"I am not!"

"Sigurd, you invaded a country to save a childhood friend."

"And hostages!"

"While severely outnumbered."

"I... well..." Sigurd had no retort to that, so he decided to keep silent and sip his tea. I couldn't help but muffle a laugh. "Regardless, neither are suited. So, I decided it was best to hire one specifically for the task." He smiled then. "And now I can write back Ring and Prince Kurth I have found one."

"...Prince Kurth also wrote to you about it?" I asked softly, my mood dropping like a stone. I wasn't certain if I was grateful or frustrated both Ayra and Sigurd frowned worriedly at me, instantly recognizing my drooping mood. "I must admit; I'm a little surprised."

"He didn't demand it like Ring, but he did slip it in alongside his relief we were not too worse for wear given the battles here," Sigurd explained gently. He set down his mug and stood so he could rest a hand on my back. I could tell he was kicking himself for letting this slip. "Even then, it was more him asking if I was."

"I see."

"Is it... a good thing or bad thing he asked?" Ayra asked, her own tone soft. It was even hesitant. "You don't have to explain if you don't want to, of course but..."

"I fear I don't have an answer, Ayra" I admitted, looking down. It was hard to admit it, but with Sigurd near, it was easier. Everything was easier when he was around. "He's the one who hid me in Yngvi, to keep me safe, but..."

"You both love and hate him, don't you?" I... that was certainly a way to summarize it. It might even be the truth. For now, it remained a tangled knot in my heart. "So, your heart is torn. No matter what logic says, it doesn't take away your pain. Yet the logic still insists." She said it so easily, and I had to wonder if it reflected her own feelings for Grannvale. "Is that close?"

"It's closer than what my head has been saying. I've settled on 'awkward'." I made myself look up so I could smile at her; her answering one was soft with understanding. "I suppose it does make sense he asked about it. My safety has always been a priority for him."

"Then, for right now, how about you take it as that and think no more about it?" Sigurd suggested kindly. After a moment of thought, I nodded. I still needed to reply to Prince Kurth's letter, though. This only reminded me I kept putting it off. "As it stands, I should probably tell Chulainn about his job now that he's settled in. Want to come along?"

I decided to do so, since I would be his charge, and Ayra tagged along since she had nothing else to do. It took us a minute to actually find Chulainn, since he was people-watching on the ramparts, but once we found him, it didn't take long for Sigurd to explain. He accepted without any protests, his stoicism not relenting in the slightest, and he more or less slipped into the job immediately, following me back to my workshop.

"I'm told Sir Arden gave you a tour of the castle already, but this is my workshop," I explained, gesturing at the room as we stepped inside. Someone, likely Dew, had set up all my medicine making supplies already, so I could work as soon as I got back. "I usually spend most of my time here, so I apologize if you get bored." How was one supposed to act around a guard anyway?

"It's fine; guard work is usually boring," Chulainn answered, perfectly blunt and no-nonsense. He barely even paid attention to the answer, busy as he was studying every speck of the room. Eventually, his eyes turned to the door in the back corner. "That is...?"

"It's the storage. Since some of my medicines and herbs are quite dangerous if misused, I limit how many can access them." I opened it to show him, and he actually walked inside to look around. "Is guard work truly boring?"

"Yes, and you hope that it is. Excitement usually means something went wrong."

"Oh, so it's like being a healer then." I remembered a conversation I had with Lord Oifeye, back in the abandoned church we used before arriving in Evans. "If things are quiet, then in theory, everything is well. No one is injured to the point they need your immediate aid."

"When you put it that way, I suppose you're right." He turned back to me, shrugging. "Besides, I doubt this will be the most boring guard job I had. From what Ayra said, you fall into trouble a lot." Ayra, just how many people did you complain to? "And I had to guard a wooden display a few times."

"You..." Though part of me was still annoyed at Ayra, I had to say the statement fully distracted me from protesting. "Why would you need to guard that? Vandalism?"

"Arson, actually. But otherwise, yes." He shrugged off my skeptical look. "It was a small town in Silesse, and the display was built yearly as part of their Year's End festivities. Originally, it was a simple thing, but somehow or another, it turned into a strange competition where the town leaders would do everything they could to protect the display until the end of the holiday, while the populace did everything they could to destroy the thing at least once." Why in the world would anyone do that? "Fire was most common, but I think someone drove a cart into it one year." I had to admit if anyone else had told me this, I doubted I would believe them. But like Lex, Chulainn gave off an air of honesty, so I felt I had no choice, despite how ridiculous it was.

"Well, no one has set this castle on fire yet. Marpha was the one set aflame."

He didn't reply, so I didn't try to keep up the conversation. Instead, I tried to work, but it was... it wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't comfortable either, having him stand around while I made medicines. Usually, when someone else was here, they were asking me questions or telling me about their day. Chulainn, however, was perfectly silent and still, choosing to lean against the wall, and now, I was no longer used to such silence. I was used to the chatter, loved it even. Yet, at the same time, I knew nothing about him. How could I start a conversation? What sort of topic would he like to discuss? If he was interested in the medicines, he would've already asked. Should I ask more about the display he mentioned? Would it be rude? I didn't know, but the silence was slowly driving me mad. It was amazing how a few short months could change so much of my life, but right now, it was a hindrance. I was focused more on the lack of sound than I was on my medicines, and that was unacceptable.

Around the time I was about to blurt the first thing on my mind, Chulainn suddenly moved to the door. "What is it?" I asked, surprised. Was someone running here? Did something happen?

"There's a group approaching, but there's no haste to their steps," he answered, peering around the frame. After a moment, he shrugged, apparently reassured there was no threat. "Ah, it's the four young ones."

"Oh?" Curious despite myself, I stood up to peek out too. Just as he said, our youngest four were clustered a short distance away, talking quietly. "Now what brings them near? They don't have a lesson today, and if they were injured, they would've come straight in."

"Does that happen often?"

"Injuries? No, they are thankfully few since the fighting ended. But I do ask everyone to come straight to me if they are injured, since it is better to treat things sooner rather than later."

"I see." He nodded to the four then. "They're discussing you. Sort of."

"Hmm?" Confused by his statement, I waited for him to say more. When he didn't, I had to settle for straining my ears to satisfy my curiosity. Thankfully, the four of them spoke just loudly enough for me to hear.

"I want to confirm," Shannan was saying, looking very cross about something. Based on how Finn, Dew, and Lord Oifeye clustered around him, it seemed this impromptu meeting was his doing. "Chulainn is her guard now, right?" He already knew? Did Ayra tell him? "I want to see."

"Shannan, it's weird you're so hung up on this," Dew replied with a little exasperated sigh. Unlike Finn and Lord Oifeye, who were curious, he looked annoyed. I wondered if he'd been in the middle of a prank before being dragged here. "You got a crush or something on Alicia?"

"Don't be weird." Now he was definitely in a foul mood. "Alicia's like a mother." That one sentence, though, made me freeze. A mother? Me? That... that was ridiculous. I would pity any child with a mother like me. I... I would be the absolute worst!

"A mother? Alicia?" Finn repeated, noticeably surprised. I was glad someone recognized the sheer absurdity of- "I can see it, but I think 'sister' fits more."

"Maybe?" Shannan admitted, now more thoughtful than cross. "She reminds me of my vague memories of Mother, so I still think it's more 'mother'."

"Perhaps a motherly sister?" Dew suggested, smashing the two ideas together. Lord Oifeye, surprisingly, remained silent throughout the conversation. He even looked uncomfortable. "It would fit her age relative to us anyway." There was a long pause then. "Wait, how did we get on this topic?"

"You made things weird," Shannan answered with perfect honesty. He grinned to show no hard feelings, and Dew rolled his eyes. Finn bit back a laugh, and Lord Oifeye smiled awkwardly. "But anyway, I want to see if he's helping and if Alicia's all right with all of it. I know he's skilled in battle and all, but she's sure to feel weird if he stands around and doesn't talk. Like how she tries not to fidget when someone tells her she can't work and she doesn't know what to do."

"While that is a fair point, standing guard is an important duty," Lord Oifeye pointed out, speaking up at last. "I know from Arden it means being vigilant even when you really want to fall asleep, among other things. It also means concentrating more on what is going on outside your immediate vicinity, instead of what's in front of you. If he helped with things like medicine or sewing or inventory, he could potentially miss a threat to Lady Alicia."

"Mmm... I guess that's true..." Shannan reached over to poke Lord Oifeye's side. "Also, why do you still use a title with her? The rest of us don't." Yes, Dew had successfully negotiated the dropping of titles not long after I returned from Velthomer.

"B-because it's proper! She outranks me!"

"And?"

"A-and…"

"It is also a demonstration of respect, Shannan," Finn explained, saving the quickly-becoming-flustered Lord Oifeye. Lord Oifeye shot him a grateful look. "He does the same for Lord Sigurd and Lady Ethlyn, despite growing up with them."

"Respect makes more sense to me than manners," Dew helpfully added, clasping his hands behind his head in a very relaxed pose. He even grinned, with none of his original annoyance in sight. "Then again, manners don't make any sense to me. Feels like outside of basics, it's there to make talking to people harder."

"Imagine trying to learn etiquette for different kingdoms. The Munster District is made up of four allied kingdoms and each has their own."

"Blech!"

At this point, I finally unfroze from the 'mother' comment and decided to call out, "boys?" All four yelped and whirled to see Chulainn and I in the doorway. None of them had noticed a thing. "Is everything all right?" I continued, pretending I hadn't been terrible and eavesdropped on them. "None of you are hurt, are you?"

"No, we're fine, Alicia," Finn answered, recovering first. He even smiled in an attempt to distract how the others were still flustered. "Ah, but is there anything we can help with? Our lessons ended early, you see. Lord Sigurd assigned a task to Alec." Sigurd wasn't wasting any time, it seems.

"There's always things I need help with." I smiled and waved them inside. "I'll set up some tea while we work."

The best way to pretend I didn't hear anything they said was to go about everything as usual. I was just glad the four were all eager to chatter as we worked. It truly made everything better.

A week after Chulainn became my guard, Ethlyn, Deirdre and I went to a tea party. Chulainn was forced to tag along, despite my initial arguments. I feared he'd be bored, but Sigurd pointed out a guard needed to be near his charge to do his job. Chulainn himself didn't say anything for or against it. He'd simply gone with it.

"Oh, welcome, welcome!" This was how the four of us ended up at the home of Count Hallr and his wife, and our hostess, Countess Saldis. "It is so very good to see you again, Lady Ethlyn," she greeted, her tone as warm as it was sincere. Remembering what Deirdre had mentioned, I tried to make an effort to note her appearance. She was a little older than us, mid-twenties perhaps, with brown hair and gray eyes. She was dressed in an elegant, yet simple gown, highlighting how informal this affair was. "And Lady Alicia, you look as lovely as you did at the Festival of Flowers." She turned her warm smile my way, and I made an effort to smile back. I still wasn't comfortable with this, but I had to admit it was already better than the ball. "Goodness, what a pretty shawl."

"Thank you, Countess," I murmured, clutching it a little. I hadn't planned on it, but while we were getting ready, I found myself reaching for the shawl Prince Kurth had given me, so I had chosen to wear it. It was warm and strangely comforting, even if it was a reminder I still needed to reply. "Ah, but before I forget..." I gestured to Deirdre, who did her best to smile despite her visible nerves. "This is Deirdre. I believe I told you she would attend with Lady Ethlyn and me."

"So, this is Lord Sigurd's fiance?" Her gaze sharpened, and I stiffened automatically, ready to protect Deirdre if need be. Yet, before long, she relaxed back into the bright and warm smile. "My, my! I knew you had to be a beauty, Lady Deirdre, to catch Lord Sigurd's eye, but you are beyond any chance of expectation!"

"I... um... thank you, Countess Saldis," Deirdre murmured, bowing her head. Lady Ethlyn had spent the hours before the tea party helping her get ready, and I had to say, Deirdre's looks were even more striking than usual because of it. "I... must apologize in advance, as I have not attended a proper tea party before."

"Oh? I'm your first?" Countess Saldis asked, as if she didn't already know. The whole reason I agreed to this was so Deirdre's first outing would not be nearly as stressful as my own. "Hee~! Aren't I lucky? I'm certainly honored." At least her smile remained sincere. "Now, may I ask who the gentleman here is?"

"Chulainn is Alicia's guard because she gets into as much trouble as Sigurd."

"I do not," I protested immediately, frowning. Deirdre grinned, delighted by my reaction, while Lady Ethlyn did not even bother to hide her own laughter. Chulainn, meanwhile, remained as stoic and quiet as ever. "You exaggerate, Deirdre."

"Well, we can at least say you do not usually run into trouble as my brother does," Lady Ethlyn teased, her smile impishly delighted. I already had a terrible feeling of what she was going to say next. "Excluding the fire, of course." I... no one was ever going to let me forget that, were they? "But yes, since she's almost as good at finding trouble, Sigurd hired a guard. And, knowing her terrible luck, if we didn't have him around, we definitely would find some sort of trouble."

"What trouble would that be? We're two hours away at most."

"Bandits, freak storms... a lot can happen in two hours!"

On that very lovely note, Countess Saldis herded us to her gardens in the back where she had a table set up for the tea party. Chulainn ducked away as soon as we entered, to 'not disturb us', and I didn't see where he went before I was gently nudged into a chair, next to Deirdre and across from Lady Ethlyn. The tea party itself was nice, though nowhere near as fun as the 'improper' one we had with Lady Edain previously. But the tea was comforting, the pastries were delicious, and Countess Saldis was always kind and encouraging, picking topics with care so the conversation would always remain light. At one point during a lull, I decided to fix a plate for Chulainn since I still felt guilty about dragging him with us. Thankfully, no one minded, with Countess Saldis even helping me, and I left to hunt for wherever Chulainn ended up hiding. To my surprise, he wasn't conveniently close. I had to wander the gardens for quite a while, much longer than I'd planned, before I found him, and I only did because of a very strange sight which caught my eye first.

Namely, there were cats. There were many cats. There were many cats crawling all over Chulainn where he sat in a far corner in the gardens, hidden by shrubbery and flowers, and he did not seem to mind their company in the slightest. In fact, he encouraged it, gently petting each of them with a slight smile. I thought he might have even chuckled at their playful little meows, but I may have misheard since I was much more focused on trying to figure out what all these cats were doing here.

"Do you need something, Alicia?" Chulainn suddenly asked, not even looking at me. He was much too busy scratching a blissful cat under the chin. "You've been standing there for a while."

"I'm sorry; the cats startled me," I replied, cautiously moving closer. A couple of the cats looked at me curiously, but otherwise ignored me for Chulainn. "How…?"

"Some are mousers; others are pets. Still others are curious strays." He moved his head slightly, letting another cat hop onto his shoulder. With that one, my final count ended up being eight. Two were calicos, two were pure black, three had gray and white markings, and the one on Chulainn's shoulder was a brown tabby with a black collar. "What made you leave? I saw you stand up, but didn't see anything amiss."

"You saw…?" By now, I managed to make it to his side, and saw he'd been clever with his hiding place. No one could see him, but he had a perfect view of the garden table where the party was held. Right now, I could see Deirdre and Lady Ethlyn laughing at something Countess Saldis had said. "Ah, no, there's nothing amiss. I simply…" Belatedly remembering the plate I was still holding, I held it out to him. "I thought you might be hungry."

"..." Chulainn stared at me for a long moment, studying me as he always did, before taking the plate from me. He didn't try to eat, but he did shoo the cats away from it. "I figured I would eat when we returned."

"I don't see why you should wait." Did I do something wrong? I must have, but I wasn't certain how to fix or apologize. I could only think to change the subject. "So, why are the cats here?"

"I thought I answered that."

"You answered where they came from. You did not explain why they're curled up against you."

"Oh, they just want some attention." He reached up to scratch the shoulder-cat behind the ears, and they purred loudly. "I like animals, so I don't mind."

"You do?"

"Yes." Something dark crossed his eyes then. "They're honest in a way humans never can be." The words were unexpectedly heavy, and I could not respond. The slight surprise on his face hinted he hadn't meant to say it aloud, which only made the silence heavier. "I think Lady Deirdre is about to go look for you." The sudden change in subject confirmed it. No, he had not meant to say it, and he absolutely would not elaborate.

"Is she?" So, I stepped back, to give him space. "Then I had best return." Still, I wanted to clear the air between us, somehow, but what was I supposed to say? "...Try not to drown in cat hair?"

"They don't shed that much." The words were simple, but they were light and came with a slight smile. I would take it as a small victory.

I smiled back and left then, glancing back only once. I saw him nibbling on the food, and felt some of my earlier embarrassment fade. Perhaps I had surprised him? I'd... I'd think about asking him another day. For now, I had to find my way back to the table, and try not to make a ruckus upon my return. It was harder than it sounded. I had not paid attention to where I was going when I first found him, and thus, it took me even longer to return. I was grateful I was greeted with smiles, not frowns, when I finally made it back.

"You took a while, Lady Alicia," Countess Saldis gently teased, and chided, as I slid back into my chair. I could only smile apologetically in return. "Did you get lost?"

"I fear I was distracted by Chulainn's many admirers," I answered, mostly to avoid somehow explaining Chulainn hid himself very well. Somehow, I doubt she'd appreciate hearing it. "The local cats seem to like him."

"Oh?" She laughed at the thought, and both Deirdre and Lady Ethlyn giggled too. In their case, it was probably the mental image of stoic Chulainn surrounded by adorable kittens. "Was a tabby among them, by chance?"

"Yes, there was one on his shoulder, brown with a black collar."

"Really?" She was noticeably surprised. "I'd meant that as a joke, truthfully. The only tabby near is little Chestnut, my husband's cat. And he only likes my husband and daughter. Hisses at me and all the other servants." Truly? The cat had seemed perfectly affectionate with Chulainn. "I should ask for tips."

"You wish to ask my guard how to woo a cat?"

"Not a cat, that cat. It is so infuriating seeing him be all sweet and loving to them, only for him to growl and run whenever I get close." She scowled, and I decided against asking why it would be infuriating. "Not to mention how smug he gets when he steals my husband." Deirdre and I exchanged a confused look, not understanding any of this. Meanwhile, Lady Ethlyn groaned and nodded in agreement. "I thought you might understand, Lady Ethlyn. Men can become so easily distracted."

"I... have a feeling they're going to continue this topic for a while," Deirdre observed softly, sipping her tea. I nodded in agreement, watching as Lady Ethlyn and Countess Saldis turned the conversation into somehow complaining and bragging about their husbands. "Um... so, while they do that, I realized something on the way over?" She smiled at me shyly. "I know you finished the story, but I haven't been able to ask your thoughts about it."

"Ah, I suppose so," I answered, thinking back. She was right; both of us had been very busy since my return. "I will admit it took me a few chapters to start appreciating it, but it was a fun read overall. I kept peeking at the end to see who lived and died."

"Alicia, that is no way to read a story!"

"I had to know immediately, though?"

"You have to read in order!"

Deirdre continued scolding me about my 'improper reading habits' even as she insisted on discussing plot points and characters, and I laughed and answered as best as I could. Eventually, Lady Ethlyn and Countess Saldis realized the two of us weren't paying attention, and the conversation drifted to other lighthearted matters. All in all, while I wasn't certain I'd attend another tea party, I could admit the afternoon was enjoyable. I hoped Deirdre thought the same.

"I must say; this job is much different than what I was expecting." Chulainn's very casual observation startled me. It was a few days after the tea party with Countess Saldis, and it was just the two of us in my workshop this morning. Usually, he remained perfectly silent the entire time, and I would do my best to remember how to work in the silence. So I definitely, definitely didn't expect him to start a conversation.

"What do you mean?" I asked in return, closing the room to the storage behind me. I'd gone inside to grab some herbs for headache remedies, but this was clearly more important. It wasn't, but my mind insisted anyway. "I thought you said you expected things to be boring."

"Not that." He actually had a slight smile on his face, for some reason. "According to around... let's say a fifth of the rumors, you're Sigurd's mistress."

"They say I am what." I could only shake my head, torn between shock and laughter, and head back to the table. "How ridiculous. Ignoring how Sigurd and I find the idea laughable, he is devoted to Deirdre."

"Indeed, which is probably why another fifth assumes you're Deirdre's mistress instead." Of all the absurd... "I suppose because she stays close to you even when the three of you are out."

"Gossip truly does enjoy attaching romantic reasons for innocuous events." She stayed close because it was easier for her to hide behind me. Her feelings for Sigurd were still very overwhelming, so hiding behind him wasn't always an option. "Dare I ask what the remaining three-fifths think?"

"They share you, obviously." He said the words so easily and bluntly I actually tripped over my own feet from the shock. Thankfully, he caught me before I fell or, worse, dropped the herbs. "So I expected more 'escort to lord's chambers' sort of nights, not you staying up past midnight working and me carrying you back to your room when you fell asleep."

"That was…" Oh, it was embarrassing to remember. It had been after we returned from Countess Saldis's home. I'd been determined to catch up on what work I had missed and... "I was tired from the party, so I overdid it a little. I don't usually-"

"You don't usually fall asleep at your table, but you do stay up late working."

"You don't have to stay up with me."

"How am I supposed to guard you if I'm asleep?" I suppose that was fair, yet I still felt guilty. "I can't rig a trap in your workshop like I do your room."

"No, you can't, but I... wait, what was that?" I set the herbs down at last and turned to face him. The worst part was how he remained perfectly stoic, as always. "You trap my room?"

"Just the door."

"You still trap it!" This was…! "What if I trigger it?"

"You have a habit of waking with the dawn." He shrugged. "So I wake before you to remove it."

"What if there's an emergency at night?"

"It's a simple trap, so it doesn't take long to remove. Not deadly or hurtful either. Just loud."

"You… are impossible." There had to be a much more eloquent way to reply, but this was all I had. He had the nerve to chuckle. "What brought this conversation on anyway?"

"Sigurd made a request earlier, and it reminded me of what I'd expected." He nodded to the room, for some reason. "I'm supposed to somehow ensure you do not spend all your waking hours in your workshop."

"He asked you to...?" I wanted to be skeptical. I did. Yet I also knew Sigurd very much would have said something like it, especially since he knew I was trying to break habits. "What am I to do with him?"

"I have no idea, but he's the employer." He shrugged. "His word outweighs yours."

"Of course it does." This was more than a little irritating, so I decided to be spiteful for once. "Fine, then. I'll set these up, and we shall go foraging."

"I think that qualifies as work." Still, he smiled a little in response, and I noticed it was different from his usual ones. It was more… boyish. Yes, that was the word. It was boyish. "But since it still fulfills the wording of the request, if not the spirit, I think it'll get a pass."

"I'm so glad you approve. Find me a basket, will you?"

"Back corner of the store room, top shelf?"

"Yes, thank you."

Chulainn grabbed my basket and I quickly made the headache remedies and set the jars in the window to steep. Then Chulainn and I left, posting word with today's gate guard: Sir Naoise. He led the way to the woods from there, mostly because I didn't remember the path. I hadn't foraged much since the fighting ended, since Sigurd was far too quick to buy whatever herbs I needed from the apothecaries. I couldn't even be mad about it, since it helped the local economy and I had surprisingly become used to having 'no budget' for healing supplies. But it was nice, to simply walk and forage as I used to.

"Oh my, there's so many different herbs out here," I observed as Chulainn and I hiked. It felt like I was stopping every other step to pick something, and I wished I'd brought two baskets instead of one. "I should take the boys out here for one of their lessons."

"You teach them frequently," Chulainn replied, reaching up to push a branch out of our way. He then held out a hand to help me over a cluster of roots, so I wouldn't trip. "Do you enjoy it?"

"I... do, actually." It was stressful, thinking of what to teach them each time, and yet, it was also so very fun. "It helps me refresh my own knowledge as well. Verdane is home to many herbs not native to Yngvi, after all."

"Hence your studying."

"What is medicine to one person is poison to another. As such, a healer has a responsibility to gain and maintain a wealth of knowledge for her patients." I smiled up at him, before noticing something much, much higher. "Oh, those fruits..." I had read about them. Their seeds were used in many local remedies. The books had said they grew in higher branches, but this seemed a little ridiculous. How did anyone manage to climb so high to pick them?

"How many do you need?"

"Huh?" I frowned at him in confusion, only to gape when he started climbing the tree with ease. It felt like I had blinked and suddenly he was halfway to the top. "Are you part cat? Is that why they liked you so much?"

"I've been dubbed a 'dog' more than a 'cat'."

"I don't think dogs climb trees?" Certainly I doubted they would climb so quickly. "You're better than Arvis, and he has to scale the side of Velthomer Castle when he locks himself out of his office."

"It's really not hard." He settled easily among the topmost branches, looking down at me. "So, how many?"

"Ah, can you pick me three? It's the seeds I want, and they're supposed to be filled with them."

"Three it is, then." He picked them easily and then somehow climbed down just as quickly despite only being able to use one hand. "Into the basket?"

"Yes?" I was still wrapping my head around what just happened. Chulainn, however, remained nonchalant and stoic. "Ah, thank you..." I had to at least say that. I couldn't let my disbelief override my manners. "Would you like me to show you how to use them?"

"No, from what I've seen, I'm much too clumsy to make medicines." He smiled faintly and shook his head, yet I could only frown skeptically. After all, he sometimes seemed more dexterous than Ayra, and she had Od blood! "I'm sure the boys would appreciate it, though."

"I hope so." I was quite proud of all of them. They were all progressing very well; Dew could even read a simple book by himself now. "I truly hope so."

We hiked in silence again from there, with me snagging every herb which looked interesting, and Chulainn keeping an eye on our surroundings. I think I ended up stealing his pockets for a few of the herbs, just because there were so many, but Chulainn didn't complain. He didn't complain about anything, and it was honestly worrying. Then there was the realization I didn't know what he did in his 'free time'. He guarded me during all my waking hours, but what else did he do? …Was this what everyone thought when they had to deal with me, before I realized I had a home, a true home, here? I was almost curious enough to ask, but how would you even word such a question?

"Ah, look at that," Chulainn suddenly murmured, his eyes fixed upward. Before I could ask what he meant, however, he was up in the trees once more. I swear; I only blinked and he was hiding in the leaves!

"What is it?" I asked, straining to find him through the branches. I might as well not bothered. As soon as I caught a glimpse, he was already back on the ground with something in his hand. "Is that a flower?" Wait, hold on, I recognized it. "Why, this is an ashrola!" They were used in a number of Verdane's local remedies, particularly ones for fever and headaches.

"Good, I did remember correctly." He handed it to me with a slight smile. "Last time I passed through Verdane, a local told me about them. They're hard to harvest because they only grow on the uppermost branches for a short period of time."

"Yes, so most have to make due with dried and unfortunately, it's less effective." As such, ashrola could be terribly expensive, despite its many uses. "I... were there more?"

"There were. I just wanted to confirm before I picked them." His slight smile grew. "I'll be right back."

There ended up being many more, far more than what I could use. So, after Chulainn picked all he could find, we left the woods to swing by the apothecary and share the bounty. The look of surprise on the owner's face was priceless, even if it took far too long to convince him I didn't need payment. I was just happy to share, and even happier Chulainn found them.

"Hey, teach me!" A few days after Chulainn and I went foraging, Shannan's sudden and earnest demand ended whatever peaceful morning I may have otherwise had. "Please?" he added belatedly, looking up at Chulainn with the most pleading eyes. "Please, please?"

"Why would you want to learn from me?" Chulainn asked, visibly startled for the first time in our acquaintance. Then again, when Shannan had burst into my workshop, he'd probably assumed Shannan would have rushed to tackle my legs as he usually did. I may be seated at the table to study, but that fact rarely stopped him from hugging me. "Ask your aunt."

"Aunt Ayra does teach me." Shannan reached up to tug Chulainn's sleeve. Part of me thought I should intervene, but honestly, I was much too busy enjoying the show to do so. I even stopped studying so I could twist in my chair and better watch. "But I want to learn from you too!"

"That makes... absolutely no sense."

"Why? I want to be stronger. Strong enough so Aunt Ayra never has to give up her morals to keep me safe again." Shannan frowned then, and my heart ached. "So, I need to learn more. You're strong."

"I..." Chulainn glanced at me then, and I didn't know if he was trying to ask for help or not. "Is he even healthy enough for normal lessons, much less extra?"

"Shannan has more or less fully recovered," I confirmed, leaning against the back of my chair and resting my arms on it. It was truly amazing how he had no lingering side effects. "Any hesitance I would have at him having extra lessons is personal, not as a healer."

"...Right, Holy Blood," Chulainn sighed, running a hand through his hair. It was amazing how much more emotive he was than usual. "The boost to recovery and stamina is ridiculous sometimes." He looked down at Shannan once more, who continued looking as adorably pleading as possible. Someone had gotten lessons from Dew. "You're aware I'm on duty, right? As her guard?"

"I'm only studying, so I can do so outside." I smiled innocently when he glanced at me again, this time certain he'd wanted help. But I was on Shannan's side, so it didn't matter. "It will also fulfill Sigurd's requirement." It turned out to be an actual thing, though Sigurd had been surprised Chulainn had managed it. I had pretended to be mad about it for an hour. "So, please, do not refuse on my account."

"You..." He grumbled something under his breath, before looking at Shannan once more. "I don't fight honorably, you know. I'm a mercenary, and one with death's eyes." He used the term easily. Was he Isaachian like Ayra, then? Did other countries know the phrase? "Anything goes if it gets the job done."

"That's fine," Shannan answered, dropping the adorable act for seriousness. "I still want to learn."

"...Oh, all right," Chulainn finally agreed reluctantly. Shannan immediately beamed, ecstatic over the 'victory'. "Let's head to the training yard then."

Shannan practically skipped the whole way outside, laughing in triumph. Chulainn and I followed at a more subdued pace, though I couldn't keep from smiling at the turn of events. In fact, I was even giggling by the time we made it to the yards and I sat down on the nearby bench to study and watch the lesson. One thing quickly became apparent once they started, though. For all his reluctance to teach, Chulainn was actually quite good at it. He was gentle yet firm, strict yet understanding. Whenever Shannan made a mistake, he made sure Shannan was aware of why it was a mistake. Of course, he remained blunt through it all, but that was neither here nor there.

"Ugh... why do my hands have to be here?" Shannan whined at some point during the lesson. I wasn't quite sure what Chulainn was showing him, but it involved a different grip than what he was used to. "They want to be in the other spot."

"And your belly wants sweets," Chualinn replied, helping him change his grip again. This was probably the third time it had happened, yet he remained as patient and gentle as ever. "But you don't gorge yourself on them, yes?"

"...Now I want some, though."

"That is for later, unless you're ready to end the lesson."

"No, I want to keep going!"

"All right, then." Chulainn's gaze focused on something behind them for a brief instance, and I wondered what caught his attention. "So…"

"Oh, Shannan, there you are." Those words announced Finn's arrival at the training yards, and he was visibly surprised by what he saw. "And... Chulainn?" he continued, frowning. The frown relaxed when he saw me sitting on the bench, reading. He must have been worried I had been left without a guard. "Are you giving lessons?" So, instead, Finn returned his attention back to Shannan and Chulainn. Shannan smiled happily; Chulainn was some cross between 'irritable' and 'stoic'. "I... you're usually guarding Alicia, so I didn't want to bother, but may I join? Please?"

"Aren't knights supposed to avoid mercenaries?" Chulainn sighed. Yes, he was irritable. I actually found this all amusing. "Leonster in particular disparages them, which doesn't help tensions with Thracia."

"If there is one thing I have learned in this army, it is that those of Leonster do not know everything, regardless of what they think." That... that was blunt. "For instance, many say Verdane is naught but a land of barbarians, but I have clearly seen otherwise. I think it reasonable, then, to question their other beliefs. Prince Quan encourages me to learn all I can, as he did when he first ventured past their borders." Finn ducked his head, perhaps realizing how bold the words were. "Besides, as you said, Leonster and Thracia are at constant war with each other. If I learn how to fight as a mercenary does, perhaps I can learn how to protect myself against their tricks."

"While I would be the first to point out different mercenaries have different styles and tricks, I can't exactly fault the logic. In my experience, knowing how to do something is precisely how you learn how to counter." Chulainn grimaced, but waved Finn over. "Grab a lance then. I suppose I can show you a few tricks to fighting Thracians as well."

"You've fought them?"

"I'm a mercenary. I've fought everyone."

Finn eagerly fetched a practice lance to join in, and Chulainn's lesson quickly adapted to account for both. Watching him, I decided again he was a good teacher, to tailor his lessons so quickly and keep track of the differences between Shannan and Finn. For their part, the boys were completely focused, determined to make the most of this, and I thought Chulainn's reluctance even softened in the wake of their enthusiasm.

"Oh, so this is where you are." Shortly after Finn and Shannan had to take their first break, Lex appeared next to me, as quiet as can be. I remembered him telling me he usually took morning walks around the castle, so he must have seen us as he passed. "Shannan was talking about how he wanted Chulainn to teach him," he murmured, watching the boys laugh and drink water before settling back into their lesson. "Not surprised he finally asked."

"How long has he wanted to learn?" I asked, gesturing for Lex to join me on the bench. I even scooted over to make room. "Has it been a while?"

"Since he was made your guard, actually. But all of us underestimated how seriously Chulainn would take the job." Lex plopped down beside me with a laugh. Chulainn glanced over, no doubt wondering just who was near me, but seeing it was Lex, he focused once more on Shannan and Finn. "Alec and Naoise have asked him multiple times if he wanted to go drinking, but he refuses on account of you still being awake and working."

"I'm beginning to wonder if Sigurd gave me a guard not because of the presumed trouble I fall into-"

"Presumed? Alicia, you were held hostage twice, ran into a raging inferno, got lost in the Spirit Forest..."

"But because he knew I would feel guilty about making Chulainn stand around on guard all the time and, thus, would work less so he had time to relax." Was it childish to simply continue as if he hadn't spoken? Perhaps. But I felt like it, and Lex laughed it off. "Finn mentioned not wanting to bother since he was always busy as well."

"We'll somehow turn you into the champion of slackers instead of workaholics." He grinned and I shook my head. The very idea was ridiculous. "You know; I was thinking this earlier, but it's incredible Shannan's recovered so well." He turned his gaze back to the yard, watching the lesson. "I remember how thin and weak he was only a few months ago. Now look at him. You'd never know he'd been so ill before." Yes, you wouldn't. I was glad to see it. "Holy Blood really does make monsters of us all."

"...Pardon?" That was... not a typical thing you heard about those with Holy Blood.

"What? It's true. Each of us is some level of not-human. Using my fine self as an example... what human can block a blade with their bare hand and not suffer a crippling injury?" He smiled sardonically, and I had no reply. After all, it was true. Only those of Nal's blood were capable of performing such a feat. "What human has the ability to raze half a country in a suicidal assault?" I wouldn't go so far as to say the Final Strike of those with Fjalar's blood was that destructive, but I could see his point nonetheless. "And Hodr's blood, with all their strength? Even their minors have to be careful not to break people's bones on accident."

"It is still not something most would say."

"Not to our faces." He shrugged. "It's not really a big deal. So what if we're monsters? We're still here, alive and kicking, and we still make mistakes. And we're certainly not invincible. But every once in a while, I have to sit back and go 'if I didn't have Holy Blood, I would be very dead'."

"Perhaps you should not be as reckless when you fight."

"But that's too much work!"

"So you say to the healer who has to patch you up."

"Er..." Lex glanced around for some sort of distraction and, to his visible relief, found one. "Hey, Ayra!" He waved her over just as she was passing by and, with a shrug, she headed our way, pausing only to watch Chulainn teach Shannan.

"Subtle."

"Quiet."

"All right, Lex has his 'I am desperately trying to avoid a lecture' face," Ayra noted with a laugh as she finally joined us. Chulainn's eyes flicked over at her arrival, but he otherwise remained focused on the boys. "What were you all talking about?"

"How Holy Blood makes us all weird," Lex answered easily, smiling slightly. Ayra raised a brow. "What? It does. We were commenting on it the other day, weren't we?"

"We were, though admittedly at my own observation." Ayra crossed her arms, twisting to watch Shannan, and she smiled softly when it became clear how much fun Shannan was having. "I thought it odd how close those of Yngvi and Chalphy were to their reigning lords. In Isaach, we were... there was a noticeable distance. I mourned the loss of Setanta and his family anew when Shannan was born, and I realized he might never have a true friend."

"Are you truly kept so separate?" I asked, a little confused. I knew I didn't exactly have a good grasp on 'normal', but this seemed a little...

"Someone once described Isaach as the land ruled by 'Divine Beasts', where the royal family was the 'Divine' and House Sophara was the 'Beast'," Ayra noted, almost but not quite bitter. I wouldn't exactly call it 'resigned' either. "Our line is divinely blessed with skill, and a strong connection to animals. No one wants to befriend the divine; they want them to stay away. So, after Shannan was born, he was always alone. He didn't have what I had growing up." She closed her eyes and sighed, as if trying to push away the negativity. "I wished more than a few times Setanta had lived, despite having long given up hope, because I knew if he had married and had children, they would've been close to Shannan. Few else could understand what it is like to have Od's blood."

"...Is that so?"

"I take it you didn't experience such?" Ayra opened her eyes, smiling a little sardonically. I tried to think back, but the only person who knew of my Holy Blood growing up was Father Eirik, and he never... I was a nuisance and a burden, but not something to fear or hold in awe. Then again, Father Eirik was close to Prince Kurth, and openly insulted my father. Holy Blood didn't impress him. "Lex said something about how Yngvi and Chalphy were just... like that. I don't think I ever heard why. We were distracted by Dew's prank."

"Oh, that?" Lex replied with a shrug. He leaned a little back, though not far enough to fall off the bench. "I think it's because Baldr's blessing isn't as specialized and focused as the rest. They have greater strength and skill, sure, but it's not to the same beyond-human levels as Hodr or Thrud. Their third unique blessing, luck, ties into why Yngvi also doesn't see their rulers as some distant monsters. Their luck may break the laws of reality, but otherwise, they're very normal. Any skill they have is earned through hard work and dedication, the same as the rest."

"Ah, yes, that does make some sense." She nodded, accepting the answer, but I found myself frowning. Perhaps it was because I grew up in Yngvi, but it just seemed strange to me. At the same time, though, I remembered what Prince Kurth had said, about how the gossip surrounding the warehouse scandals surged when it became known Father Claud and I had both tended to the children. They automatically assumed the children were on the brink of death, because I had 'Fjalar's might' and his holy blood meant he had the ability to wield any and all staves. After all, that was another of the blessings Holy Blood gave, an affinity with a certain type of weapon. So, our involvement… it may have made things worse. Was it why King Azmur approved of such a cruel punishment? Had he also believed?

…I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all. What I especially didn't like, however, was how no one thought to tell me of this potential trap surrounding Holy Blood. Arvis had not told me, and for the very first time, his silence on a matter irritated me. If this was how people saw those with Holy Blood, then I needed to know. I no longer hid, after all. I may be surrounded by those who did not place such expectations on our lineage, but I still needed to know. But… ah, my thoughts were becoming twisted. I would talk with Sigurd about it another day. I worried my obliviousness may have caused problems. For now, I should try to focus on the present, yet even as I thought it, I thought of something else Prince Kurth had told me and…

"I suppose it adds to what Prince Kurth said about some of their generals collapsing from the stress of fighting Mariccle," I murmured absently, barely aware of what I was saying. In fact, I didn't fully realize I had said it aloud until Ayra stiffened. "Ah, my apologies!" Of all the things to let slip, it had to be that? Why could it have not been any of my earlier musings? "When we met in Velthomer, he shared a little about the..."

"...What did he say?" Ayra asked, her voice soft and even small. Though there was plenty of room on the bench for her to sit, she chose to sit down at my feet, drawing her knees to her chest, and look up at me with resigned yet lost eyes. "What did... he tell you?"

"I..." I wasn't sure I had the right, but if she asked, then did I have the right to refuse? "It wasn't much, mind. Your brother is aware you and Shannan made it to Verdane, and are under Sigurd's protection. Prince Kurth tried to trick him, but merchant gossip was too quick."

"Did he ask to use Shannan as a hostage?"

"No, he never brought it up. The closest was, as I said, trying to trick Mariccle into..." Belatedly, I realized something terribly rude. "I'm sorry; I should be using a title. Is it-?"

"He'd be the first to insist you drop the title, so don't." She managed a slight smile. "So, he tried to force Mariccle into surrendering, but it failed."

"Yes." I thought about something and turned to Lex. "Marricle also compared Duke Lombard to a mangy bear." As I expected, he immediately burst into laughter, actually doubling-over from the force. Chulainn, Shannan, and Finn looked over at us curiously, but I smiled and shook my head. I had no intention of trying to explain. "Prince Kurth... he called Mariccle brilliant. He truly believes the only way they can win is through having more Holy Weapons and a magical advantage. As it stands, Mariccle alone has killed many of their soldiers, and as I said, some of their soldiers collapse from the stress of fighting someone like him."

"I see." Her smile grew, and it was both terribly proud and heartbreakingly sad. "He is not going gently. Good. That is our way. Isaach never submits. We're the land blessed by Tiamat of Beasts, after all, and a beast does not surrender. We fight until the end, and we make our enemies pay for every drop of blood shed." Honestly, it sounded like Grannvale wasn't going to have much of an army once this campaign was over. "Thank you. For telling me." She looked away then, to where Shannan and Finn were still having their lesson. Finn was noticeably tired, but continued smiling as he practiced. Shannan, meanwhile, looked invigorated. "Well, I hope Chulainn doesn't mind pulling double-duty as a teacher, as I think Shannan will pester him until he agrees again."

"Do you want a lesson yourself?"

"I want a rematch, damn it." She made a face, and I had to muffle a laugh. "Lex, you want one too, don't you?"

"Denied," Chulainn suddenly interjected, not even looking over at us. Lex and Ayra both yelped in surprise, and I found myself muffling more laughter. I wouldn't have thought he'd been paying any attention to the conversation! "I don't spar."

"Oh, come on!" Lex 'complained', grinning too much for the words to have weight. Yet, at the same time, I had a feeling Ayra was right and he did, in fact, want a rematch. "It'll be helpful!"

"No."

"Aw, don't be like that!"

Lex continued trying to get Chulainn to agree to a spar, and Chulainn kept refusing. However, both Shannan and Finn did take advantage of his distraction to ask for another lesson, and Chulainn ended up agreeing before realizing just what he said. It seemed I would be studying outside quite a bit in the coming days. At least the weather was nice.

Eventually, the naming ceremony for Zaya's baby arrived. After reassuring myself all would be well in my absence, and making a promise with Shannan to return, Chulainn and I left via horse. Sigurd had offered a carriage, but I'd refused. Personally, I wouldn't have minded walking, but Chulainn actually rode well, so we rode together. Most of it was spent in silence, save for Chulainn telling me Lord Oifeye had actually taken him to the side to tell him I did not know how to camp and would try to camp without a tent if left to my own devices. I couldn't decide if I was more mortified or annoyed.

"Been a while since I've been to Marpha," Chulainn noted as we navigated the streets. After stabling the horse at the local inn, we set off to Zaya's house. We kept our travel cloaks on, mostly to try and blend in a little more. Our hair colors would stand out too much in the crowd. "I can see where the war wore on them, but they're as lively as ever."

"Yes, I'm glad their spirits have healed some," I whispered, looking about with a small smile on my face. I recognized quite a few of them, many who had come to me for treatment, and my smile grew at how healthy they all appeared. "I... ah!" Unfortunately, I paid too much attention to my surroundings and not enough on what was in front of me, so I accidentally bumped into someone and nearly fell. I only didn't because Chulainn caught me. "Thank you... I'm..." I turned to apologize to whoever I'd bumped, but they were long gone, lost in the crowd. "Oh..."

"Someone in that much of a hurry has probably bumped and been bumped too many times to care." Chulainn kept an arm wrapped around me to help me navigate the crowd. He even reached over to help fix my hood when it nearly fell. "Yes, as lively as ever. Where are we heading?"

"If I remember correctly, it should be a little further down this way."

Chulainn continued holding on to me, and did not let go until we stepped down one of the many branching side-streets from the market, heading to Zaya's house. At least, I hoped it was her house; I was following the directions on the invitation. I had never been, after all. Zaya had still been in the infirmary when we left Marpha. But the directions were clear, and it was not long before we found ourselves in front of a lovely house decorated with ivy and flowers. Part of me marveled at how similar it looked to the houses in Deirdre's village, but I forced myself to not be distracted so I could knock on the door. It opened quickly, barely after the second knock, and I had to stare when I saw it was Mistress Yesui who answered. For a brief moment, I wondered if I'd accidentally gone to her home, but I knew it was impossible. I'd visited her home enough times to know it was in a completely different part of the city, for one thing.

"Why, little healer, there you are!" Mistress Yesui greeted, chuckling. Then, surprisingly, she reached out and gave me a big hug. "Good, good, you made it. I worried I might have to head to Evans myself to drag you out of your workshop." She let go of me, stroking my hair, and focused on Chulainn. "Ah, but I don't believe we've met. I am Yesui, the midwife for Marpha, though I occasionally serve as a doctor. You are?"

"Chulainn, a mercenary hired to be her guard," Chulainn answered, gesturing to me. Mistress Yesui arched a brow at me, and I shrugged. "I'll wait out here during the ceremony, however. I know it's ill manners to be inside the house when not invited."

"I thank you for your consideration." Mistress Yesui smiled once more and took my hand. "Well, come on in, Lady Alicia." She tugged me after her, and I managed an apologetic smile at Chulainn before the door shut. "A guard?"

"Sigurd insisted," I explained, following her through the halls. The house was cozy, decorated with fresh flowers. It was like walking through Velthomer's gardens, but warmer. "According to him, I fall into trouble too much."

"Well, he's not wrong," Mistress Yesui replied, voice blunt and no-nonsense. I had to frown a little, since I maintained everyone was fussing too much. "I'm just not certain he's the one to point it out. You two are terribly similar." Before I could even try to protest, we stepped into a large room filled with even more flowers and bright yet soft colors. "Sarnai, look who's here!"

"Hmm? Oh!" Sarnai's happy gasp was all I heard before I was enveloped in another hug. "Oh, you made it!" she cheered, giggling and laughing. She was even bubblier than usual. "Zaya will be so happy! I know you sent your reply, but we were worried some sort of emergency would happen!"

"Thankfully, all is well in Evans," I reassured, studying her. There were no lingering signs of fear or stress in her face today, only her bright and full smile. "Ah, but..." I hesitated before reaching into my pack and pulling out the blanket I had made. I'd barely managed to finish it before we left; I still needed to finish the one for Altena. "I made this for the baby."

"You made...!" She squealed. She actually squealed before snatching the blanket. "I have to give this to Zaya right now!" Then, in a blink, she was gone, a blur and a puff of wind being the only signs she hadn't literally disappeared.

"She... has a lot of energy today." I stared blankly before turning to a terribly amused Mistress Yesui. "I take it I did not offend? I was told a present would be fine, but..."

"Of course not," Mistress Yesui reassured softly. "Gifts are always appreciated, and there is a certain love only handmade gifts can convey." She studied me for a moment before nodding. "I thought so earlier, but I see you are making efforts to no longer hold onto your calm in all situations."

"I..." I began, automatically trying to deny it. But even that reaction was... "It is a... lengthy work in progress..."

"But a necessary one. A healer is still only human. You should not be treated as a breathing staff, but as a person. You are worth far more than a fancy stick." She stroked my hair, smiling softly and proudly. "I'm glad you finally feel safe enough to try. It's much easier to learn self-respect when you're around people who respect you." I didn't know how to reply, so I only ducked my head. "Anyway, might you help me with the final preparations, little healer?"

"I would be glad to do so."

The 'final preparations' did not take long and, before long, I was standing in one of the back rooms with Mistress Yesui, Sarnai, and others Zaya had invited. The actual ceremony was more solemn than I would've guessed, given the cheer of the household, and involved a priest blessing the baby and tucking flowers into their fists. I would fully admit to not understanding most of the significance, and I watched Mistress Yesui to have an idea of how to react and respond to each part. Though I was both embarrassed and honored when I realized Zaya had wrapped her baby, Beren, in the blanket I had made before the ceremony started. I didn't think it was that special, but I was glad she liked it.

Once the ceremony was over, everyone and everything moved outside for the public party. Apparently, it was considered polite for everyone in the city to attend, much as they did for funerals. I left with the group, and quickly slipped away from everyone to look for Chulainn. Thankfully, I found him not far away, but just as I did during the last 'party' I attended, I found him with company.

"So, it is a dog, this time?" I asked, somewhere between surprised and amused. After all, Chulainn was kneeling in the dirt, rubbing the belly of a very large dog with white fur. "Where did it even come from?"

"This fine fellow was trotting about looking for his little master," Chulainn answered, not surprised by my presence in the slightest. I had to admit; I had thought him too focused on the dog to have noticed me. "Since I saw the crowd surging, I convinced him to wait until things settled once more."

"You convinced it?" I carefully stepped closer, and stiffened when the dog immediately growled, despite still being petted by Chulainn. "Um..."

"He's the protective sort." Yet it submitted so easily to belly rubs. "Ah, but I see a child trying to wiggle their way through the crowd." Chulainn pushed himself up, and the dog immediately righted itself, tail wagging. "Yes, yes, spoiled one." He went right back to petting him, this time on the head. "I think your little master spotted you." I still didn't see any change in the crowd. Yet, to my surprise, a child did soon pop out. Even more surprising was how I knew this child.

"Sparky!" Enkh cheered, rushing over. She nearly fell, but Chulainn caught her before she did. "There you are!" She threw her arms around the visibly happy dog, and I marveled at how she was barely taller than the dog. "Silly!" She turned to smile at Chulainn and me, only to gasp. "Healer lady!" With that, she let go of the dog to hug my legs instead. The dog growled, but Chulainn calmed him. "Hiiiii~!"

"Hello, Enkh," I murmured, stroking her hair. What a delight it was to see her smile again. "Are you out alone?"

"No, I'm with Sparky!" She pointed to the dog, and I failed to see how a single dog was an adequate escort for a toddler. "Well, was until he got lost."

"Did he get lost or did you get distracted?"

"...Um..." She hid her face in my leg, which was answer enough. "Both?"

"He's been very worried," Chulainn added, still petting the dog. I was just happy it wasn't growling at me again. "You need to be careful in a crowd, little one." He nudged the dog over to Enkh before looking at me. "So, is she one of your patients?"

"No, her father was," I answered, attempting to step away to give the dog space. Unfortunately, Enkh insisted on holding onto my leg, so the dog ended up right next to me. "...It's not going to growl again, right?"

"He's decided you are not a threat for now. As I said, he's the protective sort." Chulainn glanced around the area, eyes narrowed. "No signs of someone pushing through, yet it's not typical for a child to be out on their own, even with such a fine escort." Enkh tellingly hid her face more in my leg. Someone snuck out, then. "Let's find her parents."

"Parent."

"Then her father must be extra worried." He bent down and easily scooped up Enkh. "Let's go, then."

I held onto Chulainn's arm as we stepped into the crowd, determined to not be separated. The dog attached itself to Chulainn's other side, sniffing and looking around while we meandered. Despite our worry, there was no sense of haste. After all, everyone remained cheerful and bright, with few even glancing our way. Their happy chatter filled my ears, and if I were not so focused on finding someone who knew Enkh, I knew I would've been delighted to listen.

"Enkh? Pixie? Where are you?" Eventually, we heard someone calling Enkh's name and the dog barked in answer. "Huh? Spark?" The speaker pushed their way towards us through the crowd, and I was delighted yet surprised to see it was Erdene himself. He'd still been bedridden when we left Marpha. "I... Lady Alicia?" he asked, staring at me with wide eyes. Then all his focus snapped to his daughter. "Enkh! There you are!" He stepped forward, but surprisingly, Chulainn didn't immediately hand her over. Instead, he looked at me, and I thought there was a question in his eyes. "Um... you are...?"

"Chulainn, this is Enkh's father, Erdene," I introduced, taking a guess on whether or not I was right. Chulainn nodded and passed Enkh over to her father, telling me I had, in fact, been correct. He'd wanted me to confirm this was someone safe before handing Enkh over. "Erdene, this is Chulainn, my guard."

"Ah, yes, a good thing, considering what I've heard." Erdene clutched Enkh tightly, and she was noticeably quiet. "Little pixie, you really should've waited."

"But you were talking too long..." Enkh mumbled, hiding her face in his neck. The dog, Spark, moved to Erdene's side, leaning against his leg. I worried about him being unbalanced, but didn't say anything. I didn't want to fuss if he was actually well. "I wanted to see the colors..."

"It's been a while since I could walk without help, so... oh, never mind," Erdene sighed, shaking his head. Explaining physical therapy to a toddler was probably a little much. I imagined he had many well-wishers coming to check on him. "For now, I am glad you're safe. You shouldn't go off on your own."

"Sparky."

"Spark is a very good guard, but does not count as an escort." At that, Spark barked, as if offended. "I love you, but it's true. You tag along with her mischief too much." Spark barked again, and he sighed. "Let's... find Altan. He was looking for you too."

"Please give him my regards?" I requested, clasping my hands in front of me. I made sure to smile. "If you could also give him my thanks for the furniture, I would greatly appreciate it."

"Of course, Lady Alicia," Erdene replied, doing his best to bow while still holding onto Enkh. He had to rest a hand on Spark to do so. It took me a moment to realize the dog somehow anticipated needing to be a crutch. "And ah... I only realized it recently, but I never thanked you for your care."

"There's no need." Seeing him strong enough at last to carry his little girl was all the 'thanks' I needed. "I do hope you're not pushing yourself, though."

"I do my best. I would hate to undo all your hard work, after all." His smile was warm. "And in the interest of not pushing myself, I fear I must sit down soon, so I really need to find Altan quickly."

"Of course. Take care." I waved him goodbye, and when they were out of sight, I muffled a laugh. "Oh, what a relief…"

"Long term patient?" Chulainn asked, subtly leading me through the crowd once more. I didn't know where we were going and, truthfully, I didn't care. "He's thin, and his legs shook slightly. I'd guess illness, but he favored a side, which implies injury."

"It was both, in a way," I answered, a little surprised. I hadn't realized he had paid so close attention to Erdene. "He was terribly ill, and lost his wife to the same illness." Though given what I knew now, my theory was he and his wife had accidentally come across Sandima or one of his allies while they were searching for Deirdre in the Spirit Forest. "He had just recovered, and started his mourning, when he was conscripted."

"A seriously ill man suffering from heartbreak managed to survive a single battle?"

"I… well…" I smiled a little sheepishly. "He was part of a group Sigurd fought, and Sigurd and I returned to treat them. Many of them still died, but some survived. Erdene was one of them."

"...You two went back to the enemy to treat them?"

"Did this not come up? Prince Quan remains exasperated by it."

"No, but it adds weight to the warning I got about how you'll treat anyone who comes to you. Even assassins trying to kill you."

"They were hurt, and I wish to save everyone."

"That's a pretty ideal, but impossible."

"It's as poisonous as all other ideals, but I still foolishly strive for it." I said the words firmly, and Chulainn actually paused, staring back at me. His expression didn't change, but I… I had a feeling I'd surprised him. Certainly, his silence felt different from his usual quiet. It was as if he was at a loss for words, instead of choosing to not speak. "I…"

"Oh, you are... Lady Alicia, yes?" A quiet and shy young woman crept close then, a reminder Chulainn and I were still in the crowd. He immediately shifted to stand protectively in front of me, and I focused on the woman, noticing she held a baby close to her chest. "I... um..." she continued, trying to pick her words with care. At first, I tried to think of who she was, but then she smiled. "I don't know... if you remember me..." But I did. I did, because I knew her smile. She wasn't nearly as swollen as before, but her beautiful smile remained the same. "You..."

"I see you and your baby are well," I whispered, smiling back. Chulainn glanced at me, and I nodded before sneaking a little closer, just enough for me to look at the baby's face. I was rewarded with the other beautiful smile from my memory. "I'm glad."

"Ah, yes!" Her smile grew, just as brilliant as it had been the day I'd helped Mistress Yesui with her birthing. "There's still some breathing problems, but Miss Yesui grows more hopeful by the day! He also has no trouble with his eyesight as we feared he might." She giggled, and her baby gurgled in return. "But I... I never got the chance to thank you. For what you did that day."

"Your smiles are enough." I would remember the day forever. Not only had I helped the two of them, but Mistress Yesui had told me my magic saved them. "I'm proud and glad I could help."

"And I count myself lucky Miss Yesui asked for your help that day." She ducked her head for a moment, shy suddenly. "We did realize later you never learned my name. It's Narin."

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Narin."

"Yes, and it is my honor to see you." She hesitated before continuing. "Perhaps… ah, I should not ask until we reach the day. Bad luck otherwise." What was she…? Ah, maybe…

"Then I shall wait for a joyous letter." That seemed to be the best answer, and her pleased smile hinted maybe I was right. Maybe she was asking if I would attend the naming ceremony for her own baby. Even if not, though, I think there was enough of an 'out' to simply send me a letter. Either way, I would be overjoyed. "Ah, but are you heading somewhere? Chulainn and I don't have a destination, so we can escort you."

"Oh, would you mind? I need to find… ah, you never got her name either. My sister-in-law and I were separated in the crowd, and while I was looking for her, I saw you and…"

"Then let's find her together."

It didn't take long for us to find Narin's sister-in-law. After all, she'd been frantically looking for Narin, worried about her health and the health of her nephew. Of course, when she realized Narin was with me, I had to endure a solid five minutes of the most profuse thanks I think I ever heard, a level of gratitude I did not think I deserved since I remembered how I could not save her brother, Narin's husband. Still, I was learning to accept what Sir Alec had said, how gratitude was also a sign of respect, so I listened with a smile and saw them off with a wave. To my delight, Narin's son even laughed when they left, and I was grateful Chulainn finally found a quiet spot out of the crowd soon afterwards. I knew, based on how my smile was too wide and my eyes narrowed, I had that weird smile on my face. I knew I should try to fight it, but it remained there no matter what I wanted.

To make matters worse, Chulainn was staring again. He stared rather blatantly at my face, and I ducked my head to try and hide. It was terribly, terribly embarrassing.

"Is something wrong?" I managed to ask, mostly for the distraction. If I was distracted, maybe I could… "I… um…"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," he murmured. Even as he said it, though, he kept staring. He even ducked down to continue doing so. "I think it's the first time I've seen you smile so happily."

"...Happy?" I glanced up then, curious and surprised. "I look happy?"

"Yes?" He frowned a little. "Are you not?"

"No, I am. But…" How to word this? "Do I not look weird?"

"...Huh?" Well, now he was staring for completely different reasons. I could practically hear the silent 'did you hit your head?'. "Why would you look weird?"

"Because my smile is too wide?"

"You're just smiling. 'Beaming' might be more accurate."

"Am I?" I rested a hand on my cheek. Beaming. He described it as 'beaming'. "It's not a proper smile."

"And just what is a 'proper' smile anyway?" He raised a brow, words dry, and I found I didn't have an answer. There was what Father Eirik taught me, but… "No, it does not look weird."

"So, I don't look like a madwoman."

"No, you look like a happy woman."

"Oh." I softened without thinking about it, and did my best to give him that same smile again. It was both easier and harder than I thought. "Thank you, Chulainn."

"...I didn't do anything but say what was on my mind." He looked away, and leaned against the wall of whatever house we ended up by. But he was smiling too, a soft and gentle smile. "But you're welcome, I suppose."

Neither of us said much of anything after that. I was content watching everyone have fun, and he at least pretended to keep an eye out for potential threats. Yet the silence was not uncomfortable, and I rather thought Chulainn might have even been enjoying himself. But it could have been wishful thinking, since I found the evening enjoyable. Maybe one day, I'd find the courage to ask.

Chapter Text

Interlude – Wedding

So, I ended up with a guard after all. The very idea is strange. I spent my life hiding in Father Eirik's custody, but now I am protected openly by those who care for me. I can't say I'm unhappy about it, even as I struggle to balance my new life with my habits. But there's no time to focus on it, as a date has finally been set for Sigurd and Deirdre's wedding. Planning is slow and methodical, but already, it makes my head spin. I'm glad I'll never marry, or be involved in planning another marriage. Why would anyone want to go through all this fuss?

I'd become accustomed to the sound of practice weapons clacking while I studied. After all, despite Chulainn's expectations, his morning lessons continued. Today his only student was Shannan, which was unusual. He was, of course, the most frequent of Chulainn's students, but not the only. When others learned of Chulainn's (reluctant) willingness to teach, they leapt at the chance. Morning lessons usually consisted of all four of the boys, while in the afternoons, some of the city militia would shyly swing by and ask for tips and advice. Chulainn was bewildered (for him) each time, but no matter his protests, he caved quickly to their earnest enthusiasm. At least, he did for lessons. He still refused to spar anyone; I feared someone (Lex) might ambush him soon in an attempt to force one.

But those were problems for another day. Today, I simply studied while Chulainn taught, enjoying the quiet tranquility. I liked mornings like this. I hoped they continued forever.

"Ah, I see you are still outside, Lady Alicia." Sir Naoise's gentle call heralded his arrival in the training yards. I looked up just as he approached, noticing him staring at Chulainn and Shannan for a split-second before he stopped at my bench and bowed. "Forgive my interruption, my lady, but we have guests," he explained. Chulainn glanced over once, but otherwise remained focused on Shannan. "Lord Eldigan has arrived, along with Lady Lachesis and Lady Grahnye."

"I remember Lady Ethlyn telling me they would be here soon," I murmured, marking my place and closing my book. Planning for the wedding may have already started, but according to her, 'earnest' preparations would wait until Lord Eldigan came, as he was Sigurd's best man. "But who is Lady Grahnye?"

"Lord Eldigan's wife." Oh. No one had mentioned her to me yet. "My understanding is they have brought their son, Lord Ares, as well." Then it seemed Altena would have a playmate.

"Are there any injuries?"

"Not that I am aware of. The path from Nordion to Evans has always been quiet, barring the occasional Ellidiot." It took me a long second to realize the name; he said it with his usual tone. "Sorry, he's the son of one of Agustria's dukes, and his bravado far outstrips both his sense and skill. He made an attempt on Evans while we were dealing with Genoa, but Lord Eldigan stopped him." Truly? I hadn't heard anything about it until now. "He also pursues Lady Lachesis with an entitled fervor bordering on obsession, so not a one of us likes him or bothers to use his proper name after Prince Quan dubbed him 'Ellidiot'."

"I see." Well, I couldn't exactly fault them. "If there are no injuries, then why tell me?"

"Ah, I'm certain Lord Sigurd would want you to greet them."

"You said something similar before." I could only frown. "Please tell me it didn't have to do with those ridiculous rumors."

"Which ridiculous rumors? Gossip tends to have dozens upon dozens." He grinned, and I had to concede the point. "Given the context... no, it was not because I thought my lord was romantically interested in you. It is because I knew he'd want them to meet you, as a reassurance. Lord Eldigan and Lady Lachesis both fret terribly, and Chalphy isn't known for healers. Knowing a skilled healer like yourself was helping us would ease their worries significantly." Ah, this made much more sense. "Today is similar. Lady Deirdre is most relaxed when both you and Lord Sigurd are near, and I know she is very nervous about meeting them. My lord also values and trusts you greatly, so while he won't say anything, I know he hopes you will get along with them. Thus, coming to greet them."

"I believe I should simply take your word for it." I pushed myself up and smoothed out my skirts. "Chulainn, I'm heading to greet our guests. Sir Naoise can escort me if..." Even as I tried to make the offer, Chulainn was already wrapping up the lesson. "Oh, I'm sorry, Shannan."

"Huh? Why? Chulainn always protects you," Shannan replied, smiling brightly. Chulainn silently passed him a towel and some water. "Who are the guests anyway? The ones we're expecting from Nordion?"

"Yes."

"Then I want to come anyway! I want to meet them!" He immediately gave me his most pleading look and I crumbled easily. This was not good; I needed to build a resistance!

"If you're going to meet them, then you had better change out of those sweaty clothes first." I smiled apologetically at Sir Naoise; he just fought back laughter. "Let's go to your room, all right?"

You'd think Shannan was competing in the 'change clothes fastest' competition with how quickly he switched. He actually managed to put his shirt and pants on backwards, and I had to help him fix both while Chulainn helped him wash his face. Sir Naoise waited patiently, choking back laughter the whole time, and escorted us to the main hall once we were ready. I had to admit; I was surprised to see only Deirdre standing there when we arrived. Had we missed them or...?

"Alicia!" Deirdre all-but-flew to my side as soon as she saw me, wrapping her arms around mine. Chulainn actually had to move out of the way to keep from being run over, and I had to brace myself so I would not fall into Shannan. "Oh, thank goodness..." she mumbled, clinging hard enough to bruise. Sir Naoise retreated silently, with a slight, smug smile. He'd guessed this was exactly what would happen. "Sigurd met them in the courtyard and they're coming in and I know I need to meet them and I know Ethlyn thinks everything will be fine, but still...!"

"Deirdre, take a breath," I urged, keeping calm and making sure to smile reassuringly. She obeyed, and hid her face in my shoulder. "We're right here. See? Even Shannan came to support you."

"Hmm?" She looked down, and Shannan peeked out from behind my skirts to grin. "Oh, hello! Were you having a lesson?"

"I was, but I'm curious about them as well," Shannan explained, shyly stepping around me so he could take her hand. Deirdre relaxed further, even if her smile remained nervous. "Anyway, Alicia's right. There's no need to worry. if they're mean, we'll just have Dew prank them."

"Shannan!" Deirdre gasped, bursting into laughter. I looked around the room curiously, and saw Sigurd walk in with Lord Eldigan, Lady Lachesis, and a third woman with brown hair who carried a baby against her shoulder. All four stopped at the laughter, with Sigurd smiling indulgently and the other three staring in surprise. "You shouldn't do that!"

"It's a precaution! You should always have them. That's what Chulainn says."

"I don't think he meant it like that."

"Having a plan of attack in a worse-case-scenario is something I've been teaching him, so he's not wrong," Chulainn argued, his expression mostly stoic. His slight smile, however, was distinctly boyish. "Pranks are also a time-honored combat strategy." He nodded to the entrance; Deirdre turned and immediately blanched. "By the way, they're here."

"So, go on, go on," I encouraged, nudging Deirdre when she stiffened. She hadn't noticed the four entering. "Shannan, you'll stay with her, won't you?" Shannan nodded, taking the request very seriously, and smiled up at Deirdre. "Chulainn and I will wait here, so if they make you uncomfortable, just signal us. We'll come rescue you." Deirdre still hesitated, but she nodded to herself and walked over, clutching Shannan's hand. I watched until Sigurd greeted her before turning to Chulainn with an arched brow. "Pranks are a combat strategy?"

"Pranks can be a combination of sabotage and psychological warfare, if done correctly and with precision." If anyone else had told me this, I would think they were being ridiculous. I was still tempted with him. "Never underestimate the value of minor accidents wearing down a tired force or minor scandals piling up to crush a reputation. It's easy to turn one small incident into a noose to strangle your enemies."

"I take it you have experience?"

"That is more effort than I'm willing to give unless specifically ordered."

"I thought you said it was easy?"

"Easy does not mean effortless."

"So, you have done it in the past. How else would you know it is more effort than you like to put in?"

"I'll leave that to your imagination." Well, now I was certain he'd done it before. "So, that is the famous Lionheart of Agustria, huh?" With the least subtle of all subject changes, Chulainn crossed his arms and leaned back against one of the pillars to observe the group. It looked like Deirdre was mostly relaxed, but I saw how she kept a tight grip on Shannan's hand, and how sharply Lady Lachesis scrutinized her. "I wonder if the gossips are babbling about his supposedly broken heart."

"What do you mean?"

"Per the gossips, he and Sigurd have been in a relationship for the better part of five years." He said it nonchalantly, and I could only shake my head. "There were whispers before then, of course. Eldigan was noted for being stand-offish and even cold until he went to Belhalla's academy." Glancing at the group now and seeing how warmly Lord Eldigan smiled at Deirdre, it was hard to imagine anyone describing him as 'cold'. "Gossip started treating it as fact following his stepmother's death, when Sigurd notoriously rode through the night, in the rain, to be at his side. In the year he stayed in Nordion, he was never far from Eldigan's side, and Eldigan was very open on how much he appreciated Sigurd's presence." I supposed Sigurd's infamous 'not close to many women' tendencies did not help the impression. "Many were surprised when Eldigan married Grahnye, but they were able to justify it easily. Wouldn't be the first time a noble married someone besides their paramor for the sake of an heir, and his marriage secured quite a lot of trade for Nordion."

"Does all gossip focus so much on romance?" I did remember sitting in the town squares in Evans and Genoa and hearing how surprisingly well-versed people seemed to be about their neighbors' sex lives.

"Not all, but people like speculating about the private lives of public figures. Gives them something to be scandalized by, and the cleaner the reputation, the more convinced people become that there's something hiding in the shadows." He shrugged, unbothered. "The clever ones manipulate things so there's just enough dirt in their reputation to keep people from theorizing."

"I will... take your word on it." Gossip had always bored me, but the way he spoke of it, you'd think it a weapon as deadly as a blade. "Now, what did you mean by 'secured a lot of trade'?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"You clearly know more than me, of course." I smiled at him, and he actually rolled his eyes. "So?"

"Fine, fine..." He sighed, and I muffled a laugh. "Grahnye is the daughter of a prominent noble of Leonster, Duke Cormac. Their marriage was part of a trade negotiation. I think."

"You think?"

"It's not as if I'd spoken to anyone involved. It's only one of several possibilities per the gossips, though it is the one I find the most likely. Probably why it's not the most popular."

"Which one is that?"

"To keep Lachesis from trying to seduce her brother, of course." He said the words as bluntly as he did everything else, and I actually had to muffle a yelp. I couldn't remember the last time I'd yelped, but there was no other reaction! I caught Sigurd glancing at us worriedly, but I waved it off. I wasn't explaining this to him! "People love to talk about a beautiful young noblewoman who notoriously refused a suitor by declaring she would not marry a man of lesser caliber than her brother."

"Shouldn't..." Oh, goodness, this was... I think he was doing his best to make me regret asking! "Doesn't that mean she has very particular standards?"

"Again, people love a good scandal, and there is a fascinating taboo in incest."

"You're incorrigible." I might have said more, but I noticed one of the group heading for me, the lady with brown hair and carrying a blonde-haired baby. So, I did my best to calm my heart and smiled when she was close enough. "Hello."

"Good morning," she greeted in return, with her own smile. She had a kind smile. That was the first thing I noticed. The second thing I noticed was how quiet the baby in her arms was. Altena would have been reaching for anything and everything, but her baby simply looked around with curious golden eyes. "You must be Lady Alicia. I am Grahnye, the Duchess of Nordion, and this little one is Ares."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Grahnye," I replied, wondering just why she'd come over. A quick look showed Lord Eldigan was keeping an eye on us, but otherwise, the group continued chatting and laughing. I was relieved to see Lady Lachesis did not look quite so sharp. "Is something wrong? I cannot imagine why else you would slip away."

"Oh? You do not think I grew curious about our watchers?" Her smile became a touch mischievous, and I could only tilt my head. I didn't think there was anything interesting about me. "But no, I came over here after confirming you were the main healer." So, something was wrong, then. "It is... well..." She absently ran her fingers through Ares's hair, and Ares twisted to smile at her. "There is nothing currently wrong, but this does have to deal with my health..."

"Oh?" I glanced at Chulainn in a silent request, and he nodded and stepped away, far enough where he could pretend to not hear. "My apologies. I believe a person's medical history should only be disclosed to those they choose."

"I see. Thank you." She smiled sweetly, laughing softly. Ares reached up to pat her throat like he could somehow grab the sound. "No wonder Sigurd truly trusts you, Lady Alicia." This was the second time today someone brought up how much Sigurd trusted me, but the weight she put on 'truly' made me wonder if there was something particularly noteworthy about it. "As for my health, it deals with my heart."

"Your heart?"

"Yes…" Her smile became a little bitter. "I was born with a defective heart." My mind immediately latched onto all the ones I'd read about, each worse than the last. "It was fine when I was a child, but became worse as I grew older. Carrying and giving birth to Ares, unfortunately, worsened it further." Yes, pregnancy put a great strain on the heart. Mistress Yesui had told me heart conditions generally would worsen, and sometimes, she had to advise them to terminate the pregnancy for their own health. But Lady Grahnye, as the wife of Lord Eldigan, would not have had that option. "I… the doctors at Leonster described it as my heart doesn't have enough valves for a major-"

"Bicuspid aortic valve?" That was the first one I thought of, especially since I'd read it wasn't an uncommon heart defect.

"I… yes!" Her smile became a little relieved. Did she fear I wouldn't know what she was talking about or was she grateful I had guessed so quickly? "Yes, that is what they called it. Ares thankfully didn't inherit it, but I wanted to warn you in case…" It was easy to fill in. It was only discovered in the last century or so, thanks to the crusader Bragi spearheading research into anatomy and compiling medical knowledge which otherwise may have been lost with the Empire's fall, but the human heart had valves which kept blood flowing the 'right way' through the body. The aortic valve was supposed to have three flaps, but some were born with two, which could… wait, now wasn't the time to be thinking of my lessons!

"I understand." I made sure to smile reassuringly. "Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you."

"I'm fine for now. It won't kill me yet. But I have always been warned complications can come on suddenly." Yes, her heart had to work harder to keep her healthy. But everything gave out eventually. Early intervention and surgery could help, but… "So, I wanted to warn you."

"I'm glad, since if something does happen, I will have a better idea of where to start." I glanced at the others, noting they were still deep in their lively conversation. "Now, just to confirm, you are all right?"

"Yes, I would not have ridden here otherwise. I would've taken a carriage."

"Then may I check you over now, so I know what your 'normal' is?"

Lady Grahnye graciously agreed, and that was how the three/four of us ended up in my workshop. Chulainn took his usual post against the wall, and Lady Grahnye had Ares sit on the table while I examined her. Once again, I had to marvel at how quiet and calm he was. Altena couldn't be trusted to sit still for even a half of a second, always crawling and reaching and exploring. Ares, meanwhile, was perfectly still on the table, looking this way and that but only observing. Lady Grahnye didn't seem to think it was unusual behavior for him, because she focused on me during the entire examination, answering my questions easily. Once I finished, I wrote down some notes about her health, with the intent of researching her condition so I could see how 'typical' her health was. While I was writing, Ares finally acted like Altena and reached out to try and grab my pen. I set it down and picked him up to move him away, but he squirmed, so I had to adjust my grip to hold him closer and more securely. Even then, I wasn't sure I was holding him correctly, but I didn't have time to worry. Ares, after all, immediately grabbed a lock of my hair, and refused to let go.

"Is this something I should expect from Majors or babies?" I found myself asking as soon as I realized what happened. Thankfully, Ares wasn't inclined to wave his arms as Altena was. He just held it, firmly, and I wondered if I would be able to break his grip. Yes, he was a baby, but he was likely the Hodr Major of his generation. How early did their fable strength awaken? "What makes my hair so fascinating?" This was the third child Major to grab my hair, and the third baby.

"Well, it is quite pretty," Lady Grahnye replied, barely biting back her laugh. She then reached over to gently tap Ares's hand twice. To my surprise, he let go immediately, and his curious and quiet gaze focused on my face instead. "I should've expected he'd try to grab." He certainly did reach out again, for my eyes instead of my hair. I stiffened instinctively, but Lady Grahnye intercepted his hand before he touched my face. "He's always grabbing the roses in the gardens and you are the Red Rose Healer."

"Pardon?" I focused on her, and didn't think to move away when Ares reached out once more. But this time, he only used his hands as leverage, so he could hide his face in my neck, and my hair. "What was that?"

"Hmm? Have you not heard? It's the most common epithet the bards have for you, no doubt because of your coloring." I… I suppose red hair with green eyes did conjure the image of a rose? "The Red Rose of Sigurd's army, who tends to all who cross her path." She chuckled as she extracted Ares from me. Ares actually looked sulky about it. "My, it's rare he takes so quickly to a stranger. Watch out; I may ask you to babysit."

"I can think of many more trustworthy people for the honor." I may know more about babies now thanks to Mistress Yesui, but I remained awkward with them. I just knew so little about their health! "Besides, I have a feeling Lady Ethlyn will want him to bond with Altena."

"Oh, that's my hope. I don't want him to have as lonely of a childhood as Eldigan did." Lonely? I had to admit; I almost asked.

"I heard my name." However, Lord Eldigan poked his head into my workshop then, looking around curiously. "Should I be worried?" he joked, his eyes falling on the bookshelf in the corner. Sir Arden had gotten it for me, so I could find my books more easily. "Ah, that's right. Sigurd asked for medical books, but they're still in my packs. I'll give them to you tomorrow, Lady Alicia."

"Ah, thank you very much!" I replied, doing my best to keep calm. I knew I failed. The idea of learning what was 'typical' for Nordion, and Agustria, was much too exciting, and I had fallen into dreadful habits about reining in my feelings. "And I hope we did not worry you. I wanted to know Lady Grahnye's 'normal'."

"That's what Deirdre said, when I noticed your absence." Deirdre knew me well. "Still, a certain someone should probably rest after the long journey."

"Eldigan, I am just fine," Lady Grahnye sighed, shaking her head with fond exasperation. I assumed it was fond, at least, because of how warm her smile was. "I think if anything was wrong, she would've found it."

"Who said I was talking about you?" Lord Eldigan replied playfully. He offered her his arm, and she took it with envious grace, especially since she kept a hold of Ares while she did. Ares twisted to smile happily at his father. "I was thinking Ares."

"Of course you were."

The two continued 'bickering' as they left, and I sat down at my table once they turned the corner, intending to review my notes. However, I couldn't help but remember what Lady Grahnye had said and sighed. "So, they compare me to a red rose?" I whispered, somewhere between irritated and exasperated. What use were 'epithets'? They seemed so... worthless. "How ridiculous..." Thinking of how she'd learned, I glanced back at Chulainn, since he paid attention to gossip. His expression was, as it ever was, locked in irritable stoicism. I needed another phrase for it, with how often I saw it. "Let me guess; the bards usually don't include the 'army' part of her description."

"Sigurd's red rose, alongside his silver izelle, Deirdre," Chulainn confirmed without the slightest hesitation. I decided I was more irritated at this point, but it wasn't a comforting realization. I couldn't do anything about it, after all. "I imagine they chose an 'izelle' for her because it only grows in the Velthomer region, and thus, ties into the most popular interpretation of you three."

"So, they sing of how Sigurd beds two beautiful flowers. You know; I would imagine flowers and petals in a bed would leave terrible stains." I said the words absently, barely thinking about them, and Chulainn ducked his head to hide his immediate, if slight, smile. It was the closest he'd come to laughter since we met. "I cannot say the idea of having petals for hair appeals either." I smiled at him, deciding I should try being playful. "What do you think?"

"About?"

"Does my hair resemble a red rose?"

"Your hair?" He studied me for a long moment, and it was impossible to tell if he was taking the question seriously or simply seeing through me again. "If I personally had to pick something, I'd probably go with a cardinal." So, I could have a head full of feathers instead of petals? I couldn't say the thought appealed any better. "What do you see?"

"Hmm?"

"Given your surprise, I would guess you associate your hair color with something else entirely." …He was definitely seeing through me again, spotting something he wanted to know more about, despite how everyone else would miss it. "So?"

"Shannan thought it was like fire, once."

"Fire doesn't usually burn so dark a red." He held my gaze, refusing to yield. "But I did not ask what he thought. I asked what you did."

"..." I stared back at him for a long moment, but ended up looking away. Maybe I wasn't the most stubborn in the army. "Blood."

"Blood?"

"My hair color has always reminded me of blood." Strangely, though, I couldn't say the same for Arvis or Azelle. Their hair color was only 'crimson' in my head. But mine, especially when I was younger, I could only think of as 'blood'. "It's not a bad thing. Blood is proof of life." Besides, it tied me to my brothers and differentiated me from my mother. I couldn't hate it. I never hated it. I just… didn't like it either. Blood was common, and seen everywhere. Why did anyone think it was pretty?

Chulainn stared through me still, and I wondered just what he was thinking. Then, without warning, he reached out and wrapped a lock of my hair around his finger. "I can't say I think the same. The color is similar, perhaps, but blood is stickier, in both looks and feel." He smiled faintly, a trace of boyishness to it. "Your hair is as soft as a petal, though, so maybe that is a more accurate description than a cardinal." He let go, and I was left staring, even as he looked to the door. "You've a guest."

Before I had time to process things, Dew swung in, ready to help with today's tasks. I had to very quickly focus on him, and try to push his words out of my mind. As for Chulainn, he just watched with his usual stoicism, and some part of me felt frustrated by it. It was… hard to explain why, so I chose to ignore it. I was better this way.

A few days after the Nordions arrived, Deirdre and I headed to the market, with Chulainn as our guard. Officially, it was for Deirdre to look at jewelry for her wedding. In truth, it was to get her out of the palace for a little bit because all the planning was making both of our heads spin, and Deirdre really needed to complain a little.

"Lady Lachesis is beautiful, but she stares so much," Deirdre whined, half-leaning against me. We were taking the very long and meandering way through the markets, and Deirdre seized the chance to at least appear lazy. "I try to call out, but I barely even lay eyes on her before she disappears. She must hate me."

"I think if she hated you, she'd tell you to your face," I tried to reassure, patting her head. Though, I had to admit to wondering the same. I would've thought she'd try to have a conversation with me after helping in the infirmary when we were last here, but she'd taken up her hiding and staring around me as well. Did she question my skills so much? "She doesn't seem the type to pay one thought to those she dislikes."

"But…"

"Just try to ignore her poor spying?" It was the same advice I gave Chulainn the other day, and based on her frown, I had a feeling she liked it as little as Chulainn had. "That is what I did before, at least. She's not that bad at it?"

"If she's going to spy, she should at least do it properly," Chulainn said, with a trace amount of irritation threading through the words. Ultimately, I think that was what he was most annoyed by. "I've seen toddlers who are better."

"Now, now, it's not like she's causing harm?" I placated, smiling a little hesitantly. Chulainn's expression was completely blank, and Deirdre just sighed. "Regardless, we are outside, fulfilling Sigurd's request to leave my workshop, and I say we should think of something fun, especially since we're getting some odd looks."

"The odd looks are due to the-"

"We're discussing fun things, not what people gossip."

"What are they gossiping about?" Deirdre asked, genuinely curious. She paid even less attention to gossip than I did. "Is it… bad?"

"I think it more annoying, and ridiculous," I answered, noticing a few whispering as we passed. I was tempted to frown at them. "That's all."

"So, they're still talking about you and Sigurd?" She muffled a giggle, and I spared a thought to be thankful she didn't know what they were saying about all three of us. "Don't you usually laugh it off?"

"I might, if I were not walking with my very best friend, and his fiance."

"Why would I mind? I know the truth now. If anything, I'm more annoyed they think either of you would hurt or betray me like that." She frowned then, turning towards some of the more blatant starers. "In fact…"

"No, no, we're not arguing with the people today!" I seized her arm and tugged her along through the market. "We are speaking of fun things, and figuring out how we're going to add evidence to our excuse."

"If you insist…" She actually sulked, and I spared a pleading look to Chulainn, hoping for help. For some reason, though, he was completely focused on the surrounding crowd. Was something wrong? "Evidence, evidence… hey, can we get something for the babies?"

"We can, but we still need something for our story. I don't think they'll accept us being distracted, even if you adore Altena and Ares."

"They're just so cute!" She sighed happily. "Altena's always wandering about and getting into things and she babbles so sweetly, while Ares watches everything curiously. At least until Sigurd is around!" I had not personally witnessed it, but from what I'd heard, Ares was very, very fond of Sigurd. "Grahnye said he likes you too, so he clearly is a good judge of character."

"None of this changes our current circumstances, you know."

"And you evade my compliments again." She pouted, and I could only smile. "So, proper evidence… oh, well, maybe…" She turned thoughtful, and a little hesitant. "I've been meaning to bring this up, but if it's possible, I'd like a matching accessory with you, Alicia."

"Oh?"

"You see; in the Spirit Forest, the bride and maid of honor would wear something matching, since they're best friends." Her smile was shy, and awkward. "It looks like it's a custom there only, since no one has brought it up, and I'm sure it's troublesome, but…"

"But it's what you want, so we should figure out something." The main problem was, of course, it would have to be something which suited us both, and we had very different colorings.

"Go with something blue," Chulainn surprisingly offered. I didn't know what was more surprising: the suggestion or the fact he gave it without prompting. "That's part of an old wedding saying in Agustria, to protect the new couple and invite happiness. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue."

"And blue will look so pretty on Alicia!" Deirdre giggled, clapping her hands together in delight. The accompanying smile was near blinding. "Something old, something new..."

"The 'new' will be easiest. Everything you wear will be 'new', will it not?" This was very true. The hardest part, truthfully, might be the 'something old' part. I had no doubts someone would be willing to lend Deirdre something. "As for the borrowed, I believe the tradition is to borrow something from someone happily married." Then all we would need to do is mention it to Lady Ethlyn. "But you can incorporate the blue for the shared accessory. From what I've seen, Alicia is wearing a lot of blue anyway that day." Yes, I was. Lady Ethlyn insisted. "So, you said the custom comes from your home?"

"In my village deep in the Spirit Forest, yes." She smiled shyly, half-hiding behind me. This was made all the weirder because this was the first proper conversation the two'd had. Chulainn usually remained silent when she and I interacted. "I haven't seen many weddings, so..."

"Right, you were isolated." Chulainn glanced to the side for some reason. I did the same, wondering what was wrong, and it was only then I realized we were surrounded by quite the crowd. The markets were busier than usual, and while deep in our conversation, neither Deirdre nor I had noticed. "How did you even meet Sigurd anyway?"

"Huh? Oh..." Deirdre blushed prettily. I, however, frowned. "I had... well, I snuck out of the village. I wasn't allowed to leave, but I loved watching people. They're so bright and colorful, most of the time. At one point, though, I was…" She flinched at the memory. "I was being harrassed by someone. I tried to escape, but they grabbed my arm hard, so I couldn't."

"At which point Sigurd appeared?"

"Yes..." Her brilliant smile paired with her blush really emphasized how pretty she was. Still, I remained tense, wondering why he was even asking. He knew most of this already. So, I looked around for some convenient distraction to change the topic, and lessen the chances of Deirdre letting something slip, but that was when I noticed something peculiar. "He and Alicia were out with Shannan, one of their daily walks to help him recover and give him a change of pace while he was on bedrest, but they both came to my aid as soon as they saw me. Sigurd dealt with the ruffian, and Alicia led me somewhere safe and checked me for injuries." Here we were, in the middle of a large crowd, and those nearby were blatantly listening. Yet unlike before, where they stared and whispered, they listened intently. Some nodded to themselves, and others even looked at Deirdre with sympathy. "They really are the nicest!."

"I see." Chulainn smiled faintly, but I saw he... he was not looking at Deirdre. He was looking at the crowd, assessing their reactions. "So, a love at first sight sort of thing." Deirdre immediately blushed a very, very dark red. "Huh. No wonder Alicia loves teasing you."

"Isn't it fun?" I joked, making myself smile. The crowd murmured around us, cheerful and light. No longer did they stare at us. They now chattered amongst themselves. "However, in the interest of somehow keeping things on track, how about matching hair accessories, Deirdre? You'll only wear the veil during the ceremony itself, yes?"

"Right, and then I get to keep it among my most prized possessions," Deirdre confirmed, beaming despite her terribly dark blush. I was a little worried she might faint with how red she was. "Thus, I get to hold onto your well-wishes forever! I'll need to figure out the best way to preserve it. I wouldn't want it to stain or unravel."

"I can always just fix it. The well-wishes won't fade, you know."

"It's still better to take care of it!"

Deirdre and I continued to banter as we wandered, looking around for anything which caught our eye. Eventually, we passed by a shop showcasing some beautiful hair accessories in their windows, and Deirdre stepped inside to make inquiries about a possible commission. I lingered back in the doorway with Chulainn, watching their conversation to judge when both were too distracted to pay attention to their surroundings. Only then did I turn to Chulainn with the smallest of frowns. He looked back, impassive and stoic as ever.

"While we were talking, you kept your eye on the crowd," I whispered. "I thought at first there was a threat, but instead, you asked those questions. Why?"

"She's an enigma, and thus, invites rumors upon rumors," Chulainn answered easily. I could only frown more. "This is not helped by the wild stories Verdane tells of the Spirit Forest and the denizens within." I... this was no doubt true, yet... "But give people a story, a truth, and they run with it. No longer is she some half-spirit creature who lives in between. She is a young woman who was isolated, yet curious. A young woman who longed for freedom and snuck away. A young woman who was accosted and suffered unwanted attention. A young woman who was saved by a knight, and fell in love with his kindness. It's a story gossips love."

So, he had asked to change their perception of Deirdre? "Why do so?"

"The wedding is close, and given how unknown she is, there will be no end to those who wish to tear down her reputation and spoil what should be a happy day. After all, she marries a highly regarded, and high ranked, lord. One who was notorious for his complete disinterest in any and all romance. There's already rumors of her putting a spell on Sigurd." The very idea was nonsense. There wasn't a spell for that anyway. "Now, however, there's another story. One of a sweet young woman who grew up alone and found love and happiness by seizing control of her own fate. That story is backed by eye-witnesses and her own actions, giving it more weight. Thus, those who start or spread the false rumors will come across as petty or ignorant, increasing the chances of them withering on the vine instead of passing through and bearing fruit."

"While all of that does answer my original 'why' question, I fear it also births a new 'why'." Namely, why would he try?

"If she is attacked as a witch, which is a possibility given how little of her background is known, then you would be in danger. Knowing you, you'd shield her as best as you could and be terribly injured in the process." He shrugged. "And, well, she is a kind young woman. Even I can get irritated."

"Of course you can. You always look it." So, it was both personal and as an extension of his duties? That seemed a little... "It sounds complicated to me, truthfully."

"And your medicines and textbooks make my head spin." I suppose he had a point. "Stick to what you do best and I'll do the same. Besides..." His voice dropped to a whisper, and a knowing light came into his eyes. "She has a secret you want to keep quiet." ...I would not react. I would not. I knew how to be calm in any situation. Even if my mind whirled on wondering how he had guessed, and who else might have done the same, I would remain calm. "Sate people's hunger with precious crumbs of information, and they don't dive in to gorge."

"And are you not curious yourself?" I was proud of how even my voice was. It was even light, like I was merely joking. "Do you not wonder about these supposed secrets?"

"Everyone has their secrets. Everyone has things they'd rather keep firmly in the dark." Something hard and cold settled in his expression. "So, no, not especially."

"I see." I had to look away then. "Um... I apologize if I insulted you."

"Huh?" Well, he was surprised. Did he not realize how he'd looked? "You didn't?"

"Good." If he didn't realize, then maybe it was better to not bring it up. "I suppose, then, I should thank you, for doing what you could to protect my best friend."

"I did it for my own reasons, so there is no need for thanks."

"I can still be grateful. It sounded like a lot of effort."

"I've told you before, but these sorts of things are easy."

"But were you not the one who reminded me 'easy' does not mean 'effortless'?" He also said this sort of thing was more effort than he usually put into a job.

"That's tearing down a respectable reputation. Boosting a good reputation is a trifle, and she does have a good one. It just needed reinforcement."

"That doesn't negate my statement."

"It wasn't a lot of effort."

"So, it was only some. I still should thank you for it."

"I'm back!" Deirdre thankfully returned before Chulainn could retort, meaning I won the mini-argument. It was silly how gleeful that made me, particularly since he looked a little grumpy. "Is… everything all right?" she asked, looking between us. I'm sure we looked like quite a pair, with me barely fighting back giggles and Chulainn scowling. "Um…"

"Everything is fine, Deirdre," I answered, since I was definitely not explaining. I didn't even know how to explain. "So, are we finished here?"

"Yes, she'll make them for us!" Deirdre's smile was bright. "Though I'm not telling what it is~! It'll be a surprise for you!"

"Oh?" I was a little worried, truthfully, but I shrugged it off. After all, if it was her, I'd love it no matter what. "Well, the commission should serve as enough evidence, so shall we find something for Altena and Ares?"

"Yes!"

We spent the better part of the next couple of hours hunting for gifts not only for the babies, but for practically everyone. Thankfully, no one minded?

Sometimes, Shannan didn't make it to morning lessons with Chulainn. It was rare, and usually because someone told him to rest or Deirdre asked for help. It was always a bit of a shame, since Shannan blossomed under Chulainn's tutelage, but he always returned the next day eager to learn more. And it wasn't as if Chulainn's other students didn't benefit from the extra attention.

"Finn, you need to guard your legs more." Though, I was not certain if Finn and Lord Oifeye would say it was a 'benefit', since Chulainn was more hands-on when it came to their lessons. For someone who claimed he didn't spar, he certainly had no qualms about fighting the two to prove his points. "Anyone attacking you will aim for your horse since they're the bigger target and that means your legs are more likely to get hit. And focus on your whole surroundings. Keep your eyes on the skies too much, and it'll be the ground that swallows you up." He managed two brutal, by my eye, hits to Finn's legs and slipped around to land a third on Lord Oifeye's shoulder. "You spend too much time thinking, Oifeye. You don't have time for elaborate strategies during battles. Quick tricks are all you need. Save the fancy stuff for the war room and focus more on anticipating your opponent's attacks."

I would fully admit I didn't actually 'study' much the days Shannan was not at morning lessons. I spent more time watching worriedly than I did reading, simply because of how much harder Chulainn went after Finn and Oifeye.

"Chulainn, let them get some water," I called out eventually, my worries overriding my faith in everyone's abilities. Chulainn glanced over at me in acknowledgement and winded the lesson down so the two could stumble over to my bench and guzzle some water. "Don't drink so quickly! You'll make yourselves sick!" I picked up towels and dropped them on their heads, patting the worst of the sweat off Lord Oifeye before switching to Finn. "Easy, easy..."

"Take a walk to cool down, you two," Chulainn ordered, joining us. He was barely sweating, and didn't seem out of breath at all. I handed him water anyway. "Any more, and I think Alicia might scold me."

"Worse, I'll give you my worst tasting medicines." I smiled at the boys, and nudged them off. "Still, you'd better listen and walk." Both of them listened, as they always did, already talking quietly about the lessons and other strategies. I was glad to see their spirits remained high since neither of them could walk straight. "Chulainn..."

"They both learn quickly." He sipped the water and I offered him a towel. "That's a good thing. Finn already fights on the battlefield, and Oifeye will be of age soon."

"Is that why you're so much harder on them?"

"They have less time to learn." So, that was a 'yes'. "Less time to knock the bad habits out of them."

"I suppose that's why you're more 'in between' for Dew?" He wasn't nearly as hands-on as he was with Finn and Lord Oifeye, but he wasn't as slow as he was with Shannan.

"Dew only needs to learn enough for him to run away. He'll never be fighting on the front lines. But the other three are more likely to be in situations where they have to fight to the death." He turned slightly so he could keep an eye on the boys as they walked. "Doesn't help they still have the youthful stubbornness that comes from never hitting your body's hard limits."

"If they pass out during one of these lessons, I will be mad at you." Shaking my head, I sat back down on the bench and attempted to return to my studying. However, when I did, I noticed Sir Alec walking over. Why was he here? "Oh, hello there."

"Good morning, everyone~!" Sir Alec greeted cheerfully. He had a definite skip in his step, for some reason. "Lady Alicia, you are looking as lovely as ever."

"Do I have to examine you for a head injury again?" I asked, fighting back a sigh. It had been a while since he spoke so frivolously with me. "What brings you out here?"

"Must I have a reason?" No, but I knew Sir Alec well enough to know he would not seek me out for entertainment. "Well, I do have one. Lord Sigurd wishes to see you in his office." He did? Was there something he forgot to say during our morning meeting? "And your trusty guard, of course. Though, Chulainn, since she'll obviously be perfectly safe with Sigurd, would you like to head out and have a drink instead?"

"No," Chulainn refused, quick and no-nonsense. It was even a little curt, which was unlike him. Blunt as he usually was, he always spoke politely. "I'm on duty."

"Denied yet again," Sir Alec bemoaned, shaking his head. "What a shame my charms don't work on you."

"You are, very much, not my type."

"And, what is your type?" Sir Alec grinned, but Chulainn... he looked uncomfortable. "Just out of curiosity." So, I...

"His type has whiskers, soft fur, and makes adorable meows," I 'answered', marking my place in my book and closing it with a louder 'thwump' than necessary. Chulainn glanced at me, and I was certain I saw 'relief' in his eyes. "Wait, it's not only cats. I've found you with dogs, squirrels, rabbits, birds..."

"Wasn't the bird your brother's personal falcon?" Chulainn 'asked', tone perfectly dry. Still, he wasn't wrong; Arvis had heard from Sigurd I had a guard, and had immediately written to all-but-interrogate me about him. I'd written back how I felt perfectly safe, and that was all he needed to know for now. "Wait, you said he was 'one' of them."

"Arvis keeps many." I stood up and dusted off my skirts. Right around then, Finn and Lord Oifeye finished their lap and slowed to a stop near us. "Ah, boys, Sigurd asked for Chulainn and me. Will you two be alright?"

"We... should be, Lady Alicia," Lord Oifeye answered, his eyes darting between the three of us. It didn't take long at all for him to focus on Sir Alec, with a very distinct frown. "I think we still have the bruise balm you made us from before."

"Though I, at least, will need more soon," Finn added, his smile adorably sheepish. He rather pointedly ignored Sir Alec, and I wondered if the two of them could sense Chulainn's discomfort. "Actually, can we learn how to make it?"

"Oh, yeah, that might be good."

"We'll incorporate it into our next lesson, once we finish with the current," I agreed, smiling warmly. I was so glad they still liked the lessons. "There's a few different ones, so you can experiment and decide what works best for you. For now..." I looked up at Chulainn and he nodded. "We'll head off. Sir Alec, can you make sure they make it to their rooms for baths and rest? They're both notorious for diving straight into studying after their lessons."

Both Finn and Lord Oifeye protested the need for a babysitter, despite how neither of them could look me in the eye when claiming they'd behave. Sir Alec laughed at them both and nudged them into the castle, teasing them all the while. Chulainn and I went the opposite way, taking a long and leisurely route to Sigurd's office to give Chulainn some time to recover from the lesson and the conversation. It was, admittedly, more of the latter than the former, but the former was a good enough excuse.

When we reached the hallway leading to Sigurd's office, Chulainn suddenly whispered, "thank you." His voice was terribly soft; despite being right next to him, I barely heard the words. "It is wearying to refuse so many times."

"I was right; you were uncomfortable," I replied, talking just as softly. I even stepped a little closer so he could hear me better. "I'll let Sigurd know, so he can make him stop."

"It won't work; he'll ignore it." He said it casually, and shook his head when I frowned. "Alec does not ask to be social. He asks because he wishes to pry answers out of me, under the pretense of a friendly drink. It is his duty to find information for his lord, even against his lord's own wishes."

"You'd think he'd be too busy." I knew Sir Alec was researching the warehouses for Dietrich. At the moment, he was reviewing previous reports to see if there was anything which had been dismissed before, but was now suspicious. "I will phrase it differently, but I will still tell him. If nothing else, it may lead him to back off and give you a break."

"Perhaps." He didn't sound hopeful about it. "Maybe I should accept one day and drink him under the table."

"Can you do that?"

"Possibly. I have a high alcohol tolerance and even when I am drunk, most don't realize it."

"Hmm... yes, I suppose it is difficult to imagine you drunk." I studied his face, and he looked back curiously. "You don't seem the sort to babble your innermost secrets once the alcohol hits your system."

"No, I am a quiet drunk."

"Given how quiet you usually are, you must be absolutely silent." I smiled a little, and he ducked his head to hide his own. "Well, let me know if you plan to do so. I will make sure I have hangover remedies ready for you."

"I won't need them, but Alec will."

"No, they'll be for you alone. Sir Alec can endure, if he is going to be so rude in the name of duty." After all, I remembered what he'd said the other day. 'Everyone had their secrets' and, as such, Chulainn respected a person's choice to remain silent. And I knew what it was like to hide. I'd spent all my life hiding, after all.

"So you say, but you'll have them ready anyway." He smiled slightly, expression a little soft. "You're much too devoted to healing to leave someone hurting, after all. Particularly when the person is someone you know, and do respect."

"...I'll at least make sure it's the foulest tasting ones." It was almost unfair how right he was. I did respect Sir Alec. He worked tirelessly on his duties, for all his frivolous behavior when off-duty, and I remembered the gratitude he'd given me at Yngvi. I'd hold onto his words forever. "I know Leonster's recipe now, and I agree with Finn. It does look like the drainage from an abscess, and the smell isn't much better."

"Right, I've seen those. One whiff was enough to make me swear never to drink in the Munster District." Chulainn sighed. "I don't know how the Free Knights were able to stomach it, the one time I had a job with them."

"Free Knights?"

"Band of mercenaries, led by a fellow named 'Voltz'. They normally operate in Munster, taking care of minor skirmishes the 'true' knights can't deal with because of the fighting with Thracia. Bandits don't exactly stop pillaging while there's a war." No, I suppose not. If anything, they'd be more likely to pillage then. "Though I did hear some rumor they left for whatever reason. Not sure where they ended up if so."

"So, rumors don't hold all the answers?"

"Rumors are a tool of investigation, not the full arsenal. You don't see Alec relying on them alone." He paused for a second and smiled faintly. "Wait, you were trying to make a joke, weren't you?"

"Perhaps." I grinned at him and he only shook his head, his smile becoming boyish. "Ah, but here is Sigurd's office. Let's see what he needs?"

The door was partially open when we arrived, but I knocked on the door anyway to be polite. At Sigurd's 'come in', we both entered, closing the door behind us. The office was almost the same as when I left a few hours ago, but there were a couple of differences. Namely, there was a small pile of letters and packages on Sigurd's desk, with Lord Eldigan and Deirdre attempting to open the largest of them. Sigurd watched with a smile, while holding onto two letters and a package, for some reason.

"Now, what's this?" I asked, using that as my greeting. The trio in the room turned to smile at me. "I take it this is why you asked Sir Alec to find me?"

"Yes, they arrived shortly after you left and we only just finished sorting through," Sigurd explained, with a light laugh. He then handed me the letters and package he'd been holding. "These are yours."

"They are?" I eyed them dubiously, even though the writing on one of the letters was familiar. "Who are they from?"

"Uh... well..." His smile became a little awkward, which gave me a very large hint. "Father sent the messenger, but as usual, Ring and Prince Kurth took advantage, so from all three?" I was right. One of these letters... must be from Prince Kurth. I mean; I had finally managed to reply to the first one, sending it off before I thought twice, so it would make sense if he had sent his own. That might also explain the package. But who was the other letter from? I couldn't think of why Duke Ring or Duke Byron would write me. "There's a lot because all three like splurging, and Father has a habit of sending things in bulk because of how little he likes writing letters."

"Didn't he send you fifteen at once, back at the Academy?" Lord Eldigan asked, continuing to help Deirdre open the largest package. It wasn't bulky, but it was apparently very thoroughly wrapped. "Quan and I wondered how he had so much to say, but all of them together barely made a paragraph."

"Meanwhile, Ethlyn was sending me daily letters, each five papers thick," Sigurd sighed, shaking his head. His slight smile hinted he hadn't minded in the slightest. "Anyway, having fun there?"

"Byron's meticulousness unfortunately leads to him wrapping packages with enough paper to make a book and make it more secure than an army's convoy." Lord Eldigan eyed it warily. "I'm tempted to use Mystletainn on it." It could not be so tightly wrapped it required a Holy Weapon!

"Should I go grab it?"

"Well…"

"I cannot believe this is actually being considered," I sighed, shaking my head. Deirdre, meanwhile, was picking at the paper with a determined little frown, paying no heed to the conversation. Shaking his head, Chulainn silently went over to assist. "What's wrong with a letter opener or a dagger?"

"My letter opener is buried in the mess," Sigurd admitted without a trace of shame. I was still trying to figure out how three people couldn't get the thing unwrapped. Chulainn even looked confused by it! "And I don't carry a dagger on me."

"Do not both you and Lord Eldigan have boosted strength?"

"Eldigan's afraid of breaking the thing."

"This does not explain you."

"I'm having fun watching." He grinned, and I could only shake my head. "What? They're adorable! Look at the little frowns!"

"They are, but still..." Happy shouts cut me off, and we turned to see they had successfully removed most of the wrapping. "I take it this is a victory well earned?"

"It is!" Deirdre confirmed, grinning widely. "Though I do feel bad since this is apparently mine, but I couldn't open it alone."

"I'm impressed you all got it open so quickly," Sigurd noted, wandering over to stand behind her. Chulainn, just as silently as ever, returned to stand beside me. "I thought we'd have to figure out where my letter opener went before Alicia examined all our heads."

"It's thanks to Eldigan and Chulainn. I was tempted to burn it with light magic, but I didn't want to burn the gift with it." Such phrases were not usually said with so bright a smile, but Deirdre somehow made it work. "Now then..." She carefully pulled the last of the wrapping away to reveal a beautifully decorated wooden box. It wasn't until she opened the lid that I realized it was a jewelry box and, even then, it was because the inside was practically filled with all manner of jewelry. "Oh...!"

"Wow, that's a lot." Sigurd rested a hand on her shoulder and brushed a kiss over her hair. It was a testament to Deirdre's wonder she did not blush. "Hey, wait..." He reached in then and plucked out a beautiful silver and diamond necklace, sparkling in the sunlight. "I know this one. It's my mother's."

"Eh?"

"Is that not the necklace Byron usually carries with him?" Lord Eldigan asked, studying it himself. He had stepped back to better watch the two, and did so with a faint smile. "I think it's also the necklace Hiordis wore the one time I met her."

"Yes, it was Mother's favorite. Father had been arranged to marry a noblewoman from Edda as a child, but he and Mother met and fell in love. So, he gave her this necklace as a promise he would find a way to break the engagement and return to her." Sigurd smiled softly and sadly. "Mother never took it off, even after he fulfilled his promise. He's held onto it ever since she died."

"Until now, clearly." Lord Eldigan's voice was gentle, and Sigurd's smile turned grateful. I wondered if he was making sure Sigurd kept grounded in the present. "I wonder why."

"Y-yes, why is such a precious thing here?" Deirdre breathed, her eyes wide. She gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh no, did it fall out of his pocket?"

"I somehow doubt that," I replied, already thinking of a possible reason. Judging by how Lord Eldigan had to fight off a laugh, I had a feeling he thought the same. "Is there not a letter?"

"Ah! Yes!" Deirdre immediately found it and unfolded it to skim through. Then she read through a little more slowly, tears filling her eyes. "Oh..." I snuck closer and used my sleeve to wipe away the tears which slipped down her face. "No, he's... he's giving it to me..." So, I had guessed correctly. "He's... Urr..." She sniffed and started crying, pushing the letter into my hands before covering her face. Sigurd immediately hugged her, letting her cry happy tears into his chest.

I knew I should have folded the letter and either waited or walked away to give her some time and space. However, I was a terrible person and the letter was still unfolded, so I could not check the urge to read through. It was fine; Lord Eldigan moved behind me to blatantly do the same.

'I am not one to mince words, so do forgive my bluntness. The situation here demands I remain and, to be frank, you don't need an awkward old man ruining your blessed day. Still, I wanted to gift something to the one who somehow managed to catch my son's eye. As it so happens, one of the merchants who passed by had jewelry in his wares. Since I do not know your preferences, I bought them all. Prince Kurth picked out the jewelry box, and I enclosed my wife's favorite necklace within. Sigurd, I'm sure, will tell you how she gained it. Hiordis loved to brag, and Sigurd ever adored listening to her stories. As for why I have gifted it to you... well, it is simply something Hiordis told me once. I had asked if she would ever take it off, as a passing jest, and she declared she would not... not until Sigurd was wed and she could give it to his bride. Thus, I have held onto it all these years in her place, and I ask you now keep it safe for me.

I look forward to meeting you, Deirdre.'

"I do believe this is the most I've seen him write in one letter," Lord Eldigan noted after we finished reading. I looked on the front and back for a signature, frowning when I couldn't find it. "Oh, he never signs his personal letters. Something about signatures only being used for official things. It's a quirk of his."

"I suppose he did put enough context clues to make his identity obvious?" I replied, still frowning. Why would you not sign it? It felt against proper etiquette. Then again, he was a high ranked and popular lord who was close friends and advisor to the Crown Prince. He could easily get away with bad manners. "But this is the most he writes?"

"He's not fond of writing. I think even for reports he writes in some shorthand code he taught Oifeye just to reduce how much he has to write."

"...What an odd man."

"Of course he's odd. He raised Sigurd and Ethlyn." He had a point there. "Ah, looks like..." He tapped my shoulder and pointed to where Deirdre had finally calmed down and Sigurd gently rubbed her back. "Feel a little less overwhelmed, Deirdre?" She shyly nodded, ducking her head in embarrassment. "Good. Sigurd, Byron must be excited. He actually wrote her a paragraph."

"Wow, he never puts that much effort into writing," Sigurd joked, even laughing. He smiled warmly at Deirdre, who smiled back hesitantly. "My dear, may I put the necklace on you?" She nodded and pulled her hair over her shoulder to make it easier for him. It still took him a moment to figure out the clasp. "There we go."

"It's so pretty..." she murmured, gently touching the pendant. "Oh, I wonder if this qualifies for something old..." Silence fell and she blushed when she realized why. "Oh, wait, that was aloud, wasn't it? Um..."

"Something old?"

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," Lord Eldigan recited easily. It made sense; Chulainn said it was an Agustrian rhyme, after all. "It's an old rhyme wishing good fortune for a wedding. It's why Grahnye joked someone should carry you during my wedding, remember?"

"Oh, yes, that's right," Sigurd laughed, obviously having fun with the memory. Deirdre smiled sheepishly. "I think she settled with a ribbon, didn't she?"

"She did, after my father refused to indulge our ridiculousness." Wait, so would they have really done it if he hadn't? "I'm impressed you know the rhyme, Deirdre. Most outside of Agustria don't."

"Oh, no, I can't take credit," Deirdre murmured, looking down shyly. She then smiled sweetly at Chulainn. "Chulainn suggested it, actually. In the Spirit Forest, the bride and the maid of honor wear a matching accessory, so we wondered what would suit both our colorings and he told me about the rhyme. I commissioned the accessories and they..." She trailed off, glancing at me awkwardly. "Um..."

"I fear I should step away now, since Deirdre is determined to keep it a surprise," I said, giving her an out. She smiled gratefully, and sheepishly. "Was there anything else you need me for?"

"No, I wanted to deliver those right away," Sigurd explained, barely muffling laughter. His eyes still shone with mirth. "So, what is missing for the rhyme, by the way?"

"I believe we need the 'something borrowed'."

"Ethlyn will sulk through the whole ceremony if we don't let her fulfill that role."

"In that case, how about I let her know now so she has time to pick what she wants to lend?" Lord Eldigan suggested, already heading to the door. "I should also make sure Altena hasn't somehow managed to convince Ares into making trouble with her."

"She certainly tries very hard!" Deirdre laughed, clapping her hands. Apparently, Ares did not like to adventure, and Altena did and tried to drag Ares along. "She actually tried to pull him yesterday, but Ares yanked her back."

"...Yeah, I definitely need to check. I don't need her teaching him anything. She's definitely got Ethlyn's mischief." Lord Eldigan caught my eye and nodded to the door, and I nodded and followed him after giving Deirdre the letter back. "Oh, but before I forget, Lachesis would like to have tea with you, Deirdre, but is too shy to ask directly. Would you mind?"

"Oh! I would love to!" Deirdre beamed, and I remembered how Lady Ethlyn said Lady Lachesis may take a while to warm to her. Was this a sign she was or a way to learn about her? "I'll let her know myself!"

"I appreciate it." The three of us left then, with Lord Eldigan shutting the door behind us. "And now I have to deal with Lachesis fretting over what kind of tea to serve. Still, it's better than her staring and trying to work up the courage to ask directly."

"Deirdre is particularly fond of teas with mild flavors, with a hint of fruit," I answered without thinking about it, already heading for my workshop. Chulainn fell in step next to me. "The mix I'm making for her includes apples, blackberry leaves, lemon balm, and rose petals." There were a few more ingredients as well, but these were the base for the tea. The rest was still being adjusted to suit Deirdre's tastes.

"That sounds more like a bouquet than a tea." Lord Eldigan caught up with me easily, and adjusted his pace to ensure he didn't overtake me. "Then again, Agustrian teas are very simple, with at most three ingredients. Most only have one."

"I would recommend a chamomile, rose, or lemon balm tea, then." So, they were simple? That was rather interesting, since Grannvale's always consisted of four or more ingredients, if they weren't specifically medicinal. "Ah, but speaking of Lady Lachesis..."

"Oh, bloodied gods, what did she do?"

"I... pardon?" What had Lady Lachesis done in the past for that to be his initial reaction? "It's nothing troublesome. She has simply been staring at me as well, and I fear Chulainn is in danger of losing his temper because of how bad she is at sneaking and hiding."

"I'm sorry; Agustria isn't known for stealth, and those of Hodr's line are even worse than most since all of us are used to using our strength to break out of trouble." I could not, for the life of me, decide if he was joking or not. "But she is staring, you say?"

"Yes. Lady Ethlyn once told me she watched to see if I was as skilled as others claimed. Is this still the case?"

"She's..." He sighed heavily and shook his head. "That girl... really, you wouldn't think she was so shy, given her personality most days." So, was this a 'yes' or...? "She wants to learn from you." Pardon? "She tried to ask during our previous stay, but every time she peeked into your infirmary or workshop, you were busy and she did not want to interrupt you." Then had she lingered in hopes of finding a time when I was no longer 'busy' and stared so she would not miss her chance? "She wants to learn more about staves in particular, since there are so few who can teach her in Nordion."

"I see." Now that I thought about it, she had been very attentive while helping me, even whispering some bits to herself like she was committing them to memory. "Well, I teach the boys with some regularity. It's mostly medicines and herbalism, though there is the occasional lesson for sewing. I won't mind if she joins them, and I doubt they would either. We can work out a time for staff lessons as well." Oh, maybe she can learn in the mornings while Chulainn taught the boys?

"I'll let her know." He smiled softly. "Thank you for indulging her."

"It's really no trouble. If anything, I feel I should apologize. I'm not one to sit idle; I have to actively work to relax, if that makes sense."

"Completely."

Neither of us spoke more as Lord Eldigan escorted me to my workshop, and after seeing him off, Chulainn and I settled into our usual spots, me at the table and him leaning against the wall. There, I looked over the package and letters, and decided to open the package first since I guessed it was from Prince Kurth. I could not fathom Duke Byron or Duke Ring getting me a gift, after all.

Inside the package were two books: one fiction and one nonfiction. The nonfiction book was medical, detailing common and uncommon medicines in the Edda region. A quick flip through the fictional book proved it was a story not unlike Deirdre's favorite, a tale of knights and battles and romance. While it was easy to guess why he'd gotten me the medical book, I did not know why he had bought me the tale. Did he see me reading Deirdre's favorite and think it was something I usually read? ...No, that didn't sound like him. He would've asked first.

Frowning now, I set both to the side and picked up the letter with familiar writing. As I expected, it was from Prince Kurth and it confirmed the books were, indeed, from him.

'I mentioned the numerous merchants who delight in taking advantage of the armies to sell their wares, yes? One would think being near a warzone would make them skittish, but most laugh when I suggest it. Something about how all travel has its dangers and they know how to make a run for it before things get bad. I'll admit to not understanding, but merchants know their trade well. Regardless, I saw these books among one merchant's wares, and snagged both before I thought twice. The medical textbook is one Claud references frequently (Very. Frequently.), and the other... it is one Cigyun read to you.'

I had to pause then, not certain how to feel about the last sentence. Surprise was there, as well as some frustration. Yet, somehow, there was also some sort of warm... nostalgia. Perhaps that was the word. Whatever it was, the mix settled poorly in my heart and it took a great deal of effort to continue reading instead of running away from the feelings.

'I am not certain if you would like seeing it, given everything. But I remember how you would curl up next to her, babbling happily as she read to you. And it did not feel right to assume one way or the other about how you would feel about it. So, I decided to send it as well.'

There was more, of course, both before and after those key sections. This time, there was a note of hope I would continue replying, but I knew he would understand if I chose against it. He would also be baffled and grateful if I did. He did not expect anything, and wanted to respect my choices. Even with things that may or may not be uncomfortable for me, even with things he already had guesses on, he wanted me to choose. He was very keen on letting people choose; he did it with Cigyun, after all.

I set the letter down and opened the tale again, eyeing it critically now that I knew why he had sent it. This was something Cigyun had read to me and it did not escape me it had been her, not my mother, who read it. Even the other memory he'd shared back in Velthomer had been about Cigyun and me, with no mention of my mother. If I had to be fair, it could be bias. He still loved Cigyun. But it would make sense if my mother hadn't spent time with me, if she had wanted as little to do with me as possible. She threw me away in the name of safety. Perhaps... perhaps Cigyun had been more like a 'mother' to me. If so, then her disappearance... it had already been painful, both out of sympathy for Arvis's pain and out of the belief my life would have been better if she hadn't left. But now, there was a new pain, dull and insistent. If I was right, if she had been 'my' mother as she had been Arvis's, then why had she abandoned us? Why had she run away and left us behind? There were no answers, and there would never be answers. If there were, Arvis would've found them by now. But I wanted them. For the first time, I wanted them.

...If I saw Prince Kurth again... no, when I saw him again, maybe I would ask. Maybe I would ask about Cigyun, about my mother. Maybe I would ask about what happened after my father's tantrum-turned-suicide. Maybe I would ask about why they didn't use me as evidence back then. Maybe I would ask what he knew about her disappearance. He... he would answer me, I think. As best as he could, to the fullest extent of his knowledge, he would answer me.

"Is everything well?" Chulainn asked softly then, jarring me from my thoughts. I wondered how long I had been staring at the book in my hands. "Your expression locked up."

"It is..." I began, wondering how to explain. Did I want to? "I..."

"Ah." It was all he said, but it meant everything. He wouldn't ask further. He wouldn't prompt. He recognized the matter was complicated and quietly rescinded the question. "You have another letter." Instead, he gently redirected my attention, reminding me there were other things I could do until I was settled enough to think of how to reply. I wondered if it would take over a month like the last one.

But that was for another time. Right now, I gave him the most grateful smile I could muster and opened the other letter. Of course, as soon as I read it, I had to quickly muffle laughter. Calling this a letter was a gross overstatement. It was naught but a single line! 'Thank you for making sure my idiot son didn't die.'

"Why did Lord Byron waste paper for this?" I couldn't help but ask, passing the note to Chulainn. He took one look at it, and ducked his head to hide his smile. "It's not even signed!" Yes, Lord Eldigan had said Duke Byron never signed personal letters, but this was ridiculous!

"I suppose he thought the subject and writer were obvious?" Chulainn suggested, trying to go back to being stoic. It took him much longer than usual. "You should show Sigurd and Ethlyn."

"I will, later." I retrieved the note from him and cracked open the medical book to start studying. If even Father Claud referenced it, then it had to be a very interesting read. "For now, let's get some work done. I have done nothing all day."

"Don't you study while I teach?"

"I was extra worried about the boys today, so I barely read a thing."

"You should have more faith in their ability to endure."

"I'm a healer; it's my job to fret."

We went back and forth for a little while before sitting in comfortable silence, and the rest of my day proceeded as usual. But that night, I decided to start reading the tale Prince Kurth had sent, one chapter at a time. I still didn't know what to feel about it, but maybe I would have an answer by the time I finished. It would be nice if I did, at least.

Lady Lachesis showed up to lessons the very next day, strangely hesitant given how headstrong and fiery she was in my memories. Lord Oifeye didn't think anything weird about it, and dragged her into the group with ease. Thus, my lessons became for five instead of four, but it didn't make anything harder. The only change to my routine at all was Lady Lachesis had her staff lessons while Chulainn taught the boys, though I had a feeling this was only because she wanted to learn as much as possible about staves before returning to Nordion. Otherwise, I think she would've joined them there as well.

"So, this one is best for bruises, and this one is valued for its hemostatic properties..." Lady Lachesis murmured, frowning over her notes at the table. She did this every day after our lessons in my workshop, to ensure she understood everything. She usually did. She was a very quick learner, even quicker than Finn and Lord Oifeye. "Wow, there's so many herbs. I haven't even heard of half of these."

"Some are herbs unique to Verdane, since we're staying here," Finn helpfully explained, sparing a moment to smile at her before returning to his sweeping. He and Lord Oifeye had lingered to help clean my workshop since they had no other duties for the day for once. Shannan and Dew, sadly, did have plans. Shannan had his sword lessons with Ayra, and Dew was filling in for the messengers again. "She's been teaching us about the ones used in Leonster for me, though."

"This is so interesting!" Lady Lachesis beamed. "Ah, how in the world am I going to memorize all this, though?"

"I have some tricks I can show you?"

"Really? Thanks!"

"I can also show you my notes, Lady Lachesis," Lord Oifeye offered, dusting off my shelves. I would usually do that before sweeping, but I'd let them figure it out on their own. For now, I was making tea in the corner, with Chulainn standing near so he was out of their way. "I tend to write down everything."

"I knew that already; you're the one who made yourself a manual for taking care of armor," Lady Lachesis teased. Lord Oifeye made a face at her, while Finn looked intrigued. "But I will happily take the notes and study help!"

"Lady Alicia also doesn't mind answering questions."

"I noticed, but I don't want to bother her when she's working…"

"That's like saying you don't want to interrupt Alec when he's flirting. It's always happening." Hey now, I was getting better at breaks! "So long as no one is bleeding or dying, you can ask."

"Even if it's something stupid like 'what does the ceron flower look like again?'?"

"It's very distinctive with gold petals and a red center. It also never blooms in sunlight, only in moonlight." Lord Oifeye paused when Lady Lachesis sulked at how easily he answered. "But yes, even then. There's no such thing as a stupid question." She continued to sulk, so he deftly changed the subject. "By the way, you'd best brace yourself." He grinned teasingly. "I fear there will be a significant increase in the number of times you hear 'when is it going to be your turn?'."

"Blech, don't remind me!" Lady Lachesis immediately made a face, her pout disappearing in an instant. "I was already dealing with it, and they're going to stop being subtle."

"They were subtle before?"

"Ha! Fair." She sighed gustily, shaking her head. "But that is neither here nor there. I will not marry anyone-"

"Of a lesser caliber than Lord Eldigan, Lord Sigurd, and Prince Quan. Yes, I know." The way Lord Oifeye said it implied he'd heard it many times. She simply grinned in return. I noted the inclusion of her brother's best friends and wondered if the rumors Chulainn had heard 'conveniently forgot' she had two others she used as her standard. I even glanced at him, but he didn't pay me any mind. He was too busy helping Finn move things for sweeping. "Please don't break people's arms. Again."

"Look, that only happened once! I forgot people's bones were fragile!" Considering bones were actually very strong, I could only think this was a testament to the strength Hodr's blood gave. "And it was at a joint anyway!" Ah, this was more plausible. Joints could be very weak. "A-anyway, you'll have to deal with it in a couple of years yourself."

"I highly doubt it."

"Holy Blood is always sought after, you know."

"Oh, no, I do not doubt people will want to." Lord Oifeye smiled innocently. "However, I also highly doubt Lord Sigurd will let them say two words on the subject. And if they do, I will simply tell him and let him take care of it as he did with those who wanted to betroth Lady Ethlyn and me."

"I would pay to see that show again!" Lady Lachesis cackled, leaning back in the chair almost enough to tip it over. She easily caught herself. "Oh, it was so glorious!"

"...Does this have something to do with a lake?" Finn hesitantly asked. The only response was more cackling, this time from Lord Oifeye and Lady Lachesis both. "Ah. So it is." He turned to Chulainn and me, smiling apologetically. "I don't actually know the full story. Every time Prince Quan or Lady Ethlyn tried to tell me, they'd collapse with laughter. It took ten tries before I could even glean the detail about the lake."

"Something tells me we are all better off without knowing," I replied, bringing the tea over at last. Chulainn, meanwhile, looked thoughtful. "So, should we-?"

"When was this?" Chulainn suddenly asked. I frowned at him, but he ignored me. "Four years ago?" Lord Oifeye and Lady Lachesis were still laughing, but Lord Oifeye managed a nod. "Ah, I wonder if this is connected to the job I had in the area around then. The clients were insistent they were being haunted by the ghosts of their ancestors." This led to a resurgence in the laughter. Just what had happened? "I was asked to find components to some sort of ritual."

"I take it you didn't ask further."

"I learned very early the jobs you question are not the weird ones. It's the simple ones that always lead to high body counts."

"How delightful." With that bit of sarcasm, I poured the tea and beckoned Lord Oifeye and Finn to join Lady Lachesis at the table. "Here you are. It's a raspberry and lemon mix."

"Is that why the color is so red?" Lady Lachesis asked, watching me pour the tea in utter fascination. She always showed a childlike glee over simple things like this; I should make a blue one next time. I knew just the flower for it. "Oh, right, Chulainn, how old are you?" That was… a random question. Chulainn stilled at it, but he didn't seem uncomfortable. I think… I think he was trying to remember. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. But if you were a mercenary four years ago, you're probably older than I was thinking."

"I... am twenty-one," Chulainn answered, speaking a little slower than usual. It was like he had to think even as he spoke. "I've been a mercenary since I was sixteen."

"Oh, so you're about the age I was thinking then. I didn't realize people became mercenaries so young." A very awkward silence fell then. Chulainn even looked bitterly amused. "Er... I just showed how sheltered I am, didn't I?" She looked down, pulling her hair over her shoulder to try and hide her face. "Um..."

"There's nothing wrong with learning," Finn told her softly. He made sure to smile, even though she refused to look up. "I didn't realize how limited my own worldview was until I came here." He mentioned something similar, when he asked to learn from Chulainn. "I think most people only know a small part of the world until and unless they make an effort to learn. That goes from the nobles in their castles to the children on the streets. You may know all there is to know about the world you see, but that's all it is. The world you see. That's why we always encounter surprises when we venture beyond." Deciding that was enough philosophy for today, he pointedly took a sip of his tea and changed the subject entirely. "Speaking of surprises, I'm rather surprised by how unperturbed by everything Lord Eldigan is."

"Hmm?" Lady Lachesis replied, hesitantly looking up. She raised her head fully when she saw Lord Oifeye and Finn were smiling gently. "What do you mean?"

"About Lord Sigurd's marriage." Finn made a face. Lord Oifeye actually snickered. "Prince Quan complained of the secrecy every hour, on the hour, for a solid two days. Impressive considering we were planning our final push through Verdane at the same time."

"Eldigan can never be angry or exasperated with Sigurd. Not for long, at least." She smiled softly. "Sigurd is his first friend, you see. Between shyness, and most people being terrified of his strength, he wasn't close to anyone. And then Sigurd the shining whirlwind showed up." She scowled then. "Meaning when we got Sigurd's letter, Eldigan was laughing and completely unconcerned, while I freaked out over this strange lady who was somehow marrying Sigurd!" This definitely matched their replies. "Hah... and I was so determined to be suspicious of her too. It's just weird. I've seen people all but throw themselves at him, do everything but slip into his bed naked-"

"Someone actually did that," Lord Oifeye revealed, sipping his tea. It did not hide his grin. "My lord stared for a moment and then apologized, closed the door, and walked away. He thought he'd gone to the wrong room while exhausted."

"Of course he did," Lady Lachesis sighed. She fiddled with her teacup, eyes distant. "So, it was bizarre. I know stories are only stories, but I had to wonder if there was some aphrodisiac or love potion."

"The latter does not exist."

"It made more sense than Sigurd meeting someone and falling in love. He's always been like the sun, shining brightly without any longing for company. Then bam! Mystery woman wins his heart." She made a face. "Yet I meet her and she's like the moon to his sun. She's sweet, she adores him, and gods' blood, she's freaking gorgeous. How can I not like her?"

"Ah, yes, you've always been weak for pretty faces."

"I don't need to hear that from you, mister. Which of us nearly got himself sold as a slave because he trusted a pretty lady?"

"I'm not Alec! She said she needed help! It had nothing to do with how pretty she was!"

"So, you admit she was pretty."

"That's not the point!"

The two dissolved into playful bickering, which Finn tried to mediate. I thought about doing the same, but decided against it since I didn't think there was much harm in it. Instead, I slipped to Chulainn's side and quietly asked, "do you want some tea?"

"No," he answered, immediate yet polite. He watched the trio at the table with some amusement. "I'm fine."

"I see..." I had to admit it was troubling. I'd like to do more for him, and making tea was one of the few things I was good at besides healing and sewing. "Ayra and Shannan do not seem particularly fond of tea either." They would drink it if offered, of course, but they showed no preferences for anything. "Is Isaachian tea so different?"

"Isaachain tea typically has more fruits and honey. The most popular use syrups and marmalade instead of dried leaves. Though, nobles tend to like the ones brewed by steeping flowers directly in the cup." He frowned slightly, turning to face me. "Why ask me?"

"Are you not from Isaach?" I had thought it was a simple, unobtrusive question, but the way he stiffened made me wonder if I... "I... I do not want to pry, and I apologize if you feel uncomfortable. I simply... I guessed..."

"...How?"

"You mentioned death's eyes so easily, but no one aside from Ayra or Shannan seems to know what that means?" It felt awkward to mention it now, especially since everything from his stance to his expression turned stiff and stony. "I'm sorry; I won't say or ask anything more. But... um... thank you for telling me about the tea?"

I ducked into my storeroom before he replied, telling the others some lie about needing to check my stock for something. It was only a temporary measure I knew, but I hoped it might help me settle my nerves. I... I crossed a line. I must have. There was no other reason for him to stiffen like that, for him to close off like that. Did I hurt him with the assumption? I hoped I didn't. I hoped he wasn't mad. I...

Though I continued to worry about whether or not I'd offended him for many days, Chulainn's behavior didn't change. He acted as he always did, so I did my best to do the same. No one noticed anything off, and the silences between us remained comfortable. I wondered if I was overthinking things, but did not know how to ask. I didn't want to risk hurting or angering him again. Yet if I had, I wanted to apologize. But I didn't want to make things awkward. Round and round the thoughts whirled in my head, and during one quiet morning a few days later, I decided to blurt the first thing I thought of.

"Say, Chulainn?" I began tentatively, doing my best to pretend I was absorbed in my task. My meeting with Sigurd had ended earlier than usual, and Chulainn had no lessons, so we were in my workshop, just the two of us. Shannan had been here with us, to help set up for the day, but since I was already here and only planned on finishing Deirdre's veil, he darted off to the training yards to see if Lex or Ayra were there. He already knew everyone else was busy. "Is there a tea you like?"

"A tea?" he repeated, sounding a little surprised. When I glanced back at him, though, I saw him staring through me as he usually did. "Why?"

"I would like to make you some, as thanks." It was also a very awkward attempt at apologizing. I didn't want to bring up the conversation if he didn't, but... "I've almost finished the veil, so I thought..."

"I do not need thanks, or apologies." Darn, he guessed. I wasn't surprised, but I did half-wish he'd let me keep some sort of dignity. "There's no need to waste the time or water."

"If it is for you, it is not a waste." I frowned at him, and he met my gaze head on. "Now if you simply do not like any, that is fine. I can think of something else." ...Maybe. "I could sew you something, for instance." Healing, sewing, and making tea… these were the only things I had any skill at, so they were the only ways I could help someone.

"There is no need to-"

"Again, if it is for you, then it is not a waste." I tied off my thread, the last bit of the veil finally done, and set it on the table. "So..." Then I stood, so I could better look him in the eye. "Is there?"

"..." He stared at me and through me for a long moment before looking away. "It's... been a while since I sat down for tea, but my favorite used to be pleorula."

"Pleorula?"

"It's a fruit that grows only in Isaach." He spoke slowly, haltingly, but he didn't trip over the words. He was dragging them out, but I did not think he was fully reluctant. Though, that could be my ego talking. "It's made into a marmalade using honey, instead of just sugar, and spoonfuls are mixed with hot water for the tea."

"I see." It was disappointing to hear the fruit was only in Isaach, but the setback only made my mind whirl with potential options. Were there similar fruits I could use instead? Could I ask someone to find it for me? To better increase chances of success, I should try both, but how best to go about it...

"You're already plotting how to make an equivalent, aren't you?" He sounded very exasperated, but for some reason, this made me all the more determined to make it for him. "You are..." He glanced at the door then, frowning slightly. "Hide the veil." Knowing he wouldn't say such without a good reason, I folded the veil quickly and tucked it behind my sewing basket.

Two seconds later, Deirdre and Lord Eldigan came in, laughing about something. "Oh, Alicia, I hope I'm not bothering!" Deirdre managed through her laugh. She wore the diamond necklace, just as always. She never took it off and I had a feeling she never would. Thankfully, it paired well with most of her wardrobe. "And sorry for the... Eldigan was telling me a story about what sort of antics he, Quan, and Sigurd got into at the academy!"

"Sometimes I'd swear we were like puppies in a basket, all paws and barks and not a wit of sense," Lord Eldigan 'explained', ignoring how the words gave no context at all. All I could assume was 'usual youthful adventures', the kind which led to people pounding on my door because they always seem to lead to a lot of blood and broken bones. "I do apologize for the ruckus. I was escorting her and thought to share a tale or two."

"Yes, sorry!" Deirdre continued smiling, since she knew I didn't mind any of it in the slightest. "Lachesis and Grahnye are out with Ares and Altena, and I thought it a good chance to check on you. Is everything well? You look like you've been here for a while. Was someone hurt?"

"No, my morning meeting with Sigurd ended early since Sir Alec needed to report something," I reassured. I could've stayed, of course, since it dealt with his investigations into the warehouses, but I had opted to return to my workshop instead, since I doubted I'd have much insight into things. They'd inform me later if both agreed it was something significant, and I would write Dietrich with the information, just as I had for previous potential leads. "Actually, you've come by at the perfect time. Sit down."

"Sit down?" Deirdre asked, blinking owlishly at me. Still, even with the confusion, she did as I bade. She knew I wouldn't ask without a reason. "What is it? I promise I am as healthy as ever."

"That is good to hear, but is not why I had you sit." I smiled secretively. "Ah, but I do need you to close your eyes, Deirdre. I want to make sure this fits."

"Make sure what fits?" She frowned for all of a second before gasping and not only closing her eyes, but covering her face. I playfully poked her cheek, to 'confirm' she really had her eyes shut, and she giggled in delight. "All good!"

"Er... what's going on?" Lord Eldigan asked, stepping out of the doorway. He watched me with a frown as I unfolded the veil and draped it over Deirdre's head. "Should I...?"

"In Verdane, the maid of honor makes the veil and the bride is not allowed to see," Chulainn explained for me. This left me free to fix the veil to Deirdre's hair, checking its length and how well the embroidery looked against her hair. Thankfully, my measurements remained accurate. I was so glad I'd insisted on measuring three times. "That's all. She just finished, so now is the time for adjustments."

"Ah, and Deirdre is making sure she does not accidentally see so much as a thread." Lord Eldigan nodded and moved a little further away from the door. "So that's why no one had brought up the veil. Grahnye and I were wondering."

"It's considered rude to rush the maid of honor about the veil, since it is a representation of her well-wishes. I'm told when everyone was informed, they made a collective vow to not speak of it unless Alicia brought it up." I wished he was exaggerating, but that was exactly what happened.

"Surprised no one did out of excitement."

"From what I hear, one or two have." Chulainn nodded at the door, a silent indication I would soon have another visitor. "Speaking of the 'one or two', though…"

"Hey, Alicia, are you in... oh my gods~!" The amazingly chipper words were accompanied by a squeal only Lady Ethlyn could make, followed quickly by her giggle as she swung into my workshop with all the energy of a storm. "Oh, Deirdre, you're going to be the envy of all brides with that veil!" she gushed with sparkling eyes. I could only shake my head and finish checking everything fell as it should. I was glad others liked it, of course, but there was no need for flattery. If Deirdre liked it when she finally saw it, I would be happy. "Seriously, Alicia, it's so pretty!"

"Ethlyn, if you squeal any higher, I think the dogs will flinch," Lord Eldigan teased. Lady Ethlyn stuck her tongue at him childishly. "Though I will agree it's very beautiful."

"Yes, and it suits Deirdre so well! Should go great with the wedding dress too! No wonder Alicia insisted on-"

"Now, now, she's not supposed to know anything about the veil until the day of, remember?" I chided, taking the veil off and folding it once more. Chulainn kindly took it from me and promptly hid it in my storeroom. "Deirdre, you can open your eyes now." Deirdre did so slowly, and leaned her head back to beam at me. "Lady Ethlyn, did you need me for something? You sounded as if you were looking for me."

"Oh, right!" Lady Ethlyn gasped, snapping her fingers for some reason. "I wanted to catch you at Sigurd's office, but he said you'd left already. Anyway, the first part was a warning!" Her tone was much too bright for a 'warning'. "Before she and Lachesis headed out, Grahnye saw Altena's blanket and she said it was really adorable, which it is, and she had a glitter in her eye that makes me think she'll ask if you'll make one for Ares." I... that was... a little much? I mean; I was glad people liked it since I'd done my best in making it. I'd even embroidered leaves and flowers on it for Njorun and Gaia of Earth. But I didn't think it was so good that... "Second, I kind of have a request? A sewing request?"

"A sewing request?" With the amount I've sewn lately, I should've asked Miss Sorcha for tips and tricks while I was in Velthomer. Yes, it was one of the very few things I was good at, but I only knew as much as I did because I'd wanted to save money and better stitch wounds.

"Yes, and I know you've sewn a lot recently, so feel free to refuse! I'll be very mad if you push yourself." She even scowled, but relaxed into a smile again. "Anyway, you may have heard, but Finn's sixteenth is soon. Just a month or so before the wedding. Right after Lachesis's, actually."

"Yes, Prince Quan commissioned a lance for the occasion." I shared a knowing look with Deirdre, since the same smith was handling her own commission. The last I'd heard, it was almost done. We just needed a few free moments for Deirdre to slip away and help with the light magic part. "I must admit; I did not know other nations fielded soldiers so young."

"In both Leonster and Agustria, fourteen is the youngest one can join armies, though the age of majority is still sixteen like Grannvale. Ideally, of course, they only learn how to fight until they come of age, but it's not unusual for people to see combat at age fifteen in the Munster District." She looked down briefly, eyes dark and pained, before she forced the darkness away with a shy smile. "Regardless, when a knight of Leonster turns sixteen, they get both a coat and cape made for them. Usually by family, but Finn..." Finn was an orphan. Knowing him, he had already resigned himself to not having either. "And I want him to have a really good one. Because he's like family to Quan and me both, and because... well, the prince of Leonster doesn't usually take a squire and..."

"Quan fought hard to allow Finn to be a squire, instead of a soldier," Lord Eldigan noted softly, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall. "Leonster's laws are clear; squires and knights are nobility and commoners can only be soldiers. Thus, the army is filled with commoners, and their prized Erde Ritter is filled with nobles." Was this a way to somehow make the knights feel better about all the fighting? "Quan, however, went against it for Finn. He even wrote Sigurd and me, asking for as many arguments as we could give." I wonder why he would do such a thing. Very few would fight for no reason.

"Indeed, Duke Dorias said he'd never seen Quan argue so much with King Calf," Lady Ethlyn confirmed, fiddling with her hands now. Her smile, however, was proud. "But he won, and Finn became his squire. So..."

"So, you want to lessen any chances of Leonster's nobles making snide remarks because while he doesn't care, you do." Lord Eldigan's smile became teasing. "Which means whatever designs you have in mind are outside your skill level."

"Urk..." She immediately sulked, and he chuckled. "I-I'm better than I used to be! And Lachesis!"

"Ares is better than Lachesis, and he's not allowed near sharp objects."

"Moh...!" Her sulk deepened at the very odd sound and she pointedly turned away from him to face me again. "A-anyway, it... is true what I have in mind is... Well, I could do it, but I..."

"Would Finn even want me to make it for him?" I asked softly, feeling a little hesitant. If it was usually done by family, then wasn't it far too forward and rude to simply... yes, I had overheard him saying 'sisterly', but there was a very big difference between 'sisterly' and 'sister'. "I wouldn't want to presume..."

"He'd love it," Lady Ethlyn answered, her words firm with conviction. There wasn't a single doubt in her mind about it. "But, like I said, I don't want you to force yourself. Especially since wedding preparations will be in full swing soon. Yes, Edain is coming from Yngvi then to help, but I know for a fact we'll have so much work to be done we'll wish there was a way to triplicate people." Was 'triplicate' even a word?

"I shall take your word for it." I hesitated and glanced down at Deirdre. She smiled at me encouragingly. "I'll need to see the patterns before I decide, and will need cloth if I do."

"Of course!" Lady Ethlyn beamed. "Thank you~!"

"You'll have to hide it somehow," Chulainn noted as he returned, closing the storeroom behind him. I hoped he hid the veil somewhere I could reach. "And you definitely can't work on them in the workshop. He spends almost as much time here as you do."

"He does not, but I can just work on them in my room," I replied. Yet even as I did, I thought of a potential problem. If I suddenly spent more time in my room, Finn would definitely worry and come check. Maybe I should just stay up later then. I could work on them while I read a chapter in the tale Prince Kurth had bought me. "However, that is assuming I will make them."

"I think everyone in this room is well aware you will." He said the words dryly, and I frowned at him. The worst part was how right he was. My hesitations were solely on whether or not Finn would want me to do it. "So, you'll have to hide and we'll have to ensure Finn doesn't fret."

"I could get Lachesis to distract him," Lord Eldigan joked, his smile teasing. Deirdre and I both looked at him skeptically. "It'll be easy. All I'll have to tell her is Ethlyn is planning a surprise, and she'll jump on the idea."

"If there's one thing Lachesis loves, it's helping with surprises," Lady Ethlyn confirmed with a laugh. This still felt a little... "We could also suggest you're making more adjustments to the veil. Everyone already knows you're working on it, and only the ones here know you're done." Maybe I should go the route of 'tell the truth, but not the whole truth'. If Finn noticed and asked, I would tell him I was sewing, and leave the rest to his own imagination. "Anyway, seriously, thank you so much and-"

The happy time ended in a split-second. Before Lady Ethlyn could even finish saying her thanks, both Chulainn and Lord Eldigan stiffened. Without a word, they surged towards the door and not even a half-second later, two knife-bearing cloaked figures appeared from nowhere to darken the doorway. As soon as I saw them, I yanked Lady Ethlyn behind me and twisted so I could shield both her and Deirdre if needed. Thankfully, it wasn't. Chulainn cut down one with ease; Lord Eldigan kicked the other's head clean off. Though I knew both had to be dead due to all the blood spewing from the falling corpses, I rushed over to check the not-headless-one. But, as expected, there was no breath and no pulse, so I stood back up, grabbed both Lord Eldigan and Chulainn by the arms and dragged them over to the table to sit.

"I... what the...?!" Lord Eldigan yelped, half-falling into the chair. Chulainn fell just as gracelessly into the other one. I ignored both to run into my storeroom and fetch extra bandages and two vials of antidotes. "Lady Alicia, I assure you, there's no need to check me for injuries!" I kept ignoring him when I returned, setting my supplies on the table and checking him over. Deirdre kindly fetched my staff for me and hovered worriedly in case I needed assistance. "I... as the Hodr Major of our generation, my strength means such feats come easily, so-"

"This does not mean you are magically immune to muscle strain or poison," I retorted, frowning when I found a tiny cut on the side of his neck. I could sense no poison, and it was very shallow. What caused this? Was it a bone splinter? The headless corpse did have fractured vertebrae sticking out of the stump of his neck. "Honestly, just because you can do something with minimal pain does not mean there's no damage at all. Was there not a less dramatic way to go about this?" My irritation spiked when he had the gall to chuckle. "Might you share the joke?"

"It's nothing, truly." He held still to let me work, no longer trying to fight me off. "I am simply realizing why I got a note from Quan saying 'there are two of them!'." That made no sense. "Chulainn, since this won't take long, I'm not sure you should be moving. I have a feeling you're next."

"He most certainly is!" I turned to frown at Chulainn, only to discover he was searching the bodies. Lady Ethlyn helped, her expression green yet determined. "Chulainn."

"I'll move back when you're done with him," Chulainn promised, more focused on his task. He pulled out something from their pocket and handed it to Lady Ethlyn. "Timing is unusual, but I'm almost certain these are assassins. Everything about their clothing is too nondescript, picked to blend into any crowd or scenery. Arrogant ones too, to attack when there's so many people. Did they do their last check a while ago, or are they fools who didn't think they needed to confirm before striking?"

There was no answer, of course. The only ones who could give one were dead. So, in silence, I finished checking over Lord Eldigan and then pulled Chulainn back over to the table to examine him. Lord Eldigan took his place by the bodies, at least until Lady Ethlyn turned far too green to be healthy. Then he prioritized getting her away so she wouldn't vomit on the corpses. We'd have to clean the corner later, since I didn't have a convenient bucket for her, but we could worry about it later. For now, he rubbed her back and Deirdre found her some water to sip, and I focused completely on Chulainn. Thankfully, he was just as fine as Lord Eldigan, so I stepped away and picked up the two vials of antidote. I… I had intended to return them to my storeroom, but I couldn't. A sinking feeling in my heart made me clutch them as tightly as I held my staff. Something was wrong. Beyond the whole 'oh, there were assassins' event which I could worry about later, there was something wrong.

"So, if two assassins chose to attack here, the only conclusion is their target must frequent this room regularly," Lord Eldigan mused, even as he helped Lady Ethlyn with the water. Deirdre frowned at him, but he shook his head. "My apologies, Deirdre, but we must assume there's at least one more assassin until proven otherwise, and as such, it's best to figure out their target."

"I understand that, but..." Deirdre began, trailing off as she looked at the blood, and the bodies still soaking it up. Then she looked worriedly at Lady Ethlyn, still coughing and choking in the corner, before shaking her head. "No, if you're correct, then no time can be wasted. As for those who come here frequently, there's... well, the most frequent are obviously Alicia and Chulainn."

"And there's usually at least one visitor every hour, if not more, so attacking here for either Lady Alicia or Chulainn is a poor choice. Similarly, if you or Sigurd were the targets, other locations would suit better." Yes, since both Sigurd and Deirdre would only visit when they knew I was here, and Chulainn was ever at my side. So, if they chose to attack here anyway, perhaps their target was someone who visited my workshop even when I wasn't here? Perhaps it was someone who usually came specifically when I... was... absent...

...The boys... the boys often came to my workshop ahead of me, to prepare for a lesson or help set things up so I could work as soon as I arrived. They did this even after Lady Lachesis joined our lessons, and on days where there were no lessons planned, it wasn't uncommon for only one of them to come. In fact, I think they even rotated between them, so they all took an equal share of the job. In those cases, they would be absolutely alone, with no one around, and out of the four boys, there was one who...

"Alicia?!" Someone called after me. I think it was Deirdre. But I didn't reply. I couldn't. As soon as I realized who the target had to be, I bolted from my workshop, running as fast as my legs could move. I left blood in my wake, thanks to slipping in the puddle in my doorway, but I didn't stop. I refused to stop, because Shannan could be in danger.

Out of the boys, Shannan was the one most likely to be targeted by assassins. In fact, Shannan had been at my workshop earlier, and only wasn't still there because I had sent him on his way. Now, I had to find him. I had to be certain. I had to see for myself he was well. If I was wrong, that was fine. If this was only my paranoia, that was fine. But until I knew, I couldn't stop. I couldn't think. I absolutely, absolutely, had to find him.

Footsteps caught my ear, and I glanced over to see Chulainn had caught up with me easily. He didn't say anything, but he did not try to stop me. I was glad for it. After all, others did try to stop me. The people we passed yelped, wondered what was going on, and tried to stop me to ask. After all, they knew me. They knew I didn't run anywhere, not normally. I had only run twice in the past: when Dew and Lex were in danger. I did not run, so they knew something had to be wrong if I was. But Chulainn kept them back, barking some order or another. I didn't know; I didn't care. I didn't even care if he'd figured out the same thing as me, or if he was keeping pace because he was my guard. I couldn't care. I had to concentrate on running as fast as I possibly could, running until my legs were numb and my chest felt like it was being devoured by flames. I had to focus on clinging to the two vials of antidote still in my hands and my staff. What thoughts I had were on one thing alone: the fastest route to the training yards, because that was where Shannan had headed when he left my workshop.

Logically, I knew it couldn't have taken long to reach the training yards. My workshop and infirmary were purposely located near in case of accidents. But it felt like an eternity before we even made it outside, much less to the yards. There, we discovered Lord Eldigan's assumption of another assassin was correct and, worse, so was my prediction of just who the target was. The third assassin… the only reason they didn't kill Shannan was because of Lex. They must have been chatting as they usually did, because Lex was always willing to humor Shannan, when the assassin appeared. Realizing the danger, Lex had shielded Shannan with his own body, holding him tightly to ensure not even a hair could be targeted. The three stab wounds bleeding profusely from his back made it all too clear how if not for the most inane of coincidences, Shannan would be dead.

As we drew close, Chulainn suddenly shifted in front of me. At first, I thought he was trying to block me, stop me from reaching them, and I looked at him incredulously since why would he stop me now? But he shook his head very slightly, and I understood. He wasn't telling me to stop. He knew I wouldn't. No, he was telling me to slow down. Let him run, while I fell back. That way… that way, he did not need to worry about me. That way, he could focus fully on the assassin, on getting them away from Lex and Shannan, and I would remain safe. So, I slowed, just a little. I slowed just enough. He smiled briefly, in thanks. Then his hard gaze locked onto the assassin and he passed me fully, a glint in his eyes not unlike a predator going for the kill.

Of course, slowing down only made my body ache and throb, protesting all the running. I felt dizzy, and each breath felt like I had swallowed shards of glass. But I shook my head, coughed and choked on air, and pushed forward on leadened legs. I reached them just after Chulainn clashed blades with the assassin and collapsed next to Lex so I could begin treatment at once. He was alive. He was pale and clammy, his breath ragged, and his expression pinched in pain. But he was alive. He was alive, and so was Shannan. Shannan was wild-eyed with panic, even paler than Lex from terror, but he was alive. He was uninjured. That was all that mattered right now.

"See, Shannan? I told you it'll be fine," Lex gasped out, somehow managing a laugh. I inspected his wounds and the second I sensed poison, I handed him one of the two vials of antidote. He popped it open easily and shifted to sit down properly, both so he could actually drink the antidote and to make it easier for me to treat him. He 'conveniently' kept Shannan in front of him, just in case. I didn't blame him, even if it sounded as if Chulainn had things under control. "I'm always right, you know."

"Th-that's not what Aunt Ayra s-says…" Shannan tried to reply. His voice shook; his hands shook more as he clutched Lex's shirt. "Y-you won't die, right? There… there's a lot of…"

"Nal blood gives me the standard Holy Blood boost to endurance and how much I can bleed, and the blood specific ability to withstand physical damage." Though the tone was a little arrogant, his words were gentle. "You know the stories; the shields of Soteria withstand even the most brutal of sieges, and Nal, who received her blessing, cannot be killed by weapons."

"Th-that doesn't mean anything! Even mountains grind away! And Deirdre said the strongest shields can be chipped! B-besides, Aunt Ayra told me recently Luna bypasses all defenses anyway!" Shannan's eyes filled with tears, so neither Lex nor I could ask what in the world 'Luna' was, much less point out the assassin likely didn't have whatever it was. "A-and there's… there's probably poison, so…"

"Which I admit sucks, and is definitely making everything feel like fire and ice are battling in my insides, but Shannan?" Lex used his free hand to point to me. I was glad to see his complexion was already better. "You really think Alicia's going to let me die?"

"...No…" He hiccuped and started crying. Lex tugged him closer for a hug, holding him as firmly as he could given he was still under the effects of the poison and he had three gaping wounds in his back. "I…"

"That's right. I won't die. Alicia's the most stubborn healer in all of Jugdral, and she's just as skilled as she is stubborn." Despite my worry and fatigue, I couldn't help but reach over and poke his cheek in mild protest. He gave me the biggest, cheekiest grin in return. "And from the sound of it, Chulainn is just about done with the assassin. We're all going to be just fine."

"I-is he hurt?"

"I wonder…" Lex tilted his head back to check. "No, the only one bleeding is the assassin, so given how these things usually work…"

"W-what do you mean 'usually'?!"

"Kid, this isn't exactly my first encounter with an assassin."

Personally, I wanted to ask more, if only to help me keep focused, but it soon became obvious what he meant. There was a loud clang and I looked up to see Chulainn had blocked another attempt from the assassin to stab one of us. At that point, the assassin glared and turned away to run, despite the blood gushing from their side. Chulainn watched them leave, his expression stoic, and I wondered why. I knew he could catch them. Even with battle-fever, a wound like that would slow them. He could catch them in no time at all, but once I thought for a second, I figured out why. Chulainn's task wasn't to kill the assassin; it was to protect us. If he had to kill the assassin to do so, he would without question. But chasing the assassin to kill them would result in him leaving our sides, and he would not do so because there had already been three assassins. We could not discount the possibility of a fourth or fifth. I did not fight, Shannan was too young to defend himself, and Lex was in no condition to do so. So, he chose to let the assassin go, and I had to admit part of me was irritated, even as I understood.

But that did not mean others would let them run.

"Don't you dare!" I had never heard Deirdre's voice so hard and furious. In fact, I might not have recognized it at all if not for the massive light spell which suddenly engulfed the fleeing assassin's leg and seared it into charcoal. "Don't you dare think you can get away!" I honestly thought she'd strike again, but it wasn't another light spell which hit the assassin next. It was a perfectly thrown spear, piercing through the assassin's arm as they crumpled to pin them to the ground. Confused, I turned back towards the castle and saw a furious Deirdre standing there at the far end of the yards, magic still at her fingertips. Beside her was a stone-faced Prince Quan, who shook out his arm and rolled his shoulder. It took me far too long to realize he had to be the source of the lance, though I wondered what he was doing here. Where had the lance even come from anyway?

"Deirdre and I passed Quan while chasing you, and he asked what was going on, since you apparently never run anywhere." The explanation, spoken in a calm if cold voice, came from Lord Eldigan, who joined us at a more sedate pace. The sweat on his face, though, hinted he'd been running too, and had only just stopped. "When we told him what happened, he immediately asked where Shannan was," he explained. Which direction had he come from? Had he run along the side while Deirdre and Prince Quan hung back to attack? "Ethlyn went to find Ayra, while we ran here, following your bloody footprints." He walked past us then, ruffling Shannan's hair and patting Lex on the shoulder, and stood over the pinned assassin. For some reason, they were struggling. Did they think they could escape with a lance through their arm? Even if they did, their leg looked unusable. "Why are you… oh, gods damn it…!" He lunged, trying to grab the assassin's free arm, but did not reach before they pulled something from their pocket and tossed it into their mouth. "Most people would be in too much pain to think of suicide after that!"

Suicide. The word crystallized and froze my blood, until I felt like I was nothing but ice. No, they weren't… wait, no, they were trying to escape. They were trying to escape in a different way than I originally thought. They had tried to kill a child, had traumatized a child, and now they took poison rather than live with what they had done. They took poison rather than face the consequences for their choices. They were running away from their actions.

A quiet part of me tried to whisper something about 'honor' and 'orders'. An assassin had their own sort of honor, and if they failed a job, then it only made sense they would kill themselves. They would want to minimize any chances of this being linked to their employer. Yes, a quiet part of me tried to reason, but the whispers were lost in the frozen flames boiling in my blood because it just… it just made me angrier. Orders? What did that matter? How dare their employer target a child? How dare their employer try to avoid any blame, any consequences? How. Dare. They?

In that frozen state, I snatched up the other vial of antidote and walked briskly over to the assassin. Their complexion was already pale and sickly, but they had a disgusting smirk on their face even as they did. It made the ice inside me burn more, and I was sickeningly pleased when I knelt down beside them and saw that smirk fade. It disappeared entirely when I hooked my fingers into their mouth and pried their jaw open. I knew a few tricks for this; Father Eirik had taught me when we had a patient who could not open their mouth voluntarily. As soon as I got it open, I popped open the vial and dumped all of its contents into their mouth. They coughed, tried to spit it out, but I held their mouth firmly shut, another trick from Father Eirik. It proved as effective for me as it always did for him; the assassin was forced to swallow the antidote and it had an immediate effect. Of course it did. The broad-spectrum antidote was so widely used precisely because it neutralized most poisons.

"Given the burns, it is possible your leg will need to be amputated, but we can see how well healing magic takes to the injury," I murmured, giving them a full examination. They stared at me like I was a monster. Maybe I was. "Your arm… I'll be surprised if it's not broken, so we should prepare a brace for it." They opened their mouth to spit out something, but Lord Eldigan pulled off his cravat and stuffed it into their mouth instead. "Hmm?"

"I want to minimize the chance of them pulling the classic 'bite their tongue off and choke on their blood' trick," he explained, kneeling beside me. He then, very casually, reached over and snapped the assassin's other arm as easily as one breathed. "And that is to ensure they don't pull out the makeshift gag."

"So, that is two broken arms I must heal then." I let a little irritation slip through my words, and Lord Eldigan smiled apologetically. "Pull the spear out, will you? I can't heal them with it stuck in their arm."

Lord Eldigan did as I asked, and I healed the assassin enough so they could be moved to a safe location. Prince Quan and Lord Eldigan handled that, the knowing and dark looks on their faces implying everything I absolutely did not want to think about right now. So, I forced myself to focus on the present, and returned to tending Lex's injuries. Chulainn stood behind me while I worked, watching our surroundings, and Deirdre had joined us to cradle Shannan in her arms and calm him down so Lex could focus more on his own healing.

My hands started to shake as I finished, but I forced myself to keep calm. I had to be calm. There was someone wounded, and many people distressed. So, I had to be calm. A healer could only be calm for her patients, even if they were people who loved her for herself. I wanted to be calm for them; I did not want them to add me to their worries. So, I would be calm. I would.

Later, I was sick. I managed to bite back the bile until I was alone in my room, but I was terribly sick as soon as I made it to my bathroom. Now, with nothing to focus on and no ice freezing my blood and thoughts, logic and fear told me the reason behind Prince Quan and Lord Eldigan's shared look. Logic and fear told me what I had done. I had… I had forced my healing on someone. It was something I had sworn to never do, a personal oath made as a child and held so I would never become like my father. Yet today, I had… I had healed someone who… w-well, it was my job to tend people and they had to be alive to refuse my… oh, there was no point to the thoughts. It was only my ego talking, trying to salvage my keening heart.

The assassin had tried to die. I had healed them against their wishes. Now, they were a prisoner and I knew enough to know they would be 'questioned'. I knew Grannvale approved of torture for interrogations. I would like to think Sigurd would not do so, but even as I wished this, I knew he would be kept away from it all precisely for that reason. So, I had healed a person, so they could be captured and tortured for information. I had healed them, and forced them to endure a fate far worse than death. I had… I…

I didn't know how long I sat in my bathroom, after I vomited my guts out. I didn't know how long I stared blankly at the floor, unable and unwilling to move. But, however long it was, someone eventually rested a gentle hand on my shoulder and startled me. I gasped and jerked my head up, apologies and excuses at my lips, but they died when I saw Chulainn standing over me, his hand still on my shoulder. He was silent, staring through me as he always did, and I looked away, both because I did not know what to say and because… well, I looked like a wreck. My throat hurt, my eyes still watered, my nose was clogged, and when I wiped my mouth, I found spittle clinging to my lips. When you considered I'd collapsed in a heap and my hair was in complete disarray… there truly was no other way to describe how I looked and it was absolutely idiotic to be concerned about such a thing. But I was, probably because there was actually something I could do about it. Eventually.

Chulainn did not say anything. His hand left my shoulder, only for him to gather me up in his arms and pick me up as easily as a doll. He carried me over to my table and gently set me down in the chair before heading to my tea set in the corner to fetch me some water. My first attempt to drink only made me cough and choke, far too aware now of the sour feeling in my mouth, and I ended up spitting out half of it. It was… utterly pathetic, but he didn't laugh. He didn't look annoyed. He just found some towels and cleaned up the mess, even helping me wipe the water from my chin, before he refilled my cup. Thankfully for what little remained of my dignity, my second attempt to drink turned out better, so while I sipped, he leaned against the window with crossed arms. He still stared through me, still studied me, and I wondered what he was trying to see. Another time, I might have asked, but right now, I couldn't. With my head feeling like a mire, all my thoughts sticking and unmoving, I couldn't.

"...What caused this?" he finally asked softly. I glanced at him, and thought he looked concerned. "Anyone else, I would say it was the blood or the deaths."

"Would you now?" I asked in return, my voice a rasp. My hands shook on the teacup, making the water within ripple. "Why?"

"It's admittedly just a guess, based on what I've heard and what I've seen, but as a healer, you see more blood and death than most. If you weren't able to keep your head about either, you would've switched professions long ago." He had a point. I carried the deaths, remembered the number always, but it was rare they actually shook me. They couldn't. Even as my nerves had frayed during my first weeks as an army healer and made me snappier, I knew they couldn't. Time spent mourning, time spent breaking down… that was time I could use to save another. Even when I'd broken down after the first wave of refugees, I'd made sure we were in a lull. I wasn't invincible or unfeeling, but death was my constant companion as a healer. Each one hurt, and they hurt more when I could put names to the faces, but they were not enough to shake me. They were motivation to do better. "It could be the danger in general, but if it was, I'd think you'd be like Deirdre and refuse to leave Shannan's side."

"Why are you asking?"

"I…" He looked away. "I want to know."

"Why?"

"I just… do." It was rare he was evasive. That told me one thing; this was personal. It did not coincide with his guard duties. He personally wanted to know.

The realization made me smile. "You'll think it silly."

"And you're the authority on what I think is silly?"

"Ha… no, I suppose not. Most would, I'm sure, but you're… not most." I made myself drink a little more of the water. The cup was still full of ripples. "...I healed them."

"The assassin."

"Yes. They didn't want healing, but I did it anyway." Unable to look at him, I fiddled with my tea cup and watched the water ripple further. "I… I've told you before, but I want to save everyone. I want to heal everyone."

"Yes, I called it foolish. You called it a poison."

"And it is. I will never be satisfied by my work, will always fall short of my expectations, yet I strive for it anyway. But everyone means everyone, Chulainn. It is not only those I like, or those who I know mean me no harm. It is everyone."

"Including assassins." From anyone else, I would say the words were exasperated. From him, though, they were only clarification. "But there was something different about it this time?"

"Yes, because…" How was I supposed to explain? "I do not want to force my ideal on another. I want to listen to a patient's wishes. If they decide they do not want care, then I should not give it. I can advise against it, explain why I would recommend a certain treatment, but if they refuse, it is their choice. It is always their choice." I forced myself to smile up at him. It felt painful and wrong. "But I didn't do that here. I didn't respect their wishes."

"But that still doesn't…" Chulainn frowned, but not out of annoyance. No, he truly wanted to understand, and tried to parse out what still felt murky. "You've healed suicide attempts in the past. I heard about it."

"I have. But Chulainn, in those cases, they were… they were supported and treated well. Sometimes, it still wasn't enough, but they were cared for. This time, though…" The shaking in my hands grew worse and my teacup slipped from them. "Ah…"

Chulainn caught the cup before it fell, only a little of the water splashing out. "It's what's going to happen to them. Grannvale, Leonster, and Agustria all use physical torture for interrogations. You healed someone, and they will not be treated well."

"I could try to pretend it's like the soldiers, who I healed and sent right back to the battlefield, but…" I did not try to take back the teacup, so he set it on the table. "The soldiers… they knew and were willing to accept the risks of going back out to fight. The assassin…" Even if they accepted the risks of capture and torture, it still… "And I… I didn't heal them because of my job or my ideals. I healed them because I was angry." I healed them, forced them to endure a pain worse than death, because I lost my temper.

"Because they targeted Shannan?"

"Because they tried to run away." Even now, I felt the cold creeping through my blood again. What a shame it could not 'freeze' my hands and stop them from shaking. "They attacked Shannan and tried to run away. They attacked a child and tried to escape. They made their choice, yet ran from the consequences. It…" It was hard to explain. "Though, I suppose you could say they were just following orders."

"Following unjust orders is cowardice." He said the words quickly yet firmly, a belief he did not even have to think about. "Nothing is inherently wrong or right with cowardice, mind. It depends on your personal beliefs, just like everything else. But to follow an order you have decided is wrong is cowardice, plain and simple. Though, this both assumes the assassin thought the order was wrong, and that they are not one of many who decide being 'right' or 'wrong' is completely meaningless so long as they survive." He said those last words so… sardonically. I could not help but wonder…

"What about you?" The words were out before I could stop them, and I looked away when he stilled. "I… I did it again, didn't I?" Of all the times for me to cross a boundary… "I'm sorry. I-"

"I… am a coward. I am a coward who cannot even figure out why he wants to survive. Only that each time Morena of Death has come for me, I have refused her hand and kept crawling through the mud." He said the words softly, each one dripping with bitter self-hatred. "And since I am reminded, you're right. I am actually from Isaach. I was surprised since most would guess Agustria or Verdane because of my hair color."

"Ayra and Shannan do both have dark hair."

"Most of Isaach does. My mother was actually from Agustria, and I inherited my hair color from her." He paused and shook his head for some reason. "Why do I always say too much around you?"

"I don't know?" Strangely, the admission cheered me. I couldn't even tell you why. "I think it's the army. I speak my thoughts aloud far too much, especially around Sigurd."

"I think it's you, since I'm capable of being very quiet around everyone else." He sounded almost annoyed by it, but his smile was soft. "How are you feeling?"

"...I don't know." But even that was better than before. "I should…"

"Can you work with your hands shaking so much?"

"...Well, no…" I held up my hands to confirm they still shook. I didn't think I could even sew like this. "I… at the least, I should make sure Lex is actually resting."

"Fair." He held out his hand and, after a moment's hesitation, I took it to let him help me up. My legs didn't quite want to bear my weight yet, but they were steady enough. "We'll walk slowly."

"Yes." There was no other choice, unless I wanted to be carried again. "Chulainn?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

I had to lean on Chulainn to walk. It was terribly pathetic, but it was the only way I managed. He didn't complain; he simply supported me as we walked to Lex's room. I didn't have the words to tell him how much I appreciated it, especially since I knew either forcing me to rest or carrying me would make things so much easier for him. I hoped I could convey it someday, but for now, I focused on keeping one foot in front of the other, until we made it to Lex's strangely lively room. Why was it lively? Well, it seemed Ayra had taken it upon herself to ensure Lex stayed abed, and those two couldn't do anything quietly.

"Honestly, if nothing else, you should trust Alicia and listen to her orders," Ayra sighed, shaking her head as she shoved him back into the bed. Lex scowled at her and tried to stand up again. "Besides, you'll need your strength. I wrote Azelle about what happened."

"You did what?!" Lex yelped, eyes going wide. Ayra met his gaze coolly and pointedly pulled the blankets over his lap. "Oh, gods' blood, Ayra, it is not bad enough to write to him about it!"

"I figured he'd want to know his best friend got stabbed three times. And poisoned." She smiled with all the sweetness of a belladonna berry. "And I knew it would be an effective threat, so I sent it off as soon as I heard."

"This is not how you thank someone for saving your nephew!"

"Sure it is. I want to make sure you'll listen to a healer's orders." Her grin was full of unrepentant mischief. "What is with you Grannvalian nobles and wanting to circumvent anyway? In Isaach, we're taught to listen and obey."

"Do you actually do so?"

"I'll have you know I did my best to listen to Alicia and get confirmations about what I could or could not do during my healing." This was true, though… "Now, did my stubbornness get in the way? Of course. But I tried. Meaning I'm forcing you to try too."

"You still didn't have to write Azelle!" Lex scowled, fixated on that little tidbit. "Ugh… I'm going to get at least five letters with him all in a panic, and then ten from Tailtiu because he definitely will tell her."

"Consider it punishment for standing still long enough for three stabs. I'm grateful you protected Shannan, but was there not a way to avoid at least the second and third ones?"

"Look, it's not my fault the assassin decided to get stab happy on my back. I don't know why they didn't run after the first one either!" This was around the time I wondered if I should just leave, since I was just standing awkwardly in the doorway, but Chulainn decided to knock on the open door to let the two know they had company. "Huh? Alicia?"

"I'm sorry to intrude," I whispered, doing my best to smile. I could only imagine how I looked right now; I hoped it was at least better than earlier. "I wanted to see if you were resting like I asked. Your wounds may be minor, all things considered, but I'm worried about how the poison might affect their healing."

"Uh… yeah, sure, I'm being a perfect little patient," Lex replied, adjusting his blankets to make it seem like he had not been trying to get out of bed earlier. To be fair, he didn't know I'd seen that. "And I did drink the antidote you gave me, remember? So I feel fine. No fire or ice in my insides anymore."

"That's good." I crept over and rested my hand on his forehead to check for a fever. Chulainn quietly talked to Ayra about something and the two busied themselves with making tea in the corner. Ayra kept glancing at me over her shoulder, for some reason. "I am a little worried one of the poisons could have disrupted your blood's ability to clot, given the amount of blood earlier."

"Er… I solemnly swear my wounds are clotting just fine, or they were when Ayra changed my bandages a second ago." He studied me and patted his bed as a silent invitation to sit. There were no chairs, after all. "Are… are you all right?"

"Hmm?" Pretending I had no idea what he was talking about, I sat down beside him. "Lex, I'm not exactly the one who was stabbed. Thrice."

"Well, no, but you're pale." He poked my cheek, frowning worriedly. "Think you may be a little clammy too." It would not surprise me, but I definitely couldn't answer.

"Oh, I fear exercise and I do not get along, and I ran quite a distance to the training yards."

"They're not far from the infirmary or your workshop."

"It's quite far for me!" They were easy enough lies, since they were technically true. They just weren't the answer to his question. "I'm the scholarly type, remember?"

"Yes, yes, and I know you can endure a lot." He frowned, but shook his head. "Well, if you're insistent, I won't press. Just don't neglect your own health, will you? You're as bad as Arvis and Azelle when it comes to taking care of yourself. Sometimes I wonder if it's the fire in you. Fire burns itself out without outside tending, after all."

I had absolutely no idea how to respond to that, so I didn't try. "How are you? Are you in pain?"

"A little, but not enough for pain medicine. I'm more pissed off than anything." His eyes hardened, and he gripped his blankets so tight his knuckles whitened. "Shannan cried himself to sleep. Deirdre's sitting with him now, desperate for something to do. She can't help Sigurd with reorganizing the defenses, after all, and he's been doing that since he confirmed everyone was all right." I would check on them when I left here, then. "I can't decide if I should hope Quan gets information out of the bastard or not."

"Oh?" It was all I could say as my insides twisted into knots.

"I want to know who these bastards are, but I may just pull a Sigurd if I do." If he gripped his blanket any tighter, I feared he'd rip it. "Attacking a child like that… look, there are lines that shouldn't be crossed and that right there is one of them, damn it."

"This healer recommends against charging recklessly while injured, even if you are of Nal's blood." I had to work to keep my voice light, but it had the effect of calming him anyway. "We will all decide together. It might be safer…"

"To not react. Ayra was saying something like that earlier." How long had she been here? "My head can listen, but the rest of me? I'm not one to run from a fight."

"Is it running when you're holding back to protect?"

"...Logically, no. Emotionally…" He sighed gustily, shaking his head. "Calm, calm… I'll totally be calm in the morning. If I'm not, I'll make it worse for Shannan. I know he's going to fuss."

"Let us dote on the protective hero."

"Urgh… I hate fuss…"

"Then try not to get stabbed three times."

"It's not my fault they decided to be persistent after losing the element of surprise! What assassin does something that stupid?"

"I wouldn't know, but considering two attacked my workshop while Chulainn, Deirdre, Lady Ethlyn, and Lord Eldigan were there..."

"Wait, hold on, when did this happen?"

"Did no one tell you? They went after him in my workshop first." I paused, remembering something not-terribly-important but easy to fixate on. "I'll need to clean."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"No?" I frowned, and frowned more at his incredulous stare. "There was a lot of blood, and poor Lady Ethlyn vomited in the corner after helping Chulainn and Lord Eldigan examine the bodies." What had Chulainn removed from the corpse anyway? Had it been their own stash of poisons? "Maybe I should-"

"They went after him at your workshop?!" Lex made to rise and I hastily brought my hands up to try and stop him. "I'm going to kill them!"

"They're already dead?"

"I'll kill them again!"

"Calm down; you're making your injuries worse." Since my words had little effect, I decided it was time for a low blow. "Then Shannan will be even more upset."

"..." He scowled, but closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm down. "Sorry..."

"What for? Anger is healthy." Still, I needed to make sure he didn't have another outburst until his wounds were fully healed. Thankfully, there was a very convenient distraction.

"Here you two go." Specifically, Ayra came over with a tray, two steaming tea cups balanced perfectly on it. Chulainn headed for the door, standing half in and half out to keep an eye on things. "It's that tea mix you like so much, Lex," she explained, setting the tray between us. "You haven't said what it is yet."

"I haven't?" Lex replied, surprised. I passed him one of the mugs, and cradled the other one in my hands to take comfort from the warmth. "It's no secret. It's the one Alicia tailored for me, so it doesn't have a name."

"Oh, right, Azelle said Alicia makes teas for loved ones. That's why he didn't think anything about her making a tea for Sigurd, despite the rest of the army being convinced it was a token of love." She said the words absently, and I could feel my expression flatten. Her slight, mischievous smile made me think she brought it up on purpose, just to mess with me. "There's a pot full, but I figured it better to carry just the cups over."

"Probably a good idea, though I really can't believe I never told you about the mix."

"Maybe I forgot." Her smile grew and now I was all-but-certain. No, she didn't forget. She made an excuse to tease me. I frowned at her without thinking about it, and she laughed. "Sorry?"

"You are so not sorry, about that and whatever you just did." He raised a brow, and Ayra put on the most innocent of looks. I tried to think of how to get her back, but slowly began to realize I now had the perfect excuse to ask a question I had earlier. "Did you spike the tea or something?"

"Of course not! I'm not giving alcohol to an injured person."

"Some would say that is precisely the time for alcohol, actually."

"Absolutely not!"

"Hey, Ayra, what's your favorite tea?" I asked, changing the subject entirely. She looked at me curiously. "I noticed you only brought two cups, and while you'll drink tea when it's served to you, you rarely drink it on your own."

"Oh, Isaachian tea is a little different from Grannvale's, no sachets or ground up herbs," Ayra answered easily. I noticed movement in the corner of my eye and glanced back to see Chulainn eyeing me warily. He knew exactly why I brought the topic up, and I couldn't help but feel a little smug as I turned my attention back to Ayra. "My favorite… well, truthfully, I have two favorites. One is a favorite from my childhood and the other became my favorite after…"

"I take it the former is one you enjoyed with Setanta?"

"Yes, so you can imagine how hard it was to drink after he disappeared." Still, she smiled at the memories. "That one is pleorula tea." Oh, so it was the same as Chulainn's favorite? This felt more than a little convenient, but I would very much take advantage of this anyway. "The latter is krinina blossom tea. Both only grow in Isaach, sadly."

"You can still tell me what they taste like and how they are made, yes?" I smiled, feeling invigorated by the thought. "I know I won't be able to make it exact, but perhaps I can make something close?"

"I… oh, very well." Though she sighed in exasperation, she had a slight smile on her face as she sat down on the other side of Lex's bed. "If it puts more color in your face, I'll tell you anything." Oh, she must have been worried by how pale I was.

"Why are you so nice to her and mean to me when I'm technically the invalid?" Lex teased, grinning. He laughed when she glared. "That's a much better look than the apologetic one you had when you first walked in to help me."

"Lex!" Ayra snapped, glare deepening. But Lex laughed more, and I had to bite back one myself. "Ugh, you just be quiet and drink your tea."

"Yeah, yeah."

It was probably the liveliest tea discussion I'd ever experienced, but it was… it was exactly what I needed after today. I wondered if they knew.

You would think after the 'excitement' of the day, I would pass out as soon as my head hit the pillow. Alas, you would be wrong, and after what felt like hours of tossing and turning, I gave up to make myself some tea and sit at my table. I tried to study, but couldn't focus. I tried reading the tale Prince Kurth bought me, but while I made it a little farther, I still found myself reading lines ten or even twenty times to make sense of them. All the words just blended together. So, I attempted to write my reply to Prince Kurth, which was surprisingly easier and harder than I thought it would be. Figuring out how to respond to the gift of the tale was difficult, so I settled on simply being honest. I didn't know what to feel about it, but I was reading it slowly and hoped to have an answer by the time I finished. From there, the next hardest was a request of my own. He was near Isaach, and had access to many merchants, so perhaps he might find me some Isaachian tea? I didn't know, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

After that, the rest… came naturally. It was much easier to write than the first reply. I wrote about the lessons I gave and what bits of the wedding we had planned. I wrote how happy Deirdre had been at the gifts, and how she was using Hiordis's necklace as the 'something old' part of an Agustrian wedding rhyme for good luck. I wrote how adorable Altena and Ares were, and how much Ethlyn had liked the blanket I'd made. I wrote how I'd finished Deirdre's veil and would be making a coat and cape for Finn. I asked if people really did call me the 'Red Rose Healer', and grumbled about how the rumors really needed to stop assigning me romances. I wrote… I wrote many things, all as random as could be. It wasn't a very precise letter, but somehow, I doubted he'd mind.

As I wrote, though, a terrible thought wormed its way through my head, twisting and curling until it coiled uneasily in my heart. Assassins. The assassins had targeted Shannan. Given the current conflict, they had to be Grannvalian and Sigurd once said there were four houses which specialized in assassinations: Velthomer, Dozel, Fridge, and the royal house of Belhalla. While the assassins could be from anywhere, the fact that the target was the Crown Prince of Isaach hinted they were from one of these four houses. Yet I already knew they couldn't be from Velthomer. Arvis would never. He knew how much I adored Shannan, and if Shannan was hurt or killed, I would be inconsolable. Ignoring his morals, and how much he hated the idea of a child paying for a parent's 'crime', he wouldn't hurt Shannan for my sake.

What of the others, though? Dozel, Friege, and Belhalla… I didn't have such guarantees for them. Duke Lombard struck me as a pragmatic man; I could see him harming a child if it meant accomplishing his goals. Duke Reptor was well known for his harsh treatment of any 'threat' to himself, his power, or Grannvale. Then there was Prince Kurth himself, who once told me it was the duty of those who warred to end the fighting as quickly as possible, by any means necessary. I knew enough of battles to know morale played a key part in any fight, and if Shannan died, their morale would plummet. It may even shatter Mariccle and force him into surrendering.

…But I… I didn't want to believe Prince Kurth was involved. Perhaps it was childish, but I didn't. The man Cigyun had loved, the man my mother had liked and died to protect, the man even someone like Father Eirik respected… I didn't want to believe he'd order a child's execution. He hadn't even brought up using Shannan as a hostage; he only used the implication and stopped when it became clear the tactic would not work. Now, granted, it could've been its own sort of pragmatism, since Sigurd would fight to the death to protect Shannan, but he still hadn't. I wanted to believe…

With shaking hands, I found another piece of paper and scrawled out a very short description of what had happened today. It was nearly illegible, but I didn't, couldn't, rewrite it. I watched the ink dry and as soon as it was, I folded the paper as small as I could and folded it into my 'true' letter. Then, I sealed both in an envelope before I could reconsider, and let it fall to the table. In the morning, I would send them. In the morning… ah, but morning was still so far away and now, I had nothing to do. I could try to sleep again, but I already knew it was a lost cause. I was too shaky, too rattled, to sleep.

"I suppose… I can go for a walk," I whispered aloud, because saying the words felt better than simply thinking them. There was a certain resolve in spoken word, and with it, I found the energy to push myself up and find a shawl to wrap around my shoulders.

It wasn't until I actually opened my door that I remembered Chulainn once told me he trapped it every night, but by then, it was open and I braced myself for some sort of loud noise. There… wasn't one, though. I lingered in the doorway, wondering if it was a delayed reaction, but that made no sense. I wondered if Chulainn had lied, joking around, but that made even less sense. So, maybe he'd been too tired to trap it? I wouldn't say it made perfect sense, but it felt more probable than the other two options. Whatever the reason, I was grateful. I didn't want to bother him, especially if he was so tired. It was just a walk. I'd be back before anyone knew I was gone. It was fine. It would be fine.

Silently repeating those words over and over again, I wandered. I didn't have a destination. I simply wanted to move, to tire myself out in hopes I might sleep and put this day behind me. I didn't run into anyone, a testament to how late it truly was, and I did not like how quiet Evans apparently was at night. Evans shouldn't be quiet. Everyone was always bright and loud, filled with vivacious cheer and Evans always reflected such. Though, the more I walked, the more unnerved I became by not only the quiet but because I really would've thought I'd run into some patrolling guards by now. Where were they? Were they distracted? Were they hurt? The thoughts screamed in circles in my head, and simultaneously exhausted me and made it impossible to even think of sleep.

Finally, I turned down a random hallway and saw a faint light streaming from one of the rooms. It took my tired, rattle mind far too long to realize it was Sigurd's office and if there was a light there, he clearly had to be working on something. It wasn't good for him to be working so late, so I should see if I could help. Even if I couldn't, I could at least make him some tea and maybe we could talk a little? Deciding it was better than wandering aimlessly and desperate for some sort of noise and company, I headed for the room and brought my hand up to knock as soon as I got close. However, I didn't knock. For one thing, the door was open. For another… well, when I peeked inside, I saw Sigurd was there, just as I suspected. He sat at his desk with an uncomfortably resigned look on his face, and he was not alone. At his side, half-perched on the desk, was Lord Eldigan, stoic as can be. Prince Quan leaned against the nearby wall, and his face and eyes were the coldest and hardest I had ever seen. And standing just inside the door was Chulainn. On the surface, he was as expressionless as ever, but this time, I knew there was something different. There was something sharp to his gaze, even sharper than the day we met, and it only emphasized the main reason why I froze: the tension roiling in the room. It was like a stormcloud about to burst.

"It's rare you're far from Alicia, Chulainn," Sigurd murmured, doing his best to smile. It didn't quite work and, unfortunately, it only made the tension build. I may have stood outside the room, barely peeking in, but I couldn't breathe from it. "I would think, given earlier…"

"Arden asked if I'd help with patrols," Chulainn explained, his own voice soft. Yet somehow, the softness only made him seem sharper. I should move away, stop eavesdropping, but my legs were locked in place. They wouldn't obey me at all. "Since Alicia should be asleep in her room, I agreed. I passed by, saw the candlelight, and had a guess as to what you three were discussing so late at night."

"Oh?"

"There's a prisoner to interrogate, after all." He said it lightly, but the words made my stomach twist into knots again. I... I could not be sick. I could not be sick here. I did not want them to know I was here. "It's not a comfortable subject, so what else would be discussed in the dark of night where few will overhear?" Yet here I was, eavesdropping. My luck was terrible.

"I…" Sigurd faltered and looked away. My stomach dropped. "Yes, the assassin who was caught is in the dungeons right now, under guard. Naoise, to be specific. Quan and Eldigan were… advising me on what to do."

"Then, since I am correct, might I make a request?" Well, this was strange. Chulainn rarely asked for anything. "Now, granted, this request is made under the assumption the usual routine of physical torture for interrogation will be followed." Sigurd didn't answer, his discomfort palpable. "Or, rather, the assumption those around you will do such, with or without your permission."

"What…" Sigurd's voice was a croak. He didn't like this. There was some comfort in that. "What is the request, Chulainn?"

"Leave Alicia out of it." …Why… why would I even be…?

"She's our strongest healer," Prince Quan noted cooly. I would have never expected someone who usually laughed and smiled so warmly could be so frozen. "It would be foolish to not have her heal them." I… what were they…?

"You plan to have her heal the prisoner, so you can continue torturing them for information," Chulainn growled, noticeably bristling. Meanwhile, I could only freeze. I… if I thought logically, I was forced to admit it would make sense. Yet I… I… "I know the game. It's not just pain which breaks a person. It's the constant lingering on death's door, only to be dragged right back."

"You know more than most."

"Lords like to hire mercenaries for this sort of thing. It keeps their hands clean, and their knights maintain plausible deniability." Chulainn shrugged, seemingly unbothered, but I remembered what he had said earlier, how he had called himself a coward. Was this…? "And I already know most would consider it foolish to not assign their strongest healer to this. That's why it's a request."

"Said while you're glaring like a wolf ready to bear fang." Prince Quan was still frozen despite the scoff to his words. Chulainn only smirked very slightly, like he found the phrase amusing. Meanwhile, said phrase let me figure out what was so different about Chulainn right then. There was something wild to him, something which would not be tamed or cowed. And he had every intention of making sure everyone knew how foolish it would be to cross him. "Sorry, I should probably say 'hound', shouldn't I?"

"Ah, so that did come up."

"It didn't take Alec long, no." What in the world were they...? "And Eldigan and I have both heard of the mercenary dubbed 'Death's Hound'."

"One of the many ridiculous things people attach to me, because they decided I was not, and could not, be human." I could not keep track of this conversation; I could only take solace in how Sigurd looked as uncomfortable with this as I felt. "Regardless, no, it is a request, and not one to you."

"That-"

"Chulainn, I assure you, Alicia is not going to be involved," Sigurd whispered, heading off another exchange. Prince Quan frowned; Chulainn relaxed ever-so-slightly. Lord Eldigan did not react one way or the other. He'd been passively watching this whole time, after all. "I was just refusing the suggestion when you came in." Prince Quan opened his mouth, no doubt to protest, but Sigurd shook his head. "No, I will not change my mind. There is nothing you can say to force it."

"Indeed, and Quan, if you are so insistent, perhaps you might ask Ethlyn instead," Lord Eldigan agreed, his own words sharp despite the even tone. He smiled when Prince Quan did not respond. "My friend, you have a tendency to let your pragmatism run away from your sense and morals when you are angry. I know you are livid at what Shannan suffered, but we both know the second your ire fades, you'll be nauseous. Let Sigurd protect both you and her." Prince Quan actually glared, annoyed, but Lord Eldigan shook his head. "We are not in the Munster District. We're not facing Travant. Calm down." At that, Prince Quan stilled and remained silent, a small bit of contriteness flitting through the ice in his eyes. "If I am to be truthful, I am still surprised she healed the assassin at all. Most would be content on letting them die a painful death."

"Alicia heals everyone." Sigurd smiled bitterly. "I hate to think of how ill she must've been earlier, when she realized what would happen." Ha… he knew me well.

"And this is why Quan sent me a note bemoaning how there are now two of you." Eldigan smiled faintly; Sigurd did his best to return it. "Regardless, Chulainn..."

"That's all I wanted to ask, so I'll go ahead and take my leave," Chulainn said, bowing his head slightly. The sense of something 'wild' about him faded, and he was back to the irritable stoicism I was used to. "Halls are clear, by the way."

"A moment more, Chulainn?" Sigurd requested just as Chulainn took a step back. He still looked uncomfortable. "Thank you for thinking of Alicia."

"Well, you did hire me to guard her." …There was a strangely cold feeling in my heart at the words. I couldn't think of why. "That includes from your allies."

"I can still thank you for it, since most would not think to protect her heart." When Sigurd smiled this time, it finally looked real. "Oh, and I told Alec to stop badgering you."

"I doubt he will, especially if he picked up that damn moniker."

"He will, because I will order it. After all, I don't need more information." His smile grew, and Chulainn frowned. "I judge the man I see before me, and I know he is worthy of my trust. Alec need not concern himself with more. Besides, he has other tasks I need him to focus on."

"...I fear I must agree with your friends. You and her are really two of a kind." With those as his parting words, Chulainn left the room and closed the door behind him. As soon as it clicked shut, he turned and looked right at me. I tried to smile, maybe even make a sheepish apology, but I could not remember how to force even the perfect-healer-smile. For the first time in my life, I couldn't.

But, eventually, I managed to croak out, "Good evening?" My voice was so terribly small. "I..."

"I knew someone was out here, but for some reason, it did not occur to me it would be you," he murmured, gently nudging me down the hall. I stumbled, but managed to keep upright. "Most would pass out after the day you had."

"I wish I could, but I could not sleep." I clutched my shawl, but no matter how tightly I wrapped it around me, it could not chase away the cold feeling settling in my bones. Oh, why couldn't this chill numb me as my anger did? "I thought a walk might tire me."

"So, you walk through the halls, alone, mere hours after assassins attacked." Why did people always say such things like they were the dumbest thing in the world? "I knew I should've trapped your door before going on patrol."

"I was wondering."

Neither of us spoke after that. Chulainn simply remained at my side while I picked the most random of directions and walked. Eventually, we ended up outside in the gardens and I found a bench where I could sit down. He stood next to me, and reached down to help adjust my shawl when the wind gusted through. I couldn't even smile to thank him. All I could do was fixate on everything that happened today, and what I overheard.

"...Would…?" I finally rasped, breaking through the silence. It took everything I had to force out this one question. "Would Prince Quan have truly…?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. His gentle, even hesitant, hand rested on my back. "Pragmatism dictates he should and out of those three, he is the one with the most experience with war and assassins. Agustria may have territorial disputes, but Leonster's constant battles with Thracia are on a different level entirely. He's far too used to being unable to afford a single disadvantage. Travant is as brutal as the dragons Thracia is famous for, an opportunist who will exploit any and every chink their defenses."

"I see." I could only smile bitterly. "I..."

"But you're not like that. You're an idealist, one who does not wish to impose your ideals on another. You refuse to force others to help you in your quest to save everyone, and you do not force your supposed salvation on them." He ducked down a little, just enough for me to see his faint smile. "Sigurd is an idealist as well. While I was approaching, I heard him arguing with Quan about the interrogation, and insisting other methods be used first."

"I'd prefer it if they did." I could understand there was likely no chance of information without it. But I still... "I think it's better to exhaust all other options first."

"Whereas taking that time may lead to you losing any leads at all. Hence why Quan wants to strike quickly and brutally. Eldigan was acting as a buffer for them, since he's someone who is decidedly in the middle when it comes to ideals and pragmatism."

"That fits what I overheard." But this reminded me. There was… there was something I should say, something more important than questions and explanations. "Chulainn?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you." I smiled up at him, the best I could manage at this moment. I doubted it was a very good smile, but I could at least give it all my effort. "I know you said it was only an extension of your guard work, but I do appreciate you speaking on my behalf."

"I was only being a busybody." It was unsurprising he tried to dismiss what he did. "Sigurd never would've considered it."

"But even though you knew, you still went to make sure, and you still argued for my sake. So, thank you."

Chulainn didn't answer, only looked up to gaze at the moon and stars, but I didn't mind. I had a feeling it was how he tried to avoid his embarrassment, so I let the silence fall, enjoying it now. To my surprise, it wasn't long at all before I started to yawn and doze off. I knew I should try to stay awake, if only to walk to my room, but now that sleep had sunk its claws in me, it did not want to let go. As I swayed on the bench, trying desperately to not fall asleep right then and there, Chulainn solved the problem by picking me up and carrying me back to my room. I think I managed an apology; I hoped I did. But if I did, he didn't respond. Instead, as I drifted off, I swore I heard the most beautiful of lullabies and I wanted so desperately to ask about it. Maybe I would, one day.

Most castles would have a gloomy atmosphere in the wake of an assassination attempt, and Evans Castle was no exception. That is, it wasn't until Lady Edain and Sir Midir arrived from Yngvi, a couple weeks sooner than expected since they'd heard what happened from Lady Ethlyn. Lady Edain was absolutely determined to throw off the pall of worry, and she did so by diving headfirst into wedding preparations and dragging the rest of us with her. It was near impossible to fret with everything she insisted had to be done as soon as possible and before long, the cheer I usually associated with Evans Castle returned. The only difference now was Shannan was not allowed to wander anywhere alone anymore, but thankfully, he did not protest. In fact, he stayed at Lex's side until I cleared him. Twice. Only then did he resume his usual activities.

But if I thought the preparations from before were enough to make my head spin, I had no words for how my head felt now. I honestly thought it had taken less time and preparation to run the army! Every day there was some color to pick, some fitting to be done, some food to discuss, and it honestly got to the point where I was smiling and nodding at everything that did not involve potential safety hazards because I could not keep up in the slightest.

"Alicia, you're absolutely refusing lace, correct?" Lady Edain asked, bright-eyed and laughing. My head may be spinning, but she was definitely thriving in all this chaos. At least today it was only her and me with the seamstresses in the fitting room. Chulainn wisely stayed by the door, out of the way. "None whatsoever?"

"If you insist there must be lace, then it cannot be on the sleeves," I answered, doing my best to keep perfectly still. After all, I was being measured again for my dress and did not want to make things harder for the seamstresses. "But I think I would prefer none at all." I still remembered the lace sleeves of the dress I wore to the Festival of Flowers. I hated it, and hated even more that I had not covered my Mark.

"Then none it shall be!" She smiled, perfectly fine, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I did wonder why she asked, vaguely remembering something about 'lace being in fashion', but it didn't matter. She listened. "Hmm… you should have a shawl for it as well. It can get chilly at night, and really, you just look so elegant with a shawl."

"I need a shawl?" I supposed it made sense, and it made even more sense to have one custom-made for the occasion. Yet even as I thought it… "Do I need a new one? There's one I think will match the dress well enough."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it's one Prince Kurth commissioned for my birthday." The thought had been random, but I had to admit it was appealing. "I have worn it in the past, so maybe it won't suit, but…"

"Let me see it later to be sure, but I'm sure it'll work out~!" She grinned and darted to the other side of the room for whatever reason. I had no idea what. I just stood here in the middle and let the seamstress do her measurements. It was the fifth time, but I couldn't blame them for wanting to be certain. I knew I'd do the same in their scenario. "What colors are the shawl?"

"It's dark blue, with light blue flowers embroidered on it."

"Oh, that should be perfect with your dress then." In another blink, she was messing with something in a different part of the room. I closed my eyes so I could stop trying to figure out where she was and what she was doing. My head hurt. I didn't even know why she was the one asking these questions instead of the seamstresses. "Seems you lost a little bit of weight since the last fitting. Have you been eating well?"

"Yes, but I have been walking more."

"Right, right, Ethlyn said you took up the habit. We should go on a walk together later!"

"I don't mind, if you can tear yourself away from the wedding preparations long enough."

"Oh, but it's fun!" I genuinely could not see how. "And I have practice, since I helped plan Ethlyn's." I thought her insane for being willing to endure this for more than one person. I was never going to be involved in wedding preparations again. "Hmm… you know…" All at once, though, her tone somehow became a cross of 'serious' and 'impish', and I opened my eyes to see her expression matched. Not only did it match, but for some reason, her gaze was fixed on Chulainn. "He should get a new outfit too." For a split-second, I wondered if I heard correctly. I only realized I did when Chulainn's eyes widened. "Yes, indeed, so we should get his measurements too!" She clapped her hands and a seamstress appeared at her side with a knotted rope. "Chulainn, hold still, will you?"

He very much did not hold still. Still wide-eyed, he ducked away from the seamstress, snagged my hand, and promptly dragged me right out of the room. I struggled to get my feet under me as I tried to wrap my head around what just happened, which was not made any easier by Lady Edain's laughing protests and one of the seamstresses actually trying to chase us down. Unfortunately for her, Chulainn and I knew far more about the layout of the castle than she did, and before long, we not only escaped her, but made our way through the empty gardens for a walk. Only then did everything finally process, and I burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry!" I gasped out through my laughter, doing my best to muffle it. It was hard, though, because I was laughing so much. "I know I shouldn't, but I don't think I've ever seen you look so panicked before, Chulainn."

"Why did they need my measurements? I'm just going as your guard," Chulainn grumbled, visibly annoyed. He kept a careful eye on our surroundings, like he expected Lady Edain or a seamstress to pop out of the bushes. "I don't need another outfit. So long as I look neat, why would anyone care?"

"I don't know?" I fanned my face, trying to calm down. I was smiling too much; my cheeks hurt. "I would say it is because you will be near me, but I doubt anyone will pay me any mind once the ceremony ends."

"Right, because who wouldn't pay attention to the maid of honor with so many rumors surrounding her?" He grumbled more under his breath, and I had to decide between continuing my laughter or frowning at him. "This is only your second public appearance, isn't it?"

"Ah, yes?"

"...Never mind, I understand why she got the idea in her head." Well, I was glad one of us did. "However, I'm refusing. It's bad enough watching you go through that torture. I'm not enduring it. I knew I should've arranged an escape sooner." Well, now I was right back to laughing. "Why so many fittings anyway? I'll never understand this sort of fuss."

"They just want to be sure, given how many they have to make. Everyone wants everything to be perfect."

"Nothing is perfect."

"That's no excuse to avoid striving for it anyway." I might have said more, but the sudden cry of a bird caught my ear and I looked up curiously since it was so close. Not even a second later, the bird, whatever it was, swooped far too close and I ducked behind Chulainn to avoid it. "What in the world?"

"Well, now, this is interesting." Seemingly unsurprised, Chulainn held out his arm without fear to let the bird land delicately on his arm despite the complete lack of protective wear. Weren't people supposed to wear leather gauntlets or something for this sort of thing? Those talons looked really sharp! "A white falcon, one with fine feathers indeed."

"Chulainn, I swear, if you hurt yourself like this, I'm going to be mad." Cautiously, I peeked out from behind Chulainn to frown at the falcon. It mostly ignored me, preening its feathers and seeming remarkably relaxed, but it eventually stuck out its leg and I finally noticed the small piece of paper tied to it. "Oh?"

"Not only a fine feathered friend, but a messenger." He gently petted the bird, and it immediately pressed its head into his hand to silently demand more pets. "Your brother's again?"

"No, all of Arvis's falcons have black feathers." I hesitated, not inclined to bring my hands close to those sharp talons when I didn't know the bird, but it seemed perfectly content with Chulainn's pets, so I carefully untied the note and unrolled it. There was no signature, but I… I recognized the writing. "Prince Kurth?" I looked around surreptitiously and finding no one, I sat on the closest bench and smoothed out the note in my lap to read. It was terribly rude to Chulainn, but I… I had to read this at once.

'I am appalled someone would target the boy. I made a subtle mention to the other dukes, both about the assassins and how you had healed one of them. Byron and Ring were outraged, and Lombard scoffed at the idiocy of attacking Sigurd indirectly when we're facing a skilled opponent. Reptor paid lip service, but I noticed him stiffen when I revealed one was still alive. As such, I sent word to my father and Arvis to keep an eye on Friege. I fear with the war this is all I can do, Mariccle is too strong of a foe for me to risk divisions, but I hope it will discourage a second attempt.'

That was it. That was all it said. Yet I sagged with relief upon reading the words. Yes, he could be lying. It was only written word, easy to write and easier to fool, but it still made me feel better about trusting him. So, with a small smile, I folded the note up as small as I could, and looked up to try and apologize to Chulainn for my rudeness. Given how focused he was on the bird, though, I didn't think he actually minded, so instead, I wondered what I should do now. Should I send a reply? How would I? I really didn't know, and though it was terrible of me, I looked around again to see if I could find some sort of distraction. It was then Chulainn gestured to catch my attention and nodded to the person standing nearby, Prince Quan. I did not know when he arrived, but he had the most hesitant look on his face now, and I half-thought he was ready to bolt. I wondered why; it was the first time I'd seen him since the assassination attempt.

"He just came around the corner," Chulainn whispered, catching me up. By all appearances, he was absorbed in the bird, but I knew he was paying close attention to what Prince Quan did. "Better move quickly if you want to talk to him. He's been running from you for the past few days." Ah, so he'd been avoiding me? I wondered why. Well, there was only one way to find out.

I smiled at Chulainn, hopped to my feet, and headed over to Prince Quan to speak to him myself. "It feels like it's been a while, Prince Quan," I greeted, smiling at him. He did not smile back as he usually did. In fact, he looked more uncomfortable. "Are… are you not feeling well?" I reached up and rested my hand on his forehead to check for a fever. "No fever... that's good. You were with the children, last I heard." Lady Edain had said he and Lady Grahnye were watching the children this morning. "I'm surprised you're not still with them."

"They're napping." Ah, was it already naptime? The fittings had taken longer than I thought. "Amazing how easy it is to get her to nap when Ares is around. It's usually a nightmare and a half, but as soon as they're both laying down, she's out like a candle."

"Maybe you should get her a sibling?" I said the words as teasingly as I could and was rewarded with Prince Quan's dark blush. "Forgive me; it was far too tempting."

"I definitely set myself up for that one, didn't I?" He made a face, and I muffled a laugh. "I think I'm more surprised you're the first to tease such."

"I doubt I will be the last." I studied his expression, noting how the discomfort soon came creeping back as I pulled my hand away. "Do you have a headache?"

"No?"

"Are you in pain?"

"No?"

"Then why do you look like you're trying to not wince?" Maybe there was a more diplomatic way to ask, but I wanted to get to the heart of the matter. If there was something to fix, something to heal, I wanted to do so immediately.

"Ah." His eyes skittered away from mine. I waited in silence until he found his words. "I... need to apologize. To you."

"You do?" What would he need to apologize for? I had not talked to him in days. "Why?"

"It is..." He grimaced, dropping his head. His usual perfect posture slumped, and he curled into himself like he was trying to hide. "It is not something I did, but almost did. I think that is the best way to explain it." Then why would he need to apologize? "The more I think of it, the more I... ugh, damn Eldigan for being right. You'd think he'd get tired of always being so Gaia-damned right." I was very... wait, hold on. The mention of Lord Eldigan reminded me of the conversation I had overheard. Was this...? "And, truthfully, I thought Chulainn might have warned you just in case. Ugh, I need to apologize for how caustic I was to him that night too."

"Chulainn hasn't warned me about anything except how I might not be able to hide as much as I wish during the wedding celebrations." This only confirmed it for me. This was about the conversation I had overheard, which meant I needed to be cautious. I wasn't supposed to know anything about it, so I had to act and speak as if I didn't. I didn't want to reveal I'd accidentally eavesdropped, after all. "I will note, however, most would not apologize for thoughts, only their actions."

"I clearly have to make things complicated for myself." He said it, not me. "I... I pride myself in being more careful than anyone. I am not usually a reckless person. So, when something unexpected does happen, I'm very rattled, and I... well, I'll immediately slip into a battlefield mentality. I'm used to it. Whenever something unexpected occurred in Leonster, it was directly because of Thracia. Some sort of attack, some sort of feint…" His words trailed off, pain blooming in the silence. "When I was younger, my father made the mistake of underestimating Travant. He'd just become king, despite being only fourteen, and launched a showy assault. Father met it fully, thinking it was a child's way of grandstanding."

"But it wasn't."

"No, it was all flash, little substance. Bait. And because of it, Leonster's halls were crimson for weeks. Nearly everyone within was slaughtered. I only survived because one of the few knights left behind shoved me into a storeroom and blocked it with his corpse." That was a terrifyingly vivid image. "I decided after that I had to leave Leonster and learn more tactics, more everything. Something to gain an advantage. That's how I ended up at Belhalla's academy. But even with all I know now, I still..." He still remembered being a terrified child, trapped in a storeroom with only the smell of death and screams of battle as his company. "In Leonster, when we're fighting, anything goes. Any scrap of information is seized, no matter how, because of how crucial even the faintest whisper can be. I used to not think anything about torturing for information. Hell, it's probably the only way to get information from Thracians. Then Sigurd looked horrified while I was explaining, and I had to stop and reevaluate a lot of the things I knew. He's like that. Challenges everything and... I'm rambling."

"Perhaps you are, a little."

"I'm sorry." He looked up just enough to give me a bitterly apologetic smile. "The attack on Shannan... I'm furious. At the assassins, at who sent them, and at myself for not thinking of the possibility. And with the unexpected assault comes my usual panicked insistence on gathering any and all information, however it can be gained. It's rare an assassin doesn't die before or during capture. So, my mind went to Leonster's usual way of obtaining information, and it would have… it would have asked a lot of you." He looked down again. "I would have asked... demanded, actually... for you to heal them so we could put them through even more torture. And because you are an idealist like Sigurd, one who wishes to save everyone... I know it would have hurt you."

"Why didn't you?"

"Eldigan rightfully pointed out I'd be sick later. And he forced me to think, instead of react." That must be why Lord Eldigan asked him to put Lady Ethlyn in my hypothetical position. "So, I have to apologize, for almost putting you in the worst sort of situation. For almost clawing you apart because war makes beasts of us all, and I stopped caring what sort of means got me the end I wanted."

"..." How should I respond? I already knew most of this, and I had to admit I was appreciative of his acknowledgement of how painful it would have been for me. It helped me feel better about what I had overheard, and it gave me my own answer to the question I had asked that day. Yes, he might have demanded it of me, but he would've rescinded it as soon as he managed to think past his own panic, past his own trauma. Still, it was hard to say 'you are forgiven' for thoughts. So, instead, I focused on something else he said and hoped I might convey what I wanted. "War does not make beasts of anyone."

"Huh?"

"We fought a war here, but I did not treat beasts in my infirmary. I treated people. No matter how mangled they were, how much they screamed and cursed... they were people." I made sure to catch his eye and hold his gaze. "To say war turns someone into a beast... I think that is trying to push away the responsibility for one's own choices. When it comes to war, people choose to fight. People choose to kill. People choose to capture, to torture... there are no beasts." Something Chulainn said popped into my head, and I blurted it without thinking. "Beasts are more honest."

"I..." Prince Quan looked away. "That..."

"So, it was not a beast who almost harmed me. It was you, a person." I made sure to smile then; he stared. "But it was also you, a person, who stopped and said 'no, this is wrong'." He kept staring; I kept smiling. "Yes, I am a foolish idealist. I willingly drink that cup of poison, knowing my efforts will always fall short, because to give anything less than my best is something I am incapable of doing. I am, after all, the champion of workaholics." That startled a laugh out of him, and I was glad to see him finally relax. "That day, I healed the assassin because I was furious they tried to run away from the consequences of their choice. I am not proud of it, but that was the reason behind it. They will bear it, just as I know, one day, I will have to bear the consequence of healing someone who may cause harm to those I care about." I wasn't stupid. Saving everyone meant saving everyone. Ideals were easy to cling to when you were alone, but when you were no longer alone, those ideals could, and would, hurt others. Even if it worked out here in Verdane, it did not mean it would in the future. "So, I hope you will forgive me when that day inevitably comes."

"...And, in the meantime, you will forgive my lapse of judgment, so long as I acknowledge it is a lapse and one I must strive to correct, and do not try to make excuses such as 'war turns us into beasts' and 'the end justifies the means'." Prince Quan sighed, but he smiled and that was what mattered. "You are a very ridiculous person, Lady Alicia. I was right to complain to Eldigan that there's two of Sigurd now."

"Considering how your adoration of Sigurd is obvious even to a child, I think I will take the compliment." I was more glad he understood what I was trying to say. "But, speaking of… how is…?" Just what term was appropriate for the assassin anyway?

"Our prisoner? Fine, for now. Sigurd made Eldigan and I swear to find and exhaust all other options first. He's not foolish enough to think we can truly avoid it, but he'd rather we did. So, we're doing what investigation we can, including examining the other two bodies. Would've been nice if Eldigan left the head of the one he killed so we could try and track down who might've seen him, but it was mush against the far wall." He sounded only mildly irritated by it. I had to wonder if this had been a problem in the past. "While we investigate, we're taking Ayra's advice and using Isaach's way of interrogation."

"They don't torture?"

"Physically? No. They use isolation as a means of shattering the spirit." ...I could not, for the life of me, decide if that was better or worse. "Something about humans being very social creatures by nature, like pack animals, and thus depriving them of needed interaction slowly drives them insane." I needed to avoid these sorts of conversations, clearly. "So, that's where things stand now."

"I see." Belatedly, I remembered the note in my hand. I wondered if... "Um... here?" I held it out to him, and he took it with a frown. "I... in retrospect, this was probably..." Oh, he was about to be mad, wasn't he? "I wrote Prince Kurth?"

"You did what." His tone immediately flattened. I barely kept from squirming. "I... that... that's beyond dangerous." Yes, I could realize that now! "If things were intercepted..."

"I understand." I couldn't help but frown at him. He sighed again, this time in clear exasperation, and slowly unfolded the note."I never had to worry about these sorts of things before meeting you all, you know."

"Yes, yes, we crazies make life exciting." Finally unfolding it, he skimmed through the words. "When and how did this arrive?"

"It came via falcon shortly before you showed up. I read it immediately." I pointed to where Chulainn remained a short distance away, still playing with the falcon. I knew he was keeping an eye on us, though. "See?"

"...How the hell is his arm not maimed? Every bird of prey I know of would've punctured through his arm ten times by now."

"I don't know, but it's fairly typical with any animal around him."

"That makes no sense." No, it did not, but I didn't know enough about animals to actually protest. "Right, ignoring the odd animal behavior…" Prince Quan read the note again, much more slowly than before. "Friege, huh? That makes the most sense. Arvis has too much to deal with since he's dealing with those warehouses." Yes, he and Dietrich both were up to their necks in work. Sir Alec's investigations had uncovered potential links to slavers and, specifically, illegal arenas where people would fight to the death. It was, apparently, not uncommon for children to be thrown there, and now they were desperately trying to see if any 'warehouse children' had been sold to one. "How are the children you helped doing, by the way?"

"Anselm says they are recovering nicely, and the only ones not settled into their new homes are Gabriel and Ellen." Ellen was still receiving care from Father Claud, and Gabriel would not leave her side. "Arvis will be helping the two settle in Velthomer, in addition to the added investigations about the warehouses."

"So, he's definitely ruled out. As for the others... well, Lombard is many things, but no one can consider him a fool. Attacking a child would reflect poorly on Grannvale, especially a child who is being protected by someone as highly regarded as Sigurd. Plus, a Dozel assassin would've shown more hesitation in striking Lex, if only because they'd know knives would not be effective and poison rarely kills immediately. While King Azmur could have sent the assassins, everyone knows Prince Kurth rules in all but name, and he would never go against his son's wishes. Prince Kurth, meanwhile, would not wish to fight Sigurd, both because he's very fond of Sigurd and because he knows Sigurd would tear a chunk out of their army if provoked. Also, why assassinate Shannan when he could be used as a hostage?"

"So, it could only be Friege, or an unknown employer."

"Right, but Reptor is well known for his utter dislike of threats and very much believes in taking them out at the root, to minimize the chances of someone becoming a threat out of revenge." It was hard to believe someone with that mentality would raise someone as cheerful as Tailtiu. "It's conceivable he'd do something like this." Prince Quan smiled slowly. "I'll have Ayra mention it. She's been our point of contact with the prisoner."

"Is this how she's been conveniently missing fittings? We still need to finalize the design for her dress."

"Er... maybe?" He paused, thinking. "Actually, probably. This explains why Edain was grumbling about being unable to find her." He returned the note to me. "I'd better get on that while I'm thinking about it."

"Very well." I would not say more; I couldn't. So, instead, I did my best to smile as he left and it only faltered for confusion when he paused and looked back. "Was there something else?"

"Well…" He was thoughtful for a moment, before he smiled softly. "First off, thank you for making the coat and cape for Finn. I don't think I ever thanked you for doing that." I was still working on it, but Lady Ethlyn's patterns were easy to follow. I should be able to finish at least one before the wedding. "And I'd like it if you dropped the title with me."

"Oh?" I couldn't fathom why, but I already knew protesting would be pointless with this lot. "Then I must ask for it to be reciprocated, Quan."

"Sounds good, Alicia." With an easy smile and easier wave, he left at last, looking much lighter than he did earlier.

When he was out of sight, I returned to Chulainn's side, folding the note again as small as I could. "Did you suspect he wanted to apologize?" I asked him as soon as I was close enough to talk quietly.

"I figured he would, and figured his own shame made him run," he confirmed, still apparently more focused on the falcon. I didn't know anything about how falcons behaved, but if I had to guess, I'd say this was one happy bird. "It's not a hard guess. He has to have a strong moral compass if he's friends with Sigurd and Eldigan, even if his pragmatism drowns it."

"It's not just pragmatism." Truthfully, I wouldn't even say it was 'mostly' pragmatism. From what he said, I'd say it was all 'trauma' and a desperate need to never bear witness to such a slaughter again. Others just thought it pragmatism because they did not know his story.

"Oh?" Chulainn looked a little surprised, but I shook my head. I would not explain further. "Well, regardless, like I said, it wasn't difficult. I would've been more surprised if it wasn't that."

"You'll probably get an awkward apology later yourself."

"Is that so?" He shook his head. "I don't need it. I've been called a hell of a lot worse."

"Just let him ramble his way through."

"Fine, fine. But I may let him squirm first." Chulainn smiled a little boyishly, and I muffled a laugh. "Are you going to reply? To the note, I mean."

"I... think I shall." I would let Prince Kurth know I informed Quan, and how much I appreciated him doing what he could. I knew he was in an awkward situation, after all. "I should do it quickly, before..." Chulainn brought a hand up to quiet me and pointed down the way. I turned, expecting the worst, but found it was only Ayra wandering through the gardens. "Oh, hello!"

"Edain actually let you go, Alicia?" Ayra asked with a laugh, joining us. She immediately gasped at the falcon on Chulainn's arm. "Oh, what a beauty…" Should… should I tell her it belonged to Prince Kurth? I didn't want to diminish the childlike look in her eyes, but… "Hello, there?" She carefully held her hand out to let the falcon inspect it, and laughed when it immediately butted her hand for pets. "Ha! You're a spoiled one, aren't you? Where did he come from? I know we don't have any falcons here. There's no animals at all besides the horses and some mousers."

"Yet Chulainn manages to find all sorts," I joked, still trying to figure out if and how I should answer her. But, it was probably best to be honest. I had no way to make a believable lie here without being obvious about withholding information. "It's… ah… Prince Kurth's." She stilled for half of a second, before going right back to her pets. "I wrote to him about what happened."

"What was his reply?"

"Quan will give you the full details. But Prince Kurth took some steps to hopefully prevent a second attempt." Now that I thought about it, this might be why he had also made sure to tell the other dukes. If Duke Reptor truly was behind it, he now knew he was alone in believing Shannan was a threat to be 'dealt with'. "I sent it with the regular messenger, but it seems he wanted to reply as quickly as possible and sent a falcon."

"I see." She studied the falcon with a frown, before nodding to herself. "This one is very well treated, and you wish to believe in his owner. Good. Only the best quality of person should have the honor of fighting my brother." Despite how lofty her words sounded, I could see and hear the sorrow within.

"...From what I understand, Mariccle continues to make Prince Kurth work for a victory." I told her before how much Prince Kurth admired Mariccle, didn't I? I swore I did. Should I make sure?

"Of course he is." The way she said it implied she wanted to say no more on the subject, so I would speak of it another time. "I'm surprised you let this one land without a glove, Chulainn. Everyone is so skittish around animals around here!"

"So long as nothing startles him, my arm remains safe," Chulainn dismissed, shaking his head. I frowned, though, because… it was very hard to tell, but he seemed a little uncomfortable. "However, I should warn Edain didn't actually let Alicia go. We escaped."

"Meaning she's either looking for you herself or has set Midir to the task," Ayra replied with a laugh. She then paused, thinking. "Wait, no, Midir went out with Alec earlier to help with patrols and hunting. So, someone else. Point is, she's on the hunt."

"Right, so if you're going to avoid your fittings as you usually do…"

"I… er…" She made a face. "Look, I'm involved in something else important too, you know!" I had to fight to keep my smile at the reminder of how they were currently treating the assassin. No, I still didn't like any of this. "Though, I do use it as an excuse. I'll admit to that."

"Fittings are tedious and torturous."

"I'm somewhat used to them. I did have a lot of clothes in Isaach. Royalty has to keep up appearances, especially when they're connected to the divine. So, it's not that. It's…" She sighed then, drooping. "It's the dress itself. Don't get me wrong; it's pretty. And I believe Edain when she said it'll suit despite me not having the patience for such things. But…"

"It's not Isaachian." Chulainn carefully ran a finger over the falcon's wings. The falcon, meanwhile, seemed very relaxed and perfectly happy with being spoiled with pets and scratches. "Grannvale's formal wear is different."

"Yes." It was all she said, but the word carried everything. It wasn't even just about being different either. But the dress was Grannvalian in design, and while it was suggested with the best of intentions, it was only another thing Grannvale 'replaced' and another reminder of just how far from home she was. So, in my eyes, there was only one way to solve this problem.

"In that case, should we commission an Isaachian-style dress?" I suggested. Ayra looked at me like I was insane; Chulainn stared through me like he was trying to pick away at my thoughts. "There's still time, and I know Deirdre would be very upset if you had to wear a dress you didn't like." They both continued staring, so I resorted to my best weapon in this situation: guilt. "In fact, knowing her, she'd be so upset she won't think of much else and would not enjoy her own wedding, which of course would make Sigurd fret. Then again, if he knew you were wearing a dress you didn't like either…"

"Okay, ow, low blows!" Ayra complained, rolling her eyes. I simply smiled innocently. "I… it's very different. It's subtle and can strain the eyes and while Isaachian tailors are trained for it…"

"Then we may need to make a compromise, but we won't be able to do anything until we ask." I kept smiling. She kept staring. "So, I do want to reply to Prince Kurth first, but afterwards, we'll talk with Edain together. How does that sound?"

"I…" Ayra ducked her head to try and hide her face; I still saw her shyly sweet smile. "Sure. We… we can try, at least."

It didn't take me long to write my reply. I only wanted to thank him for telling me, thank him for doing what he could, and inform him I had told Quan his suspicions. Ayra helped me tie the note to the falcon's leg, and Chulainn sent him off. From there, we only needed to find the one Edain sent to look for me, Lachesis, and meet up for discussions and more fittings. Honestly, there were so many. I would never endure another one again!

Some days, the wedding planning got too much for me. My head spun too much and I had to walk away to do something else lest it exploded. On those days, I would head into town with Chulainn and set up a mini-clinic like I did before. Back then, it took people time and courage to approach me for help, uncertain as they were over the interlopers and their strange healer. Now, though, they greeted me with laughter and warmth, cheerily sharing tales while I treated their ills and gave advice for their health concerns. I even had a house call, which would've been unheard of last time, though I did wish the person's condition wasn't so serious.

"It's a fungal infection, so while I've treated the worst of it, you absolutely need to give them this medicine," I explained, speaking clearly and concisely. I had to be especially calm right now, since I was talking to a very distraught mother of a very sick child. What had started as a 'simple cold' developed into far worse, sadly. "It reached their brain which is why they suddenly lost their vision and had a seizure, but this is easily fixable so long as we treat it quickly and efficiently."

"Th-thank you..." the mother sobbed. Asli. Asli was her name. Her son was Demir. She'd lost her husband in the 'plague' that had wiped out Evans, which is why her son had done his best to hide his admittedly minimal symptoms. "I knew I should've taken him to you sooner, but he kept saying he was fine, he just had a little cough and he had no fever..."

"I know." I kept my voice gentle even as I interrupted her. I didn't want her to feel like this was her fault. It wasn't. It wasn't anyone's fault. Life was just like that. We simply had to fix it. "But he will be fine. I'll write down the instructions for the medicine, but it's important to not skip a day and I will warn you, he'll be taking it for a very long while. His symptoms will clear up sooner, but you must have him keep taking them even afterwards. We don't want to risk him being sick again because something was missed."

"Yes, of course." She roughly rubbed her eyes to clear her tears. I made a mental note to brew her some tea while we went over everything. "So, what should we do? And how long will this be?"

"We'll do a combination of two medicines for three months, and we'll reevaluate then what medicines he'll need. I'll make you enough for a few days while I'm here, and send the rest once I'm back at the castle."

We sat at her kitchen table while I went over both medicines with her, how best to give them and what potential side effects to watch for. She listened with rapt attention, reading through my notes with such intensity it took her a good five minutes for her to even notice me getting up to find her kettle. Then, of course, Asli panicked and insisted on making the tea herself, but I waved her away with a little laugh. I was glad to see her calm down by the time the tea was made, and after one last check on Demir, I left the house to meet up with Chulainn. He'd refused to follow me inside for reasons known only to him.

"How does a fungus end up in someone's brain?" Though, given how that was the first question he asked after I stepped outside, maybe he'd stayed away so he wouldn't ask questions like that around a panicking mother. "I can't figure it out for the life of me," he continued, sounding almost sulky about it. "If he cracked his skull, that'd be one thing, but surely they would've brought him to someone if he was that badly hurt."

"No concern for the child?" I asked, mildly exasperated. He didn't even say 'hello'. "None?"

"I didn't hear wailing, and your expression isn't locked up, so obviously, the kid will be fine." It was polite to still ask! "I'm still trying to figure out the fungus in the brain part. Will the kids here get it?"

"Everyone in the castle knows to come to me immediately, and I will remind them to do so even for coughs in light of this." Sighing, I shook my head and strode down the path back to the castle. He fell in step with me easily. "Besides, this isn't contagious. It's obtained via breathing in the spores."

"You mean the spores which are likely everywhere?"

"Well, yes?" I shrugged. "Most don't become sick from it, though. It usually only affects those with a weakened immunity, but cases in healthy individuals aren't uncommon."

"And it somehow moved from the lungs to the brain."

"Yes, the spores likely colonized in the lungs and then disseminated through the bloodstream before his body to clear it out." I struggled to remember what I had read. Weren't skin lesions a potential problem? I should check. "That's all."

"You say this in the most nonchalant manner." He frowned at me and I could only smile. "I think I've said it before, but your medicines and medical knowledge make my head spin."

"Would you like to learn more?"

"That would be a 'no'."

"It would be fun! You can learn with the boys and Lady Lachesis."

"Still no."

"Please?"

"No." By this point, we made it to the market again and waded into the crowd. It was just as loud as ever, with the townsfolk eagerly anticipating the upcoming wedding. "Looks like the merchants have set up shop."

"I'm not surprised. Weddings are nothing more than fancy festivals, and festivals means money. Even I know this." Still, I couldn't help but smile at how cheerful and lively everyone was. We even had a few travelers in the mix, easily standing out from the crowd due to their cloaks, but even they smiled and laughed with the rest of the crowd. "This may be a small wedding by Grannvale's standards, but it's still a fancy party."

"Right, why are most of Grannvale's nobles not invited?"

"It's apparently tradition. Chalphy prefers smaller weddings." As such, no actual 'invitations' were sent out, only notices. Wedding gifts came by messenger and no one looked slighted. "It's better for Deirdre, since she'd be too nervous to move if there were so many strangers at her wedding." I did wish Azelle would've been able to make it, but he was too busy in Velthomer right now.

"I see." He glanced back then and subtly pulled me a little closer. "There's a man wearing a dull gray cloak behind us." His voice dropped to a whisper and I glanced over my shoulder to find the man in question. It took me a while; he was hidden well, talking to a merchant. "He's trailing us."

"Are you certain?" I kept my voice just as soft. "This is a busy area."

"He started following us the moment we stepped into the crowd." Ah. That was certainly more suspicious. "He's careful to keep us in sight, even while conversing, and he's always a set distance away despite the number of people." Now this was definitely suspicious. "Stay near."

"No, I think I'll walk right up to the suspicious person and leave my trusty bodyguard behind."

"You mean like when you ran for Shannan despite the threat of assassins?" ...While he did have a point, I refused to admit it. "Walk normally."

"So, you need me to act calm and pretend I didn't notice anything." In that case, the best thing to do would be... "Then let's head in the direction of the apothecary. No one will think anything weird about me going there and I go in through the side door." I received permission to do so from the proprietor, so I could talk to him more directly about what I needed.

"All right." He looked around again, before pointing. "It's this way, right?"

"I believe so." I started heading in that direction, with Chulainn staying near. "Is he still behind us?"

"Yes."

"Darn."

We walked in silence from there, mostly so I didn't distract Chulainn from keeping a surreptitious eye on our stalker. Instead, I focused on where we were going, keeping calm and making a mental list of what I'd need for Demir's medicines to keep my mind occupied. Before long, we split off from the crowd to head down the side alley by the apothecary and I reached for the door as if to open it. That was when Chulainn whirled, drawing his blade with the motion, and held it at our stalker's throat. He seemed surprised by the action, but recovered quickly and held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. As he did, I took note of his surprisingly delicate features, silver hair, and pale gray eyes. I... knew him. I knew him. I knew him, and I did not like that he was here!

"Eogan?" I whispered, feeling cold. His only response was a slight, bitter smile. "What are you...?"

"I wish to speak with you, fire lady," he replied, perfectly honest. Only when he said it did I remember we had never exchanged names, and I'd stupidly called him by his anyway. "That's all."

"I see." Well, at least he was talking to me and not charging into the castle for Deirdre. "Very well." I looked to Chulainn, who eyed both of us dubiously. "I know him. Step back for a moment, will you?" Now he just looked at me incredulously. "Please." So, I put all the sincerity I had into the word, hoping it would convince him. Thankfully, it did, even if he walked away with all the reluctance in the world and did not sheathe his sword. He stopped a short distance away, but when I shook my head, he walked a little farther and leaned against the wall. He wouldn't take one step more, so... "Speak quickly and quietly."

"If you're taking such steps, that answers one of my questions. You do know her heritage." Eogan pushed his hood off and brought his hands down. "You knew when we'd met."

"I still maintain what I said." It was best to keep both quiet and vague, though with his hood down, his features made it very obvious just what this was about. After all, only he and Deirdre looked so much like spun glass come to life. Thankfully, Chulainn knew how to keep quiet. "So, you said it was 'one'. What else did you want to ask?"

"It deals with Sandima." Oh, this was going to be awkward. "I've listened to the rumors while out and about. Despite his presence, he's noticeably absent in the official version of things."

"You know why."

"Indeed." He looked down briefly before making sure to hold my gaze. "While I was in Marpha, though, I heard about what happened to a certain couple. I knew of them; she had found them and told me about it. But I heard the symptoms then, and I know what happened." Yes, if Deirdre could figure it out from my descriptions, then surely he would've from theirs. "But I wanted to confirm. They were attacked in the Forest?"

"That was what I was told."

"...Then I was right. They were close." It was difficult to place his expression then. Bitterness, dread, fury, resignation... it was nothing good, even if I couldn't find the word I wanted. "Then she was in danger no matter what."

"She told me what your people told her to do if she was at risk."

"I... that's why I always went to find her. I didn't want her to die." His smile and expression settled on 'bitter' then. "So, I came here to confirm. If she was in danger no matter what, then why not run away for the chance of happiness?"

"You didn't come here to bring her back?"

"Yes, let's sneak into a heavily guarded castle and steal away the besotted lord's fiance. I'm neither stupid nor suicidal, thank you." Could he blame me for wondering? "No, like I said, I was just confirming, and who better than the strange lady who was very careful to speak only the truth to me and never actually answer my question or agree to my request."

"I don't regret it."

"I hope she doesn't either." He sighed and pulled his hood back on. "But with that confirmed, I will return to the Forest."

"That's it?"

"What more can I do? I can't fulfill either of the elders' requests." He looked down briefly and with a start, I realized what those requests had been. 'Bring her back or kill her'. What a harsh... even Father Eirik hadn't been that bad. But, then again, Father Eirik's priority had been my safety, not the world's. ...Actually, he'd probably scoff at the mere idea of 'protecting the world'. "So, I will take my leave."

"I see." This was... abrupt, but then again, our last meeting had been as well. "Is there anything you want me to tell her?"

"..." He was silent for a very long time before he reached into his pocket and tossed me something. I barely caught it, and even stumbled back as I fumbled with it, but eventually I saw it was an earring. It was a simple, silver earring with a pale blue drop. "Give that to her, will you? She'll know what it means."

"Of course." The randomness of it almost made me stop the conversation there, but I remembered... I remembered what Deirdre had told me. Earrings... always came in pairs, matching pairs. "You... were her friend, weren't you?"

"I was her jailer." Though he scoffed, a conflicted look came across his face. "But I... probably was the closest thing she had, growing up. Unlucky her, right?" When he met my eyes this time, I swore he was holding back tears. "Tell her to be happy. Tell her to be so happy she drives the elders mad."

"I will." I closed my fist around the earring to make sure I didn't drop it. "Safe travels, Eogan."

"And to you, my lady."

"It's Alicia."

"Lady Alicia, then."

He turned away then, waving a farewell before disappearing into the crowd. I watched him leave until he was out of sight, and still stood there until Chulainn returned to my side and tapped my shoulder. He asked no questions and I knew he'd keep silent about what bits he overheard and extrapolated. So, instead, we headed back to the castle, still in silence, and it was comfortable. When we returned, I headed straight for Deirdre. It was selfish, but I wanted to tell her before even a trace of the memory faded. I needed to.

"Oh, Alicia!" For once in my life, I got lucky. Not only was Deirdre in the first place I looked, but she was alone in the rooms she and Sigurd shared. "Is everything all right?" she asked, greeting me with a smile. "Did something happen?" Chulainn quietly shut the door behind me, the only hint he'd ever give about how much he overheard. "Oh, something did, huh? He wouldn't try to give us privacy if it didn't. Was the house call bad? Someone mentioned you had one."

"It... was, but the child can still recover with minimal complications," I answered, still clutching the earring. My hand hurt. "But you know I wouldn't need privacy to tell you about it."

"Well, you would if you wanted to cry." ...That was fair. "But what is it?" She walked over and tugged me further inside so we could sit in her 'sunroom'. I think that was the term. It was her 'private room' of the suite, whatever it was. "What happened?"

"I..." I looked around the room to ground myself before facing her. "I saw Eogan." Her eyes widened in shock. "Here." I held my hands out to her, cradling the earring. "He asked I'd give you this, and a message."

"This earring..." Shakily, Deirdre plucked it from my palm and held it up to the light. It sparkled like a star. "I know this. It was a gift from the Chief Elder, a sign of inheritance. Do you see the gem? It's called a blue sodesia. Sodesia are a gem only found in the Spirit Forest and even then, it's only once every few decades you can find a few. No one knows how they end up there of all places, but we're certain it's because of the Spirits. Everything weird is because of them."

"He said you'd know what it means."

"Yes..." She smiled so softly I thought it would break. "It's him saying I can come back if it's too scary. I can come back if I need a favor. He'll... he'll always be on my side." While smile didn't break, she did break into quiet tears. "You know; he's the only one I have any positive memories with, growing up. And whenever he'd find me after I snuck out, he'd wait until I was done. He never rushed me, and when asked, he always lied and said I never stepped foot in the city. Only the outskirts. Because he worried what the others might do if they knew."

"He wants you to be happy, so happy it drives the elders mad."

"Well, that'll be easy. I'm that happy every day now." She continued holding the earring to the light, watching it sparkle. "He should've stayed. I don't think he was any happier than me there. He was also kept apart, picked out from a young age to succeed the Chief Elder as he was. So he had more vigorous courses than the rest of us. More intense and more of them, because he had to learn anything and everything. His job, after all, would be to protect the village and he could only do that if he was the strongest, most skilled, of us."

"It sounds..." I thought of Arvis then, how isolated he had been and how happy he always was when he came to visit. I thought also of what Eogan had said, about how he'd been the 'closest' she had to a friend. "It sounds like two lonely children being lonely together."

"Trying to make the best of things the adults forced on us. That's another reason he gave this. It's an act of defiance. The earrings are only supposed to be given to the Chief Elder, so he's splitting the role with me. They're going to be so mad, but he'll use it to his advantage. They can't kill a 'Chief Elder', after all, even if she defies the rules." She laughed softly, more tears slipping down her face. "Be happy. Live fully. I will always be on your side. You will always be safe here, if you need it. That's everything he wanted to say. So silly... he's always been so terribly awkward with his words."

"And here I thought it was a quiet acknowledgement of the tradition you told me about. Earrings come in pairs."

"It's that too. But he'd never admit it. Too embarrassing." She giggled. "Ah, what to do with it? Wearing only one earring will be awkward. I guess I'll just hold onto it and keep it safe."

"Maybe we can get a pouch, at least for the day of the wedding?"

"Oh, that'll be cute! Let's do that!"

"Then we'll…" I was going to say we should commission something, but given how all the tailors were busy with clothes for the wedding and how I doubted Deirdre would want to explain the earring… "I'll make it."

"Aren't you still working on those items for Finn, though?"

"It doesn't take long to make a simple pouch. I can do it while the medicines for Demir are steeping." I smiled teasingly. "We should find silver ribbon for the drawstring, and blue cloth for the actual pouch."

"Well, neither will be hard since those colors are…" She trailed off when she realized why I said it. "Alicia!"

"What? They match the earring."

"Mean! Meeeeaannn!"

By the end of the day, I had all the medicines I needed for Demir and a simple drawstring pouch for a pouting yet smiling Deirdre. All in all, I would dub the day an unexpected 'success'. I hoped Eogan made it home safely. I doubted we'd ever meet again, after all.

Finally, the day of the wedding arrived. Outside of Deirdre's dressing room, everything was a flurry of activity, people rushing around trying to finish whatever last minute preparations had to be completed. Inside her dressing room, though, it was peaceful. It was just Deirdre and me, her sitting at her vanity and me brushing her hair and settling the veil on her.

"It's so pretty…" she breathed, watching me in the mirror. Her eyes sparkled with delighted tears and her smile was brighter than the sun. "I still can't believe you embroidered klelia and aevlise blossoms in it…"

"The veil is supposed to contain my well-wishes, and I remember what both symbolize," I replied, taking my time. I wanted it to be absolutely perfect. "Besides, you may have few fond memories of your village, but it was your home. I can't return to bring the flowers here, so in your veil they went." She should keep a little piece with her. "Now, what was it you're borrowing from Ethlyn again?" Ethlyn had learned about Quan requesting to drop the title with me and sulked until I did the same with her.

"Oh, it's the bracelet." She held it up for me to see, a silver and diamond chain sparkling over her glove. "And I have the pouch tucked into my dress for a 'something blue' until I can wear our shared accessory." And, this way, she would 'wear' the trinket she shared with her only friend growing up.

"Yes, that's right." Absently, I reached up to touch the hair ornament pinned to my hair. It was a dark blue rose, matching my dress perfectly. "This will certainly stand out against your hair."

"A little color never hurt anyone! And if I have to stare at so much white and silver, I think I'll go blind." She made a face, and I had to muffle a laugh. "Oh, and uh… thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?"

"There's many reasons to, but in this case, Edain told me you argued with some of the others about me wearing my circlet." She gestured vaguely at it, and it took me a moment to remember what she was talking about. I wouldn't call it 'argued'. It was more 'I told them and refused to budge'. "I know it's ridiculous, wearing this thing all the time. But it's one of the few things the villagers gave me. Eogan once joked it was a protective charm. So…"

"I only reminded everyone the bride has the right to decide what she will wear. That's all." I returned to arranging her hair and veil. "Besides, I made this veil under the impression it would be tucked around your circlet."

"Of course. You think of everything." She sighed, and I chose against disagreeing with her. "Oh, I'm so nervous. I keep thinking I'll flub my lines or somehow, someone will figure out my cursed heritage."

"They won't." I had helped Deirdre pick out shoes which left little chances of slipping off, and had argued for long socks under the gown instead of going bare. Both were to help her hide the Mark on the bottom of her foot. "If you think you're getting a blister, you tell me immediately and I'll check."

"I know. Or, rather, my head knows." The heart decided to feel whatever it wanted, no matter what logic said. "Still..."

"It'll be fine. Just think of Sigurd. If that doesn't work, then think of how adorable Shannan is." Shannan was actually serving as the ring bearer for the ceremony, much to his shock. I knew he'd been terribly nervous; Dew's self-assigned task for the day was making sure Shannan didn't make himself sick over it. "All of us here wish for your happiness. Trust in that, and no matter what silliness occurs, we'll overcome it together."

"I… yes, you're right." She beamed at me via the mirror. "All will be well. We'll make it through."

"That's right. So, just focus on being happy today."

"I'll try."

"Oh, so here's where all the calm is." The door opened then with the barest of knocks, just enough for Ayra to slip inside and shut the door behind her. "I should've expected Alicia was in the only calm place in the whole castle," she continued, sighing in relief. She was dressed very differently from most of us, with her dress deceptively simple and sleek. It was only when she moved that you saw the intricate embroidery on the skirt, an array of flowers and swirls climbing up from the hem in threads just barely a different shade than the dress itself. It had taken a lot of back and forth with the tailors, mostly for clarification, but they eventually decided it would be a fun challenge and agreed to make an Isaachian dress for Ayra. "Mind if I hide here for a second? I feel like a storm exploded in the castle."

"Don't say it like that when she's already nervous," I chided, waving her into the room. Of course neither of us minded if she hid. We were, after all. That's why it was only us two in here. "I was just reassuring her."

"Not my fault they're running like headless chickens. But there's smiles all around, so I think it's all in good cheer still." Ayra walked over and leaned down a little to smile at Deirdre. "You do look lovely, by the way. Sigurd's going to be staring."

"Doesn't he always?"

"Fair, but more so than usual. I think he'll forget to finish sentences like Mariccle did for his own wedding." She snickered at the memory and straightened. "He was chatting with me while we were waiting for the ceremony to begin and when Clionadh arrived, he stopped mid-word to stare." Her smile became a little sad, but still bright. "Their time together was short. She ended up drowning while saving Shannan from the same fate. But, I will always remember how happy they were, and how happy Mariccle still was even after she died, thanks to her memory. So, I hope you will have even a fraction of that happiness, Deirdre. You and he deserve it and more."

"Thank you, Ayra…" Deirdre whispered, smiling sweetly. It did nothing to hide the grateful tears gathering in her eyes, and I was glad we'd decided against makeup for her. I had a feeling she'd cry it off. "I…"

"And I apologize if mentioning a dead woman is bad luck in Verdane and Grannvale," Ayra added sheepishly, looking away. "I just can't help but remember since it was the last wedding I attended."

"Well, I don't mind and I'm told the bride gets to decide everything for weddings, so it's fine." She smiled mischievously and Ayra laughed. "So…" A knock on the door cut her off. "Come in!"

"Hello, hello!" The door cracked open and Lady Edain poked her head in, beaming at us. "Ah, and there's Ayra too," she said, stepping inside. Lady Lachesis followed behind with a skip in her step, her skirts bouncing with the movement. Agustria formalwear enjoyed layers, from what I could tell. "Perfect! It's almost time, so I'm here to escort Deirdre to her waiting room~!"

"And I'm here for Alicia," Lady Lachesis added with a laugh. Verdane's customs were clear; only women were allowed near the bride on the morning of her wedding day. Chulainn would wait for me in the chapel, and resume his duties once the ceremony ended. However, given the recent assassins and everyone's absolute certainty I would somehow fall into trouble even on a day like today, Lady Lachesis would serve as my temporary guard. "Shall we head out? If you make Deirdre any more beautiful, no one is going to pay attention to the ceremony!"

"Well, the bride is the centerpoint, so it won't matter if they do."

"That's true, I suppose."

Deirdre, of course, protested and things dissolved into a laughing teasing session. I ignored most of it, focusing again on pinning the veil. As soon as I was done, Ayra helped Deirdre up and led her out with Lady Edain to wherever Deirdre would wait for the ceremony to begin. Lady Lachesis and I cleaned the room before we left, heading to the chapel proper.

"Ah, I can't believe this day really came~!" Lady Lachesis giggled, brimming with energy as we walked. She practically shone with it, truthfully. Meanwhile, I was already tired from all of this, but I'd endure with my usual calm. It was easier when I could hear everyone's cheer, but I would be very glad when all of this was over. "Though this means everyone will pay far too much attention to who I choose for my first dance." Were such things important? I remembered how I'd been swarmed for my first dance at the Festival of Flowers. "Ugh, the wedding isn't even over and I'm already dealing with people making comments. Ugh, I could just not dance, but I don't want to."

"Dance with Finn," I suggested, not really thinking about it. When she made a curious noise, though, I had to think of some sort of justification. "You should dance with someone you know as your first, but I'm assuming you have already written off Lord Oifeye."

"Oifeye hates dancing, with a passion, and the gossips are already too quick to pair us. Dancing with him first will only escalate it and make things super uncomfortable."

"So, he's crossed off the list. Quan and Lord Eldigan will dance with their wives, and Sigurd will obviously dance with Deirdre. None of Sigurd's knights will dance until later, since they're on initial guard duty. Dew doesn't know how to dance, and won't want to, and Shannan's too young to dance at an official gathering."

"Meanwhile, if Midir dances, it'll be with Edain only because he'll only suffer it for her, and Lex hates dancing and will definitely not consent to being someone's first partner. It invites too much gossip." She tapped her cheek, thinking. "Yeah, Finn does sound like the best option. Out of everyone, he'll probably be the easiest to converse with." She giggled, grinning. "Plus, I'm sure he'll yelp and get flustered, which is a plus for me~!" Oh dear, maybe I shouldn't have suggested this. "Who will your first dance be with?"

"I do not plan on dancing at all, so I will get away with the barest minimum I can manage."

"Oh? But dancing is so much fun!" It very much wasn't for me. "Besides, with how beautiful you look, I'm sure you'll have many asking."

"If they ask, it is only to earn some sort of favor from Arvis."

"Well, I can't deny some of them might, and it's whispered Prince Kurth has a soft spot for you." I couldn't deny that. "However, I firmly believe most who ask will be because they're captivated by you!"

"They can pick someone else as their accessory."

"So cynical!" She laughed, though. "Maybe I should make you dance with me!"

"You should not be in such a hurry to bruise your own feet."

The rest of the walk to the chapel went just like that, with her trying to get me to promise a dance and me refusing. Neither of us had yielded by the time we made it to our destination, and once there, we were both distracted. Inside, the chapel was a whirlwind of movement and colors. It felt like I blinked and twenty people had run across the room to pin some decoration or fix some flowers. Lady Lachesis laughed at the chaos and bolted for Ethlyn to assist however she could. After all, Ethlyn was the center of this, snapping orders with a smile and listening to any grievances or worries with a laugh. I should probably have joined them to help, but this sort of madness was not something I wanted anything to do with, so I slipped along the edges of the room to find some place to hide. I ended up finding the only bit of calm in the whole room, though it had its own troubles. At least, I assumed there was trouble, since I was reasonably certain Ares and Altena were not supposed to be clinging to Sigurd right now. Lady Grahnye trying to get them to let go only proved it.

"Goodness, I look away for a half of a second, and he attaches like a burr!" Lady Grahnye laughed, tapping Ares's hand twice. He loosened his grip for a second, before grabbing Sigurd's coat with his other hand. "Ares!"

"It's fine, Grahnye!" Sigurd laughed off, despite being very pinned by the baby duo. Altena had all but buried herself into his neck, sulking at the clinging Ares. I was impressed Sigurd managed to hold onto both of them. "Really, I don't mind."

"You're supposed to be getting ready for your wedding, not serving as the baby toy again." Lady Grahnye tapped Ares's hand twice again. Ares looked around calmly and quietly, and promptly pulled the same trick. "Of all the times to act like Eldigan…"

"I don't know; I think the cleverness is from you."

"Don't flatter me while I'm trying to figure out how to scold my son!"

"Oh, my, is this the infamous 'Ares clings to Sigurd and Altena gets jealous' scene I've heard about?" I asked lightly, joining them. Lady Grahnye looked exasperated, while Sigurd laughed. "How did you even get them?"

"I was already carrying Altena, and I picked up Ares when I saw him underfoot," Sigurd explained, almost shrugging. He couldn't since Altena was sulking on his shoulder still. "That's all. I had Altena because Quan had to walk off with Eldigan to fix something heavy. I don't know; they're all being terribly vague. Something about how I'm not allowed to help today so they refuse to tell me anything."

"I'm sure." I had to muffle a laugh, and did my best to smile when Ares's quiet gaze snapped to me. "Hello again, little ones. It seems like it's been a while since I've seen either of you."

"This, of course, has nothing to do with how you avoid anyone under the age of two out of sheer awkwardness."

"Hush." I might have frowned, but Ares reached out for me then and I shied away, unintentionally proving his point. "Um…"

"Look, take him and then I can work on cheering Altena up enough she'll actually let Quan take her back. She's as clingy as Ethlyn when jealous."

"Is she now?" I glanced at Lady Grahnye, hoping for some sort of reprieve, but she only looked some combination of exasperated and thoughtful. "Why do I have a feeling there's a funny story about this?"

"Many. My favorite is the time we were in Belhalla for a summer festival, and Quan couldn't figure out why Ethlyn insisted on holding onto his arm the entire time." He shifted so Ares was a little closer, and I reluctantly took him from him. Unlike with his mother, Ares willingly went along and immediately batted at my hair. "Please do not grab my hair, Ares. I don't want to risk you dislodging the accessory."

"It looks just as pretty as Deirdre described it." Now freed from the second baby, Sigurd turned all his attention back to Altena, and she was happily gurgling before long. "You should probably support his back more."

"Ah, yes…" Right, Mistress Yesui had always said to support the head and back. I… did not know what to do with babies. I truly didn't. "Though, his mother could just take him."

"Aw, but he looks so happy!"

"He might, but Lady Alicia looks like she's scared she'll drop him," Lady Grahnye teased, mercifully taking Ares from me. I nearly breathed a sigh of relief, but kept up my smile so Ares wouldn't see. He was still staring at my hair, even as he curled against Lady Grahnye's chest. "Well, this took longer than I thought, but we succeeded. Somehow. Your suit is rumpled, though, Sigurd."

"I'll fix it when Quan gets back," Sigurd dismissed, cuddling with Altena. She was back to smiles now that she had her uncle to herself again. "Though, if Alicia is here, that means we'll be starting soon, so maybe we should find them instead."

"Yes, we should." Lady Grahnye smiled at me and hefted Ares up so she could hold him a little more securely. "Come with us? It'll give you an excuse to not run around like the rest of them."

She didn't need to tell me twice. The three of us wandered along the walls hunting for Quan and Lord Eldigan. We found them before long, fixing some statue that had been knocked into a precarious position, and Quan reclaimed his baby girl with a laugh and copious baby talk. I then took the opportunity to tug Sigurd into one of the small rooms connected to the main chapel so I could help him fix his appearance. Lady Grahnye was right; the babies did rumple his suit very thoroughly.

"And now you look respectable again, if as nervous as Deirdre," I gently teased, once he was finally presentable. He immediately made a face at me. "I suppose it's a show of how much you're both anticipating this."

"That's certainly one way to look at it," he replied, chuckling. To my surprise, he then looked around curiously. "Hey..."

"Hmm?"

"I just... wanted to thank you." He spoke strangely quietly, yet the words were filled with all his considerable sincerity. "You're rarely alone nowadays, so I haven't had a chance."

"Sigurd, you can thank me whenever."

"Not for this. You're the only one who knows everything about Deirdre." He smiled softly. "I realized it, when she told me about your meeting with Eogan. You're the only one who knows her heritage, and the only one who knows about... well, everything about me and her." He... had a point. I was the only one who knew the two had only met twice before swearing their undying love for one another. "Yet you show little skepticism, gave both of us courage, and helped every step of the way. So, I wanted to thank you."

"Ah..." I had... no idea what to say. "The greatest thanks would be you two being happy, you know."

"That's a given. I'll work hard every day for it." He grinned now. "So, again, thank you, Alicia."

"...You're welcome, Sigurd." I smiled as brightly as I could, the 'beaming' smile Chulainn told me made me look happy. Sigurd's grin grew into a smile. "Now, is there anything I can help you with or should I make myself available to Ethlyn?"

"Personally, I'd hide from her, so can you check my cufflinks? I swear one is loose."

"I imagine it's because you fiddle with them so much. You're worse than Arvis. But yes, I can check."

His cufflinks were fine, but he did have a button loose on his coat. I took my time fixing it and reinforcing the rest. It kept me safe from the rest of the wedding preparations.

The wedding went well, or so I guessed. According to Lady Edain, there had been multiple 'mini-disasters', though I did not know why any would have been dubbed 'disasters' at all. Some of the flower arrangements had been improperly arranged, someone's hem frayed, something about how one of the dishes for the meal would be delayed… in my mind, they were minor things, but perhaps they were like injuries. Minor wounds could become major if not properly treated, and it always happened at the most inopportune of moments. At least none of these mini-disasters happened during the ceremony itself. No, as far as I could tell, it had gone near perfectly and now, everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves at the reception.

To my surprise, and mild irritation, I didn't fully escape dancing. Lord Eldigan requested one, as it was apparently traditional for the best man and maid of honor to share a dance. Then Quan insisted on one, and of course, Sigurd didn't mind risking mangled feet. Some others approached afterwards, but I didn't know them, so I ducked away and Chulainn found me to escort me to a lovely and comfortable seat by the far window, where I could sit, sip some cider, and watch everyone have fun.

"This really is a cozy nook," I murmured, finally able to relax. Chulainn, leaning against the wall next to me, smiled faintly. "I don't remember seeing something like this in the corners when we last inspected the room." I did like it, though. I could hide with ease and had the best view of the room.

"I set it up this morning," Chulainn admitted easily. His faint smile turned boyish when I stared at him. "I figured you'd want to escape and not be easily found. The only ones who will make the effort are those whose company you actually enjoy."

"I'd ask how, but something tells me you'll answer without actually answering." So, instead, I smiled. "But thank you. I still do not do well with crowds."

"Oh, it has a selfish motive as well. This way Edain can't complain about not getting me fitted for a new outfit."

"It wasn't for a lack of trying." In fact, Edain hadn't given up until the week of the wedding, and only because the tailors wouldn't have enough time. "I still can't believe you climbed out a window to avoid her."

"You should have let me take you with me."

"You couldn't climb and carry me."

"It's not hard."

"Chulainn, it was the side of a building. I still don't know how you didn't fall."

"Still not hard." His boyish smile did nothing to convince me of this. "Oh, Finn, over here." The subject change convinced me even less, but it at least served as a good enough distraction, particularly when Finn did actually come over with a soft and shy smile.

"So, this is where you're hiding, Alicia," he noted, looking around. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering…"

"You could never bother me, Finn," I reassured with a laugh. In fact, I waved him closer. "Is everything well? No one is hurt?"

"As far as I know." He walked over to my chair, standing next to it and the window. "The worst I've seen is Oifeye fretting about whether or not you've had food. And if you've gotten some cider. Sir Arden made it especially for you."

"I will have to give him my thanks." I wasn't surprised, even if I was touched. He'd done the same for my birthday dinner, after all. "As for food, I'm not hungry yet. The bride's breakfast was quite filling."

"Ah, yes, that is one of Grannvale's traditions, isn't it? For the bride to share a special meal with close friends? But this one had a Verdanite twist." Indeed, it did. In Grannvale, the bride's breakfast was for all close friends and family, male and female. But Verdanite custom forbade men from interacting with the bride until the ceremony itself, so it had been just Deirdre, Ethlyn, Ayra, Lady Lachesis, Lady Edain, and me. "I'll remind him before he fills three plates for you."

"If he does, I'll make Chulainn eat them." I looked up to smile at Chulainn, and he actually looked mildly horrified for a split-second. "Though, I imagine he'll feed the animals instead."

"Lachesis did say she saw him feeding puppies just before the ceremony." Finn grinned at Chulainn, and Chulainn pointedly looked away. "Also mentioned something about a scolding."

"I did not scold her; I told her to be careful," Chulainn corrected with a weary sigh. I had a feeling Lady Lachesis would equate the two. "She nearly tripped and fell on one of them." Yes, she would definitely equate the two in such a scenario. "But I am surprised you used no title for the young lady of Nordion. Did your dance go well?"

"That...!" Finn choked on a yelp, and I had to muffle a laugh. Lady Lachesis had taken my advice and asked Finn for her first dance. Lord Eldigan and I had joked about how red in the face Finn had been the entire time, and how much Lady Lachesis was laughing. "She insisted?" he finally mumbled, finding a very interesting spot on the floor to stare at. "Don't tease me. I'm surprised you know how."

"It was an observation and a question. How was it teasing?" Yet Chulainn's smile was a little boyish and I barely muffled a laugh. "So, it was a successful dance."

"I at least didn't step on her feet?" That was an accomplishment! Dancing was hard. "A-anyway, I just wanted to check in and... um..." Finn looked up shyly, and rested a hand on his coat. It was the one Ethlyn had requested and I'd finished just a couple days ago. "I wanted to thank you for this, Alicia. It's wonderful."

"I fear I am still working on the cape, but it should be done soon," I promised, smiling warmly at him. I was glad it fit; I'd been worried about the measurements. Ethlyn had to sneak them to me, after all. "The wedding planning knocked me off schedule, so I know both are late."

"It's fine. I honestly didn't expect to get the traditional coat and cape at all." I figured as much. "It's almost a shame I'm not back in Leonster; I'd be the envy of the other squires."

"I see you're becoming adept at flattery." Still, I was glad he liked it, and, perhaps more importantly, he did not mind that I had been the one to make it. "Are you taking lessons from Sir Alec?"

"Do not joke about such matters. He's already threatened many times." Finn actually shuddered at the thought and I had to muffle a laugh. "R-regardless, I'd better head off Oifeye before he fills three plates for you. Should I keep your hiding place secret?"

"If one of ours asks, you may tell them, but no one else, please."

"Of course." He smiled brilliantly. "Enjoy the rest of the party."

"I hope you do as well, Finn." I waved him goodbye as he scampered off, and sipped more of my cider only to find I'd run out. "Oh…" Before I had a chance to be mildly sad about it, Chulainn took my empty glass and replaced it with a full one. "...When did you get this?"

"While you and Finn were talking," he answered easily. I could only stare because we hadn't talked that long after he teased Finn. "I warned the servants you'd be hiding here, so they make sure to swing near on their regular rounds about the room in case you need something."

"Do they?" I asked, surprised. Then I felt guilty. "I don't want to give them more work…"

"Given how much you've healed and fuss over them? They actually wanted to come regularly to check on you. This was the compromise." I… well… "No one is doing anything they don't want to do. I only told them so they weren't startled if they chose this corner to take a break." Mmm… while I could accept it logically, it was a little harder emotionally to believe. "Relax. Besides, we've more company." Indeed, we did and the newest guests were not surprising at all. Lex and Ayra didn't like parties anymore than I did.

"Wow, Chulainn, I'm surprised the knights haven't dragged you to the drinking contest," Lex used as his greeting, leaning against my chair while Ayra lingered by the window. Both had carried glasses of champagne. "Arden swore he'd do it."

"This sounds like all the more reason to remain exactly where I am," Chulainn replied, his words perfectly dry. Lex threw back his head and laughed. "What brings you two over here? I'd figured you'd mingle a while longer to find gossip fodder."

"Getting out of the crowd. Or, rather, getting her out of the crowd before she punches someone." Lex grinned and Ayra rolled her eyes. "Which, admittedly, would've been completely deserved in one case, and Sigurd would be on your side completely, but then Alicia will have to come out of hiding to treat injuries and we all agreed she's not working today.."

"What happened? I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to even hint at the war with Isaach in this crowd." Chulainn studied Ayra for a moment, like he could pick the answers from her brain. "My best guess would be something with Shannan. Probably related to his very important job during the ceremony."

"Got it in one!" Lex laughed again; Ayra grimaced. Maybe Chulainn did read minds. "We won't repeat what was said, but yeah, you got it."

"Well, now I'm curious."

"Look, it's a wedding, it's supposed to be peaceful, and the words would be enough to make even Alicia lose her temper." …Just what was said?! "No need for fiery ice today! We're not having that fancy of alcohol here." He grinned before nudging Ayra. "Still, I will admit I was surprised when I heard. Whether it's intentional or not, having Shannan involved in the wedding certainly becomes quite the political statement."

"That is precisely why Sigurd, Deirdre, and I discussed it at length before agreeing," Ayra revealed with a sigh. She downed the rest of her champagne in one gulp, like she was drowning whatever words had angered her. "Deirdre is the one who suggested it, thinking it might help him focus on something other than the assassins, and Sigurd liked it for the same reason." Of course the two would use their wedding as a means of helping Shannan move past trauma. I couldn't even be surprised. "Besides…" Ayra looked back to the room, smiling faintly when she easily found Shannan laughing and chatting with Dew and Lady Lachesis. "As Sigurd himself mentioned, his wedding drew on many other countries anyway. What was one more?"

"Hmm... actually, that's a fair point," Lex conceded, also draining his champagne. He took Ayra's empty glass away from her, and stepped out from the corner briefly to find a passing servant. A few words later, he returned with new, full glasses. "Alicia, Chulainn, I'm assuming neither of you want champagne, but…" Both of us shook our heads. "Figured. Now, anyway…" He handed Ayra one of the glasses. "What was I…? Oh, right, countries. We've got Verdane, Grannvale, Agustria, Leonster and the Munster District…" He snickered, sipping his champagne. "Wow, what a show of just how many powerful allies Sigurd has. Best part is it's completely unintentional."

"Don't say such things at a wedding." Ayra immediately scowled and he brought his hands up in surrender. "Political nonsense can wait a day."

"Do plots pause in Isaach during happy occasions? Because in Grannvale, they're the best excuse to set them in motion." Lex shrugged. "Hopefully, people take it more as Sigurd being Sigurd, and as a sign that Grannvale wishes to rebuild the broken trust between them and Isaach." Ayra grimaced, but Lex shook his head. "Whatever the hell happened, I think we can agree that good relations need to be rebuilt. On both sides. Same thing that happened here in Verdane, really." This was true. It couldn't have just been Sandima's manipulations which led King Batu to believe Grannvale would attack. If a single 'assassination attempt' and rumors could shake his trust, then it had already been worn away long ago. "I wonder if we could use recent events to gain sympathy…"

"Can we not bother with such-"

"Considering the castle was filled with servants and visitors, the attempted assassination attempt spread like wildfire within the day," Chulainn said, as blunt as always. I could only close my eyes; I actually already knew this, and I knew why it had spread. "Especially since many of those visitors were the town militia, former soldiers of Sigurd's army, and they were all very aware Alicia never runs. Thus, they knew immediately something had happened and investigated. These same former soldiers remember Shannan during his recovery, and as the shy child who slowly opened up to them. Meaning they were just as angered as the rest when they learned he was targeted."

"So there was never a chance to keep any of it quiet," Lex agreed, nodding. Ayra grimaced and looked away. "We might as well use that to our advantage."

"And minimize damage. The people in town are convinced someone in Grannvale sent the assassins, and this does not make them want to mend the burnt bridges. And we should assume Nordion has also heard about what happened since their rulers are here."

"Agustria might not care, since they usually only worry about their internal squabbles, but Verdane being hesitant will be a problem…" Lex looked out over the crowd, finding King Jamke was chatting with Quan about something. He'd only arrived today, a few hours before the ceremony, thanks to his duties delaying him. Now I wondered if he'd had to convince his advisors he should attend. I knew they were still very wary of us and our continued presence. "Problems for another day, though. Unless someone is stupid enough to attack during the wedding, this will all be thought of later." He looked around for some sort of distraction and hit one near instantly. "Alicia, you mind if I wave someone over?" I shook my head, not caring in the slightest. "Edain, over here!"

"Oh, Lex! Ayra, this is where you… ah, and there you are, Alicia!" With a smile and a laugh, Lady Edain joined us in the corner, all but radiating joy. I swore I saw those illusory sparkles around her again. "I've been trying to find your hiding place!" she explained. "Won't you dance a little more? You looked so elegant and I know there's a few wanting to ask."

"I think that is more of a testament to my dance partner's skills," I replied, shaking my head. I absolutely and completely did not want to dance more. "Unless those 'few' you mentioned are those I know from the army, I will continue sitting here."

"How did this get set up anyway? This area wasn't nearly as cozy when I checked before the ceremony." Just how fast did Chulainn set this up, then? "Oh, never mind. Are you sure? You really should have fun today."

"Dancing is not fun for me, but people-watching is." I smiled reassuringly, and she noticeably relaxed. Ah, she must've been very worried about that, then. "Let me decorate the walls."

"Then I suppose you'll be the prettiest of wall-flowers then."

"In the meantime, why don't you dance with Midir, Edain?" Lex suggested 'innocently. He even sipped his champagne to add to the 'nonchalant air'. Lady Edain, however, immediately went red. "He should be off guard duty soon, right?"

"You could also linger here to drink with us," Ayra added, her tone also brightly innocent. Her smile, however, was impish. "Though, given how red you already are…"

"Wow, you're right. Her face is really red. Redder than even Deirdre's!" Both grinned; Lady Edain's blush deepened. "Still, no sense in-"

"Lady Edain, speaking of Deirdre, can you check on her for me?" I asked, more to give Lady Edain an out than anything. She immediately gave me the most grateful look I'd ever seen. "I'm especially worried someone has tried to pull the 'bottomless glass' trick with her. I know some think it's good fun, but it won't be for her."

"Yes, I can do that, and I'll make sure she has some water just in case," Lady Edain agreed quickly. In fact, some of her words blended together, but I still caught enough. "I'll check on you all again later, all right?"

"Then we will see you then." I waved her goodbye as she all-but-ran from the corner and then turned to the snickering teasing duo with a frown. "You're both incorrigible."

"We probably should've made more small talk before teasing her," Ayra conceded, even as she continued snickering. Lex's unrepentant grin showed he had no regrets whatsoever. "Still, that was more of a reaction than I expected. I kept hearing about it in the army, but never understood why. Yet today…" She pointed to where Lady Edain had slipped back into the crowd and paused. It was soon clear why; she was staring at Sir Midir, who stood guard by the far entrance. "Her gaze always returns to him, without fail, and she always gets a silly smile on her face." I wouldn't call the smile 'silly'. I think 'loving' would be more accurate.

"Yes, now imagine those longing gazes at every social event. All of them. For the past four years," Lex drawled, now looking completely and utterly unamused. I'd even call him exasperated. "And, for the record, he's always fixated on her too, when he's not on duty. There's a reason Azelle never confessed and it's not just because his self-esteem is abysmal."

"Ah, I see. And if they're both more likely to trade longing looks when they're not working, it makes sense I rarely saw it. I usually spent time around her while she was working." Ayra tapped her cheek. "She and Midir are staying for a little bit, are they not?"

"Yes, since Yngvi has finally recovered enough for her to step away." Lex, for some reason, smirked. "Why?"

"Well..."

"Someone wants to teach her nephew how to sneak and the most perfect way to do so is spying on others," Chulainn noted dryly. Ayra frowned, while Lex laughed. "What? Was it not what you were going to suggest?"

"It was, but how did you know?" Ayra asked, still frowning. "It's not a usual thing for an aunt to teach her nephew."

"It's the perfect excuse to spy, and you have an adorable cover if anyone actually caught you."

"Well, that's true..." Ayra continued frowning, but I noticed Chulainn had tensed. "But..."

"If you are spying, then you are supposed to make a report, yes?" I 'asked', not truly curious about it. I only wanted to move the subject along. "Shall I take that role? I could even give status updates to Duke Ring. He complained about how slow they're moving when I saw him in Velthomer."

"That sounds perfect!" Lex agreed instantly. The only hint he too had noticed something was off was the quick glance between Ayra and Chulainn. "We can even phrase it as you being worried. That'll make Shannan far more likely to go along with it. You should've seen how attentive he was to Deirdre when you were in Velthomer."

"Oh, don't make him write reports like he did then. This should be in good fun."

"It'll be good practice for his penmanship, though!"

"Lex."

"S-sorry… but it would!"

Ayra soon joined in, laughing and joking with the rest of us while Chulainn watched in silence, a slight smile on his face. While we discussed the 'important particulars of reporting', I hunted for Sigurd and Deirdre in the crowd, finding them in the center of everything. They were arm in arm and smiling brightly, to the point they outshone the sun and moon and stars. I… I hoped they would always be this happy. I truly and dearly wished for it.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8) Disturbance in Agustria

The weeks following the wedding were peaceful. There were no disasters, no accidents. Life settled into a gentle rhythm, a song I held dear in my heart. But sadly, those peaceful days ended in the blink of an eye. King Imuka, the wise and peaceful king of Agustria, died suddenly, with no hints of ill health, and after a mere month of mourning, his only son, Chagall, took the throne. A man known for being his father's opposite in every way, few looked favorably on his coronation, even before… everything occurred.

The year is 758, Gran Calendar. Who would've expected such a small incident, what would normally be a footnote in history, would lead to everything shattering?

I truly was far too used to the sound of weapons clacking while I studied. It was almost to the point I thought something was wrong if I didn't hear it in between turning the pages. Though, there wasn't much 'clacking' today. After all, Chulainn's students today were Shannan and Dew, and he was always much slower and less hands-on with them.

"There, that's the way," he encouraged, adjusting Dew's grip on the sword again. Dew had a habit of keeping his grip too loose on the hilt, like he was ready to drop it and run at any moment. "It's not going to do you much good if it flips back and hits you."

"I don't know. It might startle the other guy enough for me to run," Dew joked with a grin. He always managed to find some way to downplay potential danger to himself. "They certainly won't expect it!"

"Yes, they'll be quite surprised at their victim deciding to maim themselves and save them the trouble." Unfortunately, his teacher was Chulainn, who refused to play along with the jokes. "We should find you a lighter blade to practice with. Or switch you to daggers."

"It's fine."

"It's not. You need to be comfortable." This sounded like something to bring up to Sigurd, then. He'd gladly commision something for Dew. "Shannan, have you finished the dance? You stopped moving."

"No, but the last part doesn't flow right," Shannan complained, joining Chulainn and Dew. Whenever Chulainn needed to focus on one of the others, he usually opted to practice one of the 'dances' Ayra taught him. They looked like slower paced drills to me, but I supposed there was something more elegant to them than the soldiers sparring. "Hey, can you watch and tell me what's wrong?"

"Give me a moment to get Dew settled, and I will," Chulainn promised. Shannan immediately smiled. "Dew, do the drill again from the beginning. You need to keep your grip."

So the lesson continued, slow and steady. I continued reading through my books, another gift from Prince Kurth. This one focused on how medicines have changed over the years, and it was utterly fascinating. For example, I'd known the srelia blossom had long since replaced the zaris root for treating anaphylaxis, since the zaris root's unique property of suppressing all forms of healing was dangerous, but I didn't know the zaris root itself had replaced an older remedy. I never would've guessed esorbe leaves were ever used for medicines, given how poisonous they were, but then again, it did kill less quickly than anaphylaxis usually did. If I thought of it that way, it could be considered little different from fevers. Still, it was terribly fascinating.

"Ah, so you're still out here!" Deirdre's cheerful voice knocked me out of my musings and, strangely, was accompanied by the smell of fresh cookies. At least, it was strange until I looked up and saw she was carrying a plate full of them as she walked over. "I thought you might have headed in by now and checked your workshop first," she continued, stopping next to me. "It feels late."

"They asked for a longer lesson today," I explained, marking my place and closing my book. Then I nodded to the plate. "Cookies?"

"I thought I'd make some for the diligent students?" She giggled, smiling shyly. "Well, truthfully, I just wanted to bake, and they felt like a good excuse. Do you think they'll mind?"

"I somehow doubt they will." In fact, given how the two were looking about curiously, I'd say they already caught the smell. "Boys, Deirdre brought cookies if you want some." I had to bite back laughter when Dew didn't even hesitate to bolt over to the bench, his eyes glittering greedily at the thought of sweets. Shannan lingered back, glancing up worriedly at Chulainn, but Chulainn smiled faintly and nudged him forward. Shannan needed no more encouragement after that and ran over to join us. He didn't even spare a greeting, and instead jumped up and swiped a cookie directly from the plate. "It seems they're taking a break."

"Given the hour, we need to be wrapping up anyway," Chulainn replied, following after Shannan. As soon as he was close, he scooped Shannan up and dropped him on the bench next to me. "Sit before you stuff your face like a chipmunk. It's only polite."

"Why should manners be involved when there's good food to eat?" Dew asked, eyes wide with 'innocence'. Chulainn shook his head, and promptly picked him up to plop on the bench next to Shannan. "Hey!"

"The food is fresh and is not going to disappear. You can take the time to be nice."

"And I can always make you more," Deirdre added with a gentle smile. She set the plate down between the two and laughed when both immediately began gobbling the cookies like they hadn't had a meal in three days. "Maybe I should've anyway."

"Why did you want to bake cookies in the first place?" I asked, shifting a little to give the boys room. I wondered how they could taste anything with how they were all-but-inhaling the treats. I hoped they didn't choke or, worse, develop pneumonitis. Ellen only just recovered from her bout, and was now settled in Velthomer with Gabriel. "It seems random to me."

"Oh, well..." Deirdre fidgeted with her hands, her smile fading. "I wanted to forget my worries for a little while. Sigurd has been frowning ever since we heard of King Imuka's death." …I had been trying to forget that event myself. After all, both he and I worried about it for the same reason; it reminded us of King Batu. "Then, of course, Alec has been running around a lot recently. I'm not certain he's slept since we've heard, and he's always busy when I try to check in. He even left on some sort of trip a few days ago! Naoise and Arden don't think much of it and he's supposedly due back soon, but..."

"What's this? I've made my lady worried! Perish the thought!" As if he were an actor waiting for a cue, Sir Alec appeared with all the bombastic flair of a theater play, startling most of the others. Chulainn helped the boys not fall off the bench, and I steadied Deirdre when she jumped and nearly fell herself. I briefly marveled about the convenient timing, and decided he must've been waiting in ambush. "Such a grave thing indeed to mar so pretty a face with a frown," he continued, still being melodramatic. Chulainn closed his eyes in mild irritation, and I knew my own expression flattened from exasperation. Deirdre, Shannan, and Dew, however, laughed once they recovered from their shock. "There we go! Smiles are so much better!" Did I need to examine his head again? "With all that said, I did actually come here with a purpose. I returned only a few moments ago and I need to give a report to both Lord Sigurd and Lady Alicia." ...Why would he need to report to me? The only thing I could think of was...

"Is that so?" Deirdre asked, blinking a few times from surprise. But then she smiled. "Well then, I'll take charge of the boys here."

"That would be..."

"Wait, hold on," Dew piped up then, looking remarkably serious given he had cookie crumbs stuck to his face. Without thinking, I reached over and wiped them off. "Thank you. Anyway, for all of Alec's weirdness-" Sir Alec immediately squawked a protest at that. "He's serious when it comes to duty. So, if he's asking for both Alicia and Sigurd, then it's double-serious." There... truthfully, there was no way to refute the logic, not without lying. "Wouldn't that mean you actually need Deirdre too, Alec? Since she's the lady of the castle? I've heard that's important."

"It..." Sir Alec began, possibly to try and think of some way to lie. But, after a moment, he dropped the pretense. "No, you are correct. Truthfully, I must tell all three, and it would be easiest to tell them at the same time. However, I remain uneasy about those assassins. We still do not know how they snuck in." This was true, despite extensive investigations. Our... prisoner was not forthcoming, so all we had were guesses. The favored two were 'took advantage of how people frequently came and went from the castle' and 'secret passage we don't know about'. "Out of the two, Lady Deirdre is much more formidable an escort." That was a strange way of saying 'Deirdre actually fights, unlike Alicia'. Now, granted, Chulainn would come with me, but that would give him three people to protect rather than the two Deirdre would theoretically have.

"Shannan and I will stay together, and we'll head straight for an adult." Dew elbowed Shannan, his bright grin a stark contrast with Shannan's dark frown. "We can practice sneaking! I know better tricks than Ayra. Come on!"

"Startled Naoise for me, will you? He has the most delightful reactions."

"And he's with Finn now anyway, so it'll be extra fun!" Dew hopped off the bench and snagged Shannan's hand to tug him along. "Let's go! We'll drop off the plate while we're at it." With absolutely no hesitations, he snatched the now-empty-plate with his free hand and raced off, dragging a worried Shannan behind him. Dew did not look back; Shannan refused to look away until they rounded the corner.

As soon as they were far enough away, I whispered, "did you find something with the warehouses, Sir Alec?"

"It's partly that, and partly another thing I must report," Sir Alec answered, just as quietly. While he kept the easy smile fixed to his face, his tone was serious. "And it is the latter you three need to hear. If Prince Quan were at the castle, I'd drag him in as well." But he wasn't. He and Ethlyn left to visit Chalphy a few days ago with Altena, leaving with Lady Edain and Sir Midir since they had to return to Yngvi. They had wanted to take Finn with them, but Finn opted to stay so he could keep up with his lessons. "Might we head off?"

"Of course." I stood up and dusted my skirts. Deirdre looked at me uneasily, so I made sure to keep my calm to reassure her. "But I did have one question first." I gave him the most exasperated look I could muster. "How long were you hiding and waiting for the most dramatic moment to arrive?"

"My dear lady, I would never-!"

"He's been in the shadows for a damn hour," Chulainn revealed easily, his own voice dry. Sir Alec gaped at him, and I sighed at my theory being true. Deirdre, thankfully, laughed at the ridiculousness. "Part of why I agreed to the longer lesson was to see how long it would take him."

"Wait, you were purposely keeping me waiting?" Sir Alec asked, scandalized at the thought. I tried to think of why he thought Chulainn would act otherwise. "Is this your revenge for the invitations to drink?"

"I need to clean up here before we leave. Help, will you?"

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I don't see a point in answering. People find their own answers in silence and I don't care if you deduce the wrong one."

"Perhaps, but it… would be reassuring to know, Chulainn," Deirdre mumbled, awkwardly intervening. Even her smile teetered uneasily on her face. "So…"

"...No, it's not revenge, and since he continued hiding, I concluded he was waiting so he didn't scare the boys," Chulainn answered softly. Sir Alec looked a little nonplussed at being so easily found out, but Deirdre smiled in relief. "Anyway, Alec, come on. You're helping."

"I can-"

"It'll be quicker with us two, since we already know where everything should go." Chulainn reached over and dragged Sir Alec behind him. "Be right back."

Chulainn's words proved true. Between him and Sir Alec, the yards were cleaned in what felt like a handful of blinks and we left, walking down the halls at a brisk pace. I saw the uneasy looks others gave us as we passed. They knew something was wrong. The four of us would not be grouped together if all was 'right', and certainly we would not walk so quietly. But none of us could break the pall of silence hovering over us. It shrouded us the entire way and did not break until Sir Alec knocked on Sigurd's door.

The office was unchanged from when I left a few hours ago. He hadn't even finished the tea I'd made earlier, though I went ahead and made a fresh pot for him. It gave me something to do and, besides, I needed to make some for Deirdre and Sir Alec. Chulainn, as usual, refused a cup. I still hadn't figured out a recipe to mimic the pleorula tea, though Ayra and Shannan had greatly enjoyed being my taste-testers. Sadly, something told me my research would have to wait after today.

"Well now, I was hoping to have an unexpected yet delightful tea with my wife and dear friend, but if you're here first thing, Alec, instead of pretending to flirt with maids, it must be quite serious," Sigurd noted dryly as we all got settled. Chulainn closed the door behind us to keep guard for any potential eavesdroppers and Deirdre moved to Sigurd's side. Sir Alec stopped right in front of the desk and clasped his hands behind his back in an 'attention' stance. "You must have learned something quite interesting from Laurence."

"Before he reports, may I ask who this Laurence is?" Deirdre requested quietly, attempting to clasp her hands in front of her. Sigurd ruined it by catching one of her hands to kiss. "Dear, we're being serious."

"I am always serious with you." He grinned cheekily, and she did her best to scowl, despite the blush creeping up her face. "But Laurence is a baron who was convicted of slave trafficking around five, six years ago." The grin faded, replaced by a dark scowl. "He kept his life and title solely because he provided key information. Instead, he was confined to his estates for the rest of his life, with a skeleton staff for his needs and guards to ensure he never leaves."

"Most might have balked at the punishment anyway, but Baron Laurence welcomed it," Sir Alec added, smirking faintly. "The man was terrified out of his wits of everything by the trial and, for the record, still is." Part of me felt bad about that, yet at the same time, it felt fitting. His victims had no doubt been just as scared, after all. "He isn't allowed many visitors, and welcomes even less, but since he had that old connection, my lord asked if I could have a simple talk and see if he was involved in our lovely warehouses."

"Since you are taking your time, I am assuming he does not," Sigurd concluded, nodding to himself. Finished with the teas at last, I debated bringing the pots to everyone, but settled on mugs instead. It would be easier for everyone while they talked at the desk. "Did he babble anything interesting?"

"Not initially." Sir Alec took a mug from me, smiling in thanks. "When I first tried to explain why I was there, he immediately fell into a panic and babbled about 'the Beast'."

"The... beast?" Deirdre repeated, frowning. She shook her head when I offered her a mug, so I set it on Sigurd's desk. Sigurd accepted his mug, but set it down next to Deirdre's without drinking. "What are you talking about?"

"It's part of the incident that cracked that slave trafficking case right open," Sir Alec explained, sipping his tea. With my self-appointed task completed, I stole some extra paper from Sigurd's desk and sat down on one of the chairs by the table to take notes for my letter to Dietrich. Chulainn decided to move next to me, leaning against the arm of my chair. "My lady, has anyone told you about the underground arenas which plagued Grannvale back then?"

"Yes, Sigurd told me about them." Her eyes went cold and while she kept the smile, it had a distinctly icy edge to it now. "What a despicable practice..."

"It was a known problem for several years, but it was near impossible to find evidence. Every time there was a potential break, it would lead to nothing but empty buildings and mass graves. Until, one day, a noble who was very well known for his punctuality missed an important meeting. Since it was so unusual for the man, it was brought to the authorities' attention immediately, and their investigations showed he and many other conveniently missing nobles all took a 'brief trip' to the Velthomer region, one they apparently did not return from." Ah, I knew what this was about now. I didn't know the full details, since Arvis refused to tell me, but he'd been near beside himself over it. It had taken me a couple of days to calm him down during that particular visit. "Skipping over the not as exciting parts of the story, they were eventually tracked down to a large, nondescript building that was officially listed as a 'warehouse' owned by one of the missing nobles." Oh, then it was no wonder they immediately wondered if there was a connection to our current case. "By then, it was filled with the terribly decayed bodies of our tragically missing nobles. Along with many others."

"I suppose it would be too much to hope that they were participating in the arenas?"

"Sadly, none of them appeared to have been fighting. Documentation found at the scene confirmed they were sponsors, traffickers, and avid members of the audience with quite the betting pool."

"...Disgusting..."

"Calmer reaction than what my lord had when he heard! Took us a few weeks to repair the walls." Sir Alec grinned, trying to lighten the air, and Sigurd rolled his eyes at the attempt. Deirdre, however, remained icily disgusted. "But nearly everyone in the building was dead. Only Laurence was alive, gibbering and weeping in fear under the floorboards. When questioned, all he could bleat out was 'the beast killed everyone.'"

"So, he was the only survivor."

"Surprisingly, no." Sir Alec sipped more of his tea, and I wondered if I should pour him another cup. "He was the only one found alive at the scene, yes, but a few days after the initial raid, investigators were informed of another survivor. A young girl who had been dropped off at a nearby church. She didn't remember much, save for blood and battles, but Laurence identified her as one of the 'gladiators'. We do not know why she was not killed with the others, but we believe our Beast carried her to safety. Unfortunately, the priest working at the time didn't get a good description. He'd assumed it was a tired soul dropping off a family member they could no longer care for."

"So, we do not know who they were?"

"Our best guess even now is that they were another of the gladiators, one who snapped and murdered everyone for their freedom. Laurence remains unhelpful, declaring they were a 'beast' and nothing more." Sir Alec hesitated for a moment, hiding it by drinking more of his tea. "I… well, this part isn't official, but truthfully, no one looked very hard for them. They'd be tried for multiple murders if they were found, after all."

"Even though they killed criminals?"

"The law is supposed to protect everyone and give rights to everyone," I whispered, barely even thinking about it. Arvis and I had this talk a few times, after all. He didn't like the idea of protecting 'evil people', but I thought it made perfect sense. "It's like my healing. Everyone means 'everyone', including those you hate."

"The second you try to make exceptions is the second you give people a very good reason to try and make their enemies fit those exceptions," Sigurd agreed, smiling faintly. He then grabbed the wrong mug and sipped it. Almost immediately, he frowned. "Wait, this tastes different. Did you not make me my tea?"

"That is Deirdre's mug, Sigurd."

"Ah. Sorry, beloved." He set down the mug and reclaimed his. "Anyway, Prince Kurth believes the same, and he was the one who taught me why it was important. No matter how much you want a particular person to suffer, a society run on your worst impulses will only bring pain."

"Mmm… I can understand that, but I fear people will use it as a means of avoiding consequences, especially if they know the law well," Deirdre mused, tapping her cheek. I could only think of how my father had, supposedly, utilized the law many times to do exactly that. "What do you do then?"

"You improve the law so less wriggles through the cracks," Sigurd answered without hesitation. He took her free hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. "Prince Kurth once told me that 'good' and 'evil' are too relative to make judgements. The only way to ensure the 'good' are protected is by protecting everyone. So, the law must be equal to all, and it must constantly change to take into account new scenarios and situations."

"So, even if one slips through, they can ensure it never happens again. I do like that." She smiled, but it still looked uncomfortable. "But that doesn't help present victims. Should there not be leniency for circumstances? Would this… oh, I hate to use 'Beast', but it's the only term we have for them, isn't it?" She sighed, shaking her head. "Regardless, even if they were tried for the murders of so many monsters, could it not be ruled 'self-defense'?"

"By definition, 'self-defense' is retaliation to an 'immediate' threat and does not usually take into account things like past abuses. So, it would probably be tried under 'manslaughter'."

"Well, that's silly. Even if the threat wasn't immediate, their lives were still in danger."

"That's a fair point. We can research it more later." Sigurd smiled. "We're a bit off-topic."

"Oh!" Deirdre blushed faintly, and quickly snatched up her mug to try and hide it. "S-sorry, Alec..."

"No, it's fine, my lady," Sir Alec reassured, biting back a laugh. Despite the reassurance, he did pointedly set down his now empty mug. He'd been drinking it the entire time we'd chatted, after all. "Still, I did remember something while you all had your riveting discussion. Some of the children found among the dead were Isaachian, so their authorities took over parts of the follow-up investigations. Maybe Ayra has additional information." That would be convenient. "Regardless, to finish the report, it is my belief Baron Laurence has nothing to do with the current situation. However, once he calmed down enough for me to properly explain, he gladly provided the names of some nobles who had been interested in the past, but never actually dirtied their hands." And, of course, none could ever question them further. Inquiries were not a crime, after all.

Shaking my head, I turned to Chulainn to ask him his opinion on all of this, but the words died in my throat when I realized how tense he was. No, it was worse than 'tense'. 'Rigid' may be more accurate, as if he had suddenly turned into a statue. Without thinking about it, I gently touched his hand to try and draw his attention, and he immediately jerked back, snatching his hand out of reach. He and I stared at each other for a long moment, my eyes questioning and his own wide with shame as he realized what happened. He then broke eye contact with me, shifting subtly so the chair was between him and me, and this told me all I needed to know. This topic was uncomfortable. He would not explain why. So…

"Sir Alec, give me the names later, will you?" I requested, turning back to the others. The three had been discussing something or other, but focused on me. I hoped none noticed Chulainn's discomfort. "Was there anything else Dietrich needed to know?"

"No, the names are the priority," Sir Alec answered easily. He turned his attention back to Sigurd then, his expression becoming surprisingly grim. "That was the first part of my report. The second deals with the other matter you tasked me with."

"Ah, yes, I asked you to report any rumors you heard about King Imuka's death," Sigurd whispered. Though he tried to appear relaxed, he and I traded wary looks. "What did you hear?"

"There are some rumors of a Grannvale assassin being responsible, but there's an equal number of rumors saying now-King Chagall killed his father for the throne." So, it was unfocused? That was different than with Verdane. Perhaps this was not related after all? It would be nice if that was the case, yet I couldn't help but fret. "But that wasn't what held my attention. It was people's reactions. While the people mourn the loss of their beloved and wise king, the lords seem to not give a damn about who killed King Imuka or why. Only that it happened."

"...And now, they are no longer chained." Sigurd set down his mug and leaned back in his chair, resting a hand against his temple. "Eldigan already warned we should be wary of his fellows, to say nothing of Ellidiot's attempt at an attack. Is there talk of war?"

"Yes." The word was heavy. "It remains only whispers, for now, but they are there nonetheless and I fear they grow louder, not softer, with each telling."

"Who is the suspected target? Grannvale?"

"No." Sir Alec's gaze grew hard, and I slowly realized this was the reason why he asked to report to me. The names for Dietrich could have waited, but this? This couldn't. "It's Verdane." And here we were, conveniently located between all three countries. There was little chance of us escaping the fighting, if this was true.

"Right, Agustria is locked in by mountains. They'll need a better base if they want to attack Grannvale, and Verdane is still recovering." He sighed, closing his eyes. Deirdre rested a soothing hand on his back, and he spared a smile for her. "I'll send a warning to Jamke. Hopefully, this is all nonsense. If it's not…" Then it would be war again for us all.

There was… no way to reply to that. So, with the barest of farewells, Chulainn and I left the office, with Sir Alec close behind. He immediately left to collapse in his bed, and I headed for my workshop, worried for the coming days. Chulainn kept pace with me, as he always did, and so we walked slowly and in silence. It was only when we were at the end of the hall, well away from the others, that Chulainn broke it.

"...Thank you…" he mumbled, his gaze fixed to the ground. Yet he made a point to touch my hand with hesitant gentleness, and I found myself feeling lighter at the gesture. "I'm sorry."

"There is no need to apologize," I replied, smiling at him. He still refused to look at me, so I hoped he heard the sincerity in my words. "Are you all right now? Shall we take a walk?"

"Don't you have a letter to write?"

"My pen and paper aren't going to fly away. I think." I made a show of thinking, and a smile cracked onto his face. "Regardless, sending an urgent message will only draw attention and the whole point of me sending him the letters is to place them under suspicion. So, it can wait a while and, in fact, should."

"...Then a walk... through the gardens… would be nice."

"It does sound lovely, doesn't it?"

We spent the walk in silence, simply taking the time to relax. A few times, Chulainn tried to say something, but each time, he closed his mouth and shook his head. I pretended to not notice and I think he was grateful for it. At the least, he was smiling faintly by the time we made it to my workshop, and I was glad for it.

It was surprising how quickly something became part of your life. For eighteen years, I never so much as exchanged looks with Prince Kurth, but now, he and I exchanged letters regularly. By this point, the awkward hesitations in both of our replies had dissipated, and I found it almost as easy to write to him as I did Arvis. This didn't mean I was any closer to figuring out how I felt about him, but that was fine. He didn't expect it. In fact, he understood how complicated my thoughts and feelings were, and he accepted them without complaint. Maybe that was why someone like Father Eirik respected him. They took a similar mindset when it came to their choices and consequences.

With all that said, I needed to figure out some way to tell him he didn't need to send me gifts with every letter. With the sole exception of the message he sent by falcon, each one had at least some sort of small trinket. This time, however, was truly ridiculous. There were four packages.

"In some ways, he's worse than Arvis," I muttered, smiling despite myself. No matter how annoyed I was, I was… glad to see them. He always put the utmost thought in each of his gifts, and never did any of them feel like a 'bribe'. I think it helped I'd gotten better at receiving presents. "Goodness, why so many this time?"

"There's only one way to find out," Chulainn pointed out, from his typical spot of 'leaning against the wall'. He always did this when we were in my workshop together; one of these days, I'd convince him to sit. "You don't have lessons today, do you?"

"I do, but they're much later in the afternoon." Lord Oifey and Shannan were in the markets with Sigurd, checking commerce and whatnot, while Finn was learning from Sir Naoise about horses. Dew had originally planned on coming here for additional reading and writing lessons, despite being skilled enough now to read most books and write legibly, but he'd pulled yet another prank and the fallout was apparently so messy that he was being forced to clean it up himself under Sir Arden's supervision. "So I still have time." Besides, he was right. There really was only one way to find out why there were so many.

Without further ado, I unwrapped one of the packages. Oh, certainly, I could've just opened the letter first, but I wanted to see what they were. Upon seeing the contents, though, I wondered if I should've done otherwise. Inside were two large jars, filled with some sort of marmalade, and a handwritten card, and it wasn't until I picked up the card I realized just what these were. They… they were jars of pleorula tea, with instructions on how to make it. I stared at it for a long moment, not trusting my eyes, and then excitement spiked through and I quickly opened another of the packages. This one had several sachets of carefully dried, crimson flowers and another handwritten card proudly declaring the best way to brew 'krinina blossom tea'. The third and fourth packages, meanwhile, held similar treasures, each with directions written on cards. This was… he really…

"Chulainn!" I exclaimed, whirling to face him. He was staring at me like I'd gone insane. To be fair, he did just watch me tear into the packages like a child. I was usually much neater about opening them. "Let me make you some tea!"

"Tea?" he repeated, still staring. "Alicia, we had this conversation before?"

"Yes, but..." I held up the jar of pleorula, and I had the pleasure of seeing Chulainn going slack-jawed in shock. He recognized it instantly. "I asked Prince Kurth if he could keep an eye out among the merchants who have set up shop near the armies?"

"I don't know who is more ridiculous in this scenario."

"I would think both of us, but that is neither here nor there." I smiled that 'bright smile', the 'beaming' one Chulainn described. "Please?"

"I... you..." He sighed gustily and threw up his hands. "I yield."

"Thank you!" Oh, I hadn't been this giddy in a long while. Had I ever?

I couldn't remember and couldn't care less. There was tea to make, after all, and while I waited for the water to boil, I found myself humming while I worked for the first time since I was little. Humming hadn't exactly been encouraged in the church; no matter how quiet you were, it echoed harshly thanks to the acoustics. I had to learn quickly how to work quietly, but right now, I couldn't help it. It wasn't even a proper song, merely a string of notes, but they heightened my already cheerful mood. They also reminded me of a question I still needed to ask.

"Say, Chulainn?" I began, glancing at him over my shoulder. He still looked exasperated by all of this. "When you carried me back in the night those assassins attacked..." I had to trail off, grimacing. Everything about that day still settled poorly on my heart.

"Last I heard, they were still in custody, were they not?" Chulainn asked, even though he knew the answer. Yes, they were still a prisoner and they continued being uncooperative. "Has Sigurd given up on getting them to avoid the usual?"

"I wouldn't know. Deirdre took over after the wedding and she refuses to say a word to either Sigurd or me about it." I still remembered the day she told Sigurd she'd handle it for him. It had been during our usual morning meeting and both he and I had stared in shock. But she'd met our gazes with such steely resolve that Sigurd yielded without protest. "You can ask her if you're curious. She might tell you." But the fact that she refused to say anything to us implied the answer anyway.

"Not that curious. I'm more surprised they kept me away from it."

"Would you have assisted if they asked?"

"It's not what I was hired for, so no. But it's nice to not be put into an awkward position." He shrugged, unbothered. "I much prefer being with you."

"So, I am preferable to torture. This is good to know."

"Well, if you want to take it like that…" He smiled faintly, a boyish smile, and I smiled back, relaxing once again. "Regardless, why bring that night up?"

"Hmm? Ah, yes, did you sing?"

"Huh?"

"Did you sing that night? I swore I heard a song as I drifted off." I waited for a reply, but Chulainn remained silent. "If you don't want to answer..."

"I..." He glanced away, and it took me a second to realize the tips of his ears were red. Was… was he embarrassed? He was embarrassed! "Maybe."

"It was very lovely." It was terrible of me, but I couldn't help but tease him. "It was quite soothing as well. I had very good dreams that night."

"With how exhausted you were, you should've been too tired to dream."

"Yet I still had peaceful dreams." I smiled innocently; he scowled. "What were the songs?"

"..." He scowled at me a little longer before sighing and looking away again. "Just... some lullabies I vaguely remember. That's all."

"Oh?" I had to admit; I was tempted to ask more. But I knew by now he very rarely wanted to speak of his past, and this was pushing it. So, it was better to keep focused on the present. "Well, thank you. That's the first time anyone has sung me a lullaby."

"Surely someone did when you were a child."

"Perhaps Cigyun did in Velthomer, but I don't remember it. My mother gave me away when I was a year old, after all, and Father Eirik wasn't the type to sing." I think I may have had a heart attack if he'd tried. "And I wouldn't have wanted Arvis to try. Singing is not included in my brother's many talents."

"Ah." He was silent for a long moment. "It was just a whim. There's no need to thank me for it."

"But I greatly enjoyed it, so should I not thank you?" I flashed him a smile, but before I could think of continuing, I noticed the water had started boiling and focused entirely on finishing up the tea. As soon as I was certain everything was mixed properly, triple-checking the card to see if I missed a step, I hurried over and held out the mug to him. "Here!" Ah, I was far too excited about this. I knew I was. But this felt like the first time I was finally able to give back to him and I was so glad for it. "I did my best to follow the instructions, but tell me if I need to make adjustments."

"You are..." He sighed heavily, but dutifully took the mug from me to taste the tea. He froze as soon as he did, his eyes widening slightly. "This..."

"Did I do it wrong?" Ah, I must've misread something. I should…

"No, no, it's..." He hesitated before smiling a smile I hadn't seen him wear before. It was very soft, and terribly gentle. "I was surprised how well it matched those vague memories. That's all."

"I see." If it got him to smile like that, I'd make it every day for him. "I'm glad, then." Now feeling a little awkward, for some reason, I turned away to make my own cup and sit down to read Prince Kurth's letter.

"Thank you." Chulainn's words were quiet; I barely heard them. "Truly."

"It... isn't much. But you are welcome."

We settled into a mostly comfortable silence then, though I felt almost too big for my own skin. I couldn't figure out why, though, and thus, opted to ignore it. I had other things to think about, after all. There was a new tea to try and a letter to read, and upon tasting the tea, I decided Ayra and Shannan were being nice about my attempts to recreate the taste. I hadn't been even close. But now that I knew for myself, I could think of a few fruits which were similar. The texture and sweetness would be harder to replicate as a tea mix without drowning everything in sugar, but it would be a fun challenge. I could get Ayra and Shannan more involved as well, if they were willing. Besides, I had to wonder if this sort of tea would work better for some of my medicines. Hmm… that would be an interesting bit of research. But that would be for later. For now, I should focus on my letter.

'I hope the packages made it to you safely. I'd been keeping an eye out since you requested it and finally stumbled upon a merchant specializing in teas among the many who loiter near the camp. He gave me the darkest look when I first approached and asked him about Isaachian teas. In retrospect, asking so bluntly about the tea from a country I'm fighting was discourteous at best.'

I had to pause then, fighting off the urge to squirm. I hadn't... considered it either. I had just wanted...

'He then asked, in that particular tone of someone politely fighting the urge to strangle another, why I wanted to know. Still terribly oblivious, I explained you had written to me about it, wanting Princess Ayra and Prince Shannan to have a bit of home while they were so terribly far away. To my complete surprise, the second I mentioned your name, his demeanor brightened considerably. Later, I learned why. This merchant was actually born in Isaach, and had come near to see how his home was doing. He and I chatted while he wrote the instructions for you, and thus I learned everyone in Sigurd's army, including you, was held in high regard by the Isaachians for healing and protecting their prince and princess. Rather comforting to hear, truthfully.

It is my hope Mariccle will surrender, or at least tell me why he feels war was the only way. Yet as the days pass and the battles stretch on, I fear this hope will not be answered. Worse still, we are reaching the turning point in the war, where Grannvale's advantages become all too clear. We have more people, more Holy Weapons, and the majority of the fighting is in the desert, where our mages reign supreme."

I closed my eyes at the sentence, uncomfortable at the knowledge. Yet, at the same time, this was something most already knew. Even Ayra never spoke of the war as if it was something Isaach would win. The end result… had always been inevitable.

'I will continue trying to open a dialogue with him. I remember what you told me, and I am convinced there is more to this than meets the eye. I may not succeed, but I do not wish the truth to be buried by convenient lies. I want to learn, because until I do, there will be no way to rebuild the shattered trust between our nations.

Even in a best case scenario, though, where Mariccle surrenders and reveals all to me, he'd have to cede the throne. I do not think any diplomat would expect otherwise. But, with just a little more knowledge, I'm certain we can argue for Prine Shannan to still receive it when he comes of age, and simply have a regent until that day arrives. It's not so different from what we have with Verdane currently, after all.'

Oh, that's what he meant by 'comforting', then. If this was going to happen, then Shannan's regent would have to be a Grannvalian lord. I doubted the court would accept anything less. But if the Isaachians already held Sigurd in high regard, then he or someone he trusted could serve the role with minimal fuss. I didn't think Ayra or Shannan would mind.

'Please don't mention anything to Sigurd yet. I have no idea how long this war will last, after all, nor do I know if my preferred scenario would be accepted. This is, of course, to say nothing of the rumors reaching us.

Try to be careful, will you? The recent disturbances in Agustria have made many of us nervous, and I fear you all will be drawn into it, and not just because Sigurd inherited Hiordis's penchant for trouble. If Nordion gets involved, Sigurd will not be far behind. He would never leave Eldigan to face danger alone.'

There was a little more, mostly easy small talk, and despite the grim reminder of the threat hanging over our heads, I was smiling as I finished the letter. I was… I was so glad he remembered the hints I'd given him, and I was relieved to hear he would not give up on finding common ground with Mariccle. Of course, given what I'd overheard, I wasn't sure if he would. The trust between our nations was more than 'shattered', and I had a feeling he knew it. But he'd try anyway, because it was what he believed was right.

"You're smiling." Chulainn's gentle observation roused me from my thoughts, and I looked up as he moved to my side. "Was it a happy letter?" he asked.

"I am not certain if one could call it 'happy', but it was not 'sad' either," I answered, returning to my tea. I should've made myself more; this was quite good. "He told me how he managed to secure the teas for me, and a little of how the war is faring."

"Good for Grannvale, and poor for Isaach."

"Well, yes." I did not like it, but it was firmly outside my control. I could only dread the eventual news of the war's end. "Still, he continues to hope for a peaceful resolution, and he told me his half-plan for the future. He wants Shannan to inherit, you see. It'll be hard to argue with so little known, but…"

"That's surprising."

"Is it?" I thought it made sense, but then again, I... was biased. I wanted to think well of him, after all. "I suppose it could be. Most in Grannvale likely want Isaach razed for the supposed atrocities."

"Some do, some don't, but what I find surprising isn't that he wants Shannan to rule. That fits the man."

"Is that your guess based on the gossip?"

"Partly. Bryon and Ring are also his closest friends, advisors, and confidants and I can take a guess on how those two are, considering who they raised." He set his empty mug on the table, and my smile grew when I saw it. I was so glad he liked it. "I find it surprising he told you."

"Oh?"

"You'd think something like that would be kept a guarded secret. People could use his sympathy as a means to undermine him." Was that so? I had to admit I knew little about things like this, but it made some sense. I knew from Arvis's own struggles that the most ridiculous of things could be used as justifications for everything. "But not only did he tell you, he spoke of it openly. He must value your insight."

"Surely not. We barely talked about it, and I shared some tidbits I'd picked up. That's all." Even as I dismissed it, I couldn't deny I felt a little happy at the thought. I liked being helpful. "I'm surprised he listened."

"He trusts you, then. Usually nobles don't listen to anyone they don't trust."

"Ah, so that's why Arvis rarely listens to anyone." I didn't mean to say the words aloud, but Chulainn ducked his head to hide his smile, his equivalent of laughter, so I couldn't quite regret it. "Regardless, I see your cup is empty. Shall I make you more?"

"I'll do it, if the water is already hot." He even snagged my own mug before I could stop him. "You've a letter to reply to, yes?"

"I... well, you are right..." Yet the whole reason why I was so excited about the teas was so I could make them for him. Him making some for me defeated the purpose, but that was near impossible to explain. It was frustrating, more so because I could not articulate why it was frustrating.

But since I could not find my words, I could only let it be. Instead, I found pen and paper and set about writing my reply, starting with my deepest thanks for him indulging my silly request and an apology as I too hadn't considered how others might view it. From there, I wrote about whatever I wished, as had become my norm when it came to writing Prince Kurth. It was much easier to write when I stopped thinking about it. He didn't mind how rambling and random the words were. Given how he usually replied to each part, it was clear he read them with all sincerity. Perhaps he even smiled when he did. I hoped he did. My mother died for him, so he should smile all the smiles she never got to smile. Would tea make him smile? I could make him...

The thought froze me. I... could make him tea. In fact, I wanted to make him some. It was so strange. There were so many I made teas for now. Before, it was only my brothers and Azelle's dearest friends, but now I had so many mixes. It was not my standards that changed; I still only wanted to make them for those who were dear to me. I just had more I held close to my heart and... and I think Prince Kurth was becoming one of them. It didn't feel like an obligation or some means of thanking him. I genuinely wanted to make it, simply because I could.

But there was a slight problem. I knew even less about his likes and dislikes than I had Lex and Tailtiu. So, I would need some assistance in the matter. I considered Father Eirik briefly before dismissing the thought. I didn't want to even think about that man anymore than I had to, much less write him a letter. Duke Byron had written to me once, and I could use that as an excuse to reply, but given what I'd heard, it could be months before I got a response. Would it be strange if I wrote Duke Ring, then? He was Prince Kurth's close friend, after all, so he should know. Yet I had only spoken to him once and there was no guarantee he'd assist me. Then again, I could bribe him with the 'reports' Shannan, Ayra, and Lex had given me about Lady Edain and Sir Midir. He'd seemed interested in the subject when we talked.

I'd ask Sigurd if he thought Duke Ring would be offended. Then I'd make my plan. For now, I had a letter to finish.

My morning meetings with Sigurd had a slight change after the wedding. A few days after they returned from their honeymoon, Deirdre shyly asked if she could join us, wishing for peace, quiet, and advice while she worked on her duties as the lady of the castle. Sigurd and I didn't mind, of course. These meetings were mostly about the castle, the town, and its denizens anyway. It would be stranger to keep her away.

"Hmm... good, we're still under our budget for the month," she noted absently, scribbling something down. I still didn't know all of her duties, but managing the finances for the castle was apparently one of them. Maybe I should ask Arvis more about ruling so I could help her more. "I think. Alicia, I never did get a budget for you."

"If you're asking for the infirmaries and medicines, your husband declared I didn't have one," I explained, going through my own lists. There had been a number of colds recently, and not only did I deplete my cold medicines, but I had given a good number of townsfolk soothing teas since many remembered the previous 'plague' all too well. This meant I had to redo my inventory. "Now where did..." Before I had even finished asking where a paper was, Chulainn appeared at my side with the paper I needed. "Thank you. Did I drop it?"

"I think it went fluttering away when Sigurd accidentally broke that pen and you immediately went to make sure he wasn't hurt." Deirdre looked up from the table she and I worked at to pout at Sigurd, who worked at his desk. He seemingly ignored it, but his slight, sheepish smile showed he'd heard her. "I can't believe you broke a pen. It was brand new!"

"Given how he had so many extras, I imagine this was not the first time."

"I suppose." She rubbed at her eyes and leaned back in her chair to stretch. Chulainn, meanwhile, went back to the door, as quiet as ever. That was how these mornings usually went now. He would be the silent guard by the door, while Deirdre and I would sit and work at the chairs and table, and Sigurd worked at his desk. The only deviance would be when I got up to make everyone tea in the corner. "Ah, I'm distracting myself. You don't have a budget for your infirmaries, Alicia?"

"So Sigurd told me when I joined."

"Chalphy's policy is to ensure healers have everything they need to perform their duties, since it involves people's lives," Sigurd explained, setting down his own papers. For some reason, he was grinning. "Thus, no budget. We can't anticipate what they will need, and we don't want them to stress about it. Father actually wrote me about it recently."

"He did?" Deirdre asked, frowning. "When? Why?"

"He requested an expense report for the campaign and wedding, and when he saw the numbers, he demanded to know if I had forgotten to tell Alicia about our policy to not have healers worry about expenses." He chuckled, amused at the memory. "Fastest I've ever gotten a reply from him."

"Was it that low?"

"Lower than he expected to be certain." Was it? I may have gotten used to having 'no budget', but that was partly because I had to keep from thinking of how much I was spending. "Luckily, he was placated by the explanation that Alicia insists on making her own medicines and would forage for her own supplies until we learned to buy ahead of her."

"Speaking of which, we should plant a medicinal garden." Deirdre turned her beaming smile my way. "I think it'll be fun, and it'll help with those harder to get ingredients. Even if there isn't a budget, we should still be cost-efficient, yes?"

"Of course. That gives me more money to spoil you."

"Sigurd!" As usual, she turned red to the roots of her hair at the teasing. "A-at least spoil some of the others!"

"Like?"

"Alicia!" She pointed right at me. I returned to my lists, making notes of what was lower than I'd like. "Spoil her!"

"I would if she'd let me." Sigurd sulked. "But noooo, any time I try to get a hint about what she might want, it's all 'No, I do not need anything'. We should get her a library of medical texts, though."

"Oh, we should!" The worst part was I knew they were completely serious about that. "And... wait, what other things do you like, Alicia? Teas, of course. Books. Apples." Deirdre frowned, looking almost sullen. "I can't think of any particularly happy reaction to random gifts either. You accept them all with a smile."

"See? It's so hard!"

"Since when do you run from a challenge, my love?"

"Hmm... when you put it like that..."

"Deirdre, Sigurd, I act content about my life because I am content with my life," I sighed, hoping the words could curb this sudden enthusiasm. I had a feeling it was a foolish wish, but I made the attempt anyway. "My joys are seeing everyone's smiles and hearing their chatter. You can't exactly buy that."

"Well, no..." Deirdre admitted reluctantly. Sigurd made a face, likely hoping I'd let something slip. "But surely there's some sort of item or treat? Material items are not everything, but they're a nice way to hold onto memories."

"Mmm... no, I fear I am a rather practical sort." I tried to think of physical items I may have wanted as a child, but came up blank. I had a feeling Father Eirik would've found me easier to deal with if he could've bribed my happiness, but what I had wanted, genuine affection, was beyond that socially-challenged jerk. "Arvis bemoans it as well."

"Maybe I should write to commiserate." All at once, though, Deirdre clapped her hands together. "Oh! Pictures!"

"Pardon?"

"We could commission sketches of everyone!" She grinned, eyes shining in triumph. I could only stare in shock. "Since you so enjoy those everyday moments, we can immortalize them with art!"

"That would be extraordinarily expensive."

"We'll use the money you don't use for your infirmaries!"

"Don't waste money like that." This was ridiculous. "Spend it on the children."

"That's a great idea! We need to spoil them more too!" Deirdre laughed, full and bright. Sigurd, the traitor, had his head in his arms on his desk, desperately muffling his own laughter. "This will be so much fun!"

"Deirdre!" I almost said more. I did. But I noticed Chulainn tense and step away from the door and I knew that meant… "Do we have a guest?"

"We're about to," Chulainn answered. On the surface, he was as calm as ever, but I had a sneaking suspicion… it was hard to say why, but I was almost certain he was uneasy. "And they're moving fast." If they were running here, at this hour, then it could only mean one thing: trouble.

We moved quickly. Sigurd sat up and neatened his desk. Deirdre assisted him and remained at his side. I moved out of the center of the room to linger on the edges, ready to react however I needed to. Chulainn, meanwhile, remained near the door, still listening, and eventually stepped to the side, not even bothering to open the door as he usually did with guests. In two seconds, it became clear why; Lord Oifey burst through without even pretending to knock.

"Lord Sigurd!" Worse, he'd barely taken a step inside before calling out breathlessly, an unknown person at his heels. "I… whoa!" In his haste, he nearly fell when he stopped, but Chulainn steadied him and I fetched him and his companion some water. "Messenger from Nordion," he gasped out, gesturing to the other. "It's…"

"Take a moment to breathe, Oifey," Sigurd urged, perfectly relaxed in his chair. You would have never known he'd been half-sprawled on his desk muffling laughter not one minute ago. "And sit down before you collapse." Lord Oifey looked ready to protest, but Deirdre came over to gently usher him into my vacated chair and rested a hand on his shoulder to keep him there. Lord Oifey accepted his fate after that, and greedily gulped the water I handed him. "As for you… you're Eve, yes?"

"Yes, Lord Sigurd," the messenger answered, bowing slightly. Though outwardly they appeared fine, I noticed they were a touch pale with bags forming under their eyes and swayed very slightly despite their attempts to stand straight in attention. Their hands shook when they took the glass of water from me, and they winced whenever they shifted their weight, like they had pulled something. "I am honored you remember me, and surprised you did not confuse me for my brothers."

"You three may be triplets, but you're really not hard to tell apart." Sigurd smiled, friendly and warm, but he gave me a worried look. He'd seen what I had. This man was at his limit, even if he tried to feign otherwise. "If I recall correctly, you got engaged recently."

"Did my lord truly tell you that?" Sir Eve shook their head, and then closed their eyes to ward off dizziness. Deirdre frowned worriedly, but stayed near Lord Oifey to make sure he rested and regained his breath. "It wasn't so grand an affair."

"Eldigan takes great delight in his Cross Knights finding happiness. But this makes me more curious why you are all the way here and not with your fiance." Sigurd let his smile fade. "It must be important. You look like you've ridden through several nights."

"That is accurate, my lord. I fear I will need to borrow a horse to return, as I worry for the health of my own."

"I'll have one of ours check them over. But what has happened?" He held up a hand when Eve made to speak. "Keep it short. Alicia looks ready to order you to the infirmary."

"I am not that bad off!" Eve glanced nervously at me, and I met his eyes with a serene smile. "B-but I know better than to argue with a healer. The message is in two parts. The first is that King Chagall imprisoned our lord Eldigan." …Imprisoned?

"Did he now?" Sigurd's voice noticeably cooled. "On what charges?"

"Oath-breaking, my lord." They said the words hesitantly, and Deirdre and I shared a confused look. If such a thing was a crime worthy of arrest, half of Grannvale's nobility would be behind bars. "It's just an excuse because my lord wanted to-"

"It's Eldigan. I know it's baseless." Sigurd smiled, but for once, there was nothing comforting to it. The smile only emphasized how hard his gaze became, and how dark his expression was. "But using that allows Chagall to order the other lords to attack Nordion. Is it under siege?"

"Duchess Grahnye and Lady Lachesis received word of Heirhein's soldiers approaching, and sent me to you for assistance. That is the second part of my message." For some reason, they smiled faintly. "Speaking of which, Lady Lachesis insisted I add this to it. 'Please go through proper procedures and do not simply rush in and get yourself in all kinds of political trouble.'"

"..." Sigurd immediately made a face, all anger disappearing in an instant. "Why must she know me well?"

"Lord Sigurd, forgive me, but I do believe anyone who has ever heard of you would know your reaction to this." They bowed, and nearly fell over. Chulainn slipped over to steady them. "Thank you. Where was… ah, yes, Duchess Grahnye said they will send a second message when they fear they are reaching a breaking point, but Nordion's walls are strong. They should hold out until you arrive, with permission."

"But it will be difficult." Sigurd frowned. "The Cross Knights are usually on training exercises in Sylvale around this time of year, yes?"

"Yes, and we are attempting to send a messenger, but since one must travel through either Agusti or Anphony to reach Sylvale Fortress…"

"And forcing their way through would only add weight to Chagall's lies." Sigurd sighed, but nodded. "Very well. Oifey? Do you have your breath back?" Lord Oifey jumped to his feet in answer, his expression grimmer than I'd ever seen. "Take Eve to a room to rest and then send our fastest messengers to both Jamke and King Azmur at once."

"My lord, I truly must-!"

"Allow me to add a healer's orders to it," I added, keeping my voice even and firm. My mind whirled at what it heard, though. Lord Eldigan imprisoned? Nordion was, or would be, under siege? Just what was happening? "If you attempt to ride in your state, you're likely to fall and break your neck." Sir Eve hesitated, thinking about arguing, but bowed their head in surrender. "I'll send some tea for you later."

Though visibly reluctant, Sir Eve let Lord Oifey lead them out of the room without protest. Chulainn closed the door behind them, and silence reigned as we tried to comprehend what just happened. This was certainly not what any of us expected today, or any other day. It felt as sudden as the attack on Yngvi and only confusion settled in its wake. Just what was going on with the world?

"So, what is 'oath-breaking'?" Deirdre finally asked, finding something in the mess to focus on. It was as good of a starting point as any to start sifting through everything. "Or, rather, why would Eldigan be imprisoned for it? What of the other lords? Would they?"

"It wouldn't affect the other lords as this is a crime specific for House Nordion alone," Sigurd answered softly. He leaned forward, resting his head in his hands. He looked so tired suddenly. "Have you wondered why Nordion is the one with Hodr Major blood, despite Agusti being the royal family?"

"I… hadn't, no." Deirdre tapped her cheek. "I'll admit all the politics involving Holy Blood still makes my head spin. Like how Quan is the Prince of Leonster, but does not rule the Munster District."

"Everything about that peninsula is complicated, and like most things complicated and wrong there, it ties directly to the Tragedy of the Gae Bolg and its bloody aftermath." What was this 'tragedy'? Deirdre and I exchanged a confused look, and I glanced at Chulainn to see if he had an answer. He shook his head with a slight, apologetic smile, telling me he didn't. "But we'll stick with the short version. Prior to everything, Njorun ruled the north from Munster. After the sudden deaths of both her and her brother within a few years of each other, their unified kingdom split into the District and Thracia. Her line subsequently moved to Leonster, as a means of escaping the sorrow. Munster, however, didn't appreciate no longer being the 'most important city' and declared itself its own independent kingdom. Numerous battles and diplomatic miracles later, you had the Munster District, which consists of four allied kingdoms. Leonster became the protectors of the Munster District thanks to this alliance." And this was the short version? It was enough to make my head hurt, and I had too many questions I wasn't certain I actually wanted answers to. "In that sense, Leonster is similar to Nordion. The reason for how Nordion became Agustria's protector, though, is much different."

"Oh?"

"Yes, for one thing, it was a rather peaceful transition. Mostly." Sigurd fell silent, thinking of how best to explain. "You know Agustria was founded by Hodr, the Black Knight, yes? He was actually the first Crusader to father a child, his heir being born six months after the final battles. This was how the Crusaders learned their blessings, their Holy Blood, would pass on to their children. However, his firstborn was actually a Minor, so they thought it would always be a lesser blessing, until Baldr's firstborn was born with Major Holy Blood."

"It sounds like they didn't know what was going on."

"Does anyone know what goes on with the divine? We still don't know why some inherit Major and others, Minor. Then there are descendents who don't inherit anything." He shrugged. "Regardless, it wasn't until Hodr's fourth child, Klotho, was born that Jugdral got its second Hodr Major. By then, there was much discussion on succession."

"Firstborn versus Major?"

"Yes. Now, in Grannvale, it's always the Major. Thankfully, most firstborns are the Majors, but the royal family actually had a situation a couple decades ago where the eldest was Naga Minor and the youngest inherited the Major. The eldest tried to seize the throne in a coup, was quickly defeated, and banished to Tahra far to the south, where the family remains in exile."

"But…" Deirdre fussed with her hair, frowning. "That did not happen in Agustria."

"No, but there was certainly a lot of tension from the possibility, and based on what Eldigan told me, the royal family was equal parts irritated and troubled since they all loved each other dearly yet they were practically being forced on opposite sides of the growing conflict. To make matters worse, Princess Klotho fell in love with the Lord of Nordion at the time. Eventually, the tensions grew too much and she eloped with her paramour, damn the consequences."

"I can't imagine anyone was happy about it."

"Well, I doubt the court was, but apparently, the only issue the royal family themselves had about it was they didn't get to see the wedding. As I said, they were very close-knit." Yet now look at everything. "Now, I'll fully admit I don't remember the tale from here, so I'll skip to the end as it's the most important part anyway. Nordion was allowed to keep both the Major Blood and Mystletainn, but in exchange, the house swore its eternal loyalty to the royal house of Agusti. They would never raise their blades against them, and would serve as Agustria's protectors forevermore. That is the 'oath' Chagall accuses Eldigan of breaking and it is, in fact, punishable by both imprisonment and execution. It's the equivalent of treason."

"I see." Deirdre's frown deepened. "So, wouldn't this mean Chagall imprisoned his heir? I remember hearing he doesn't have siblings or children, and your tale means Eldigan is closely related. It's only been about a century or so since the Holy War ended, after all."

"Technically, since Eldigan's coronation oaths required him to forswear any claim to the throne, in addition to taking up that ancestral oath, Ares is Chagall's heir and will remain as such until Chagall fathers a child."

"Not Lachesis?"

"Ares is the Hodr Major. If he can't inherit for whatever reason, the line of succession becomes much more muddled. Agustria has a high death rate among their nobility because of all the infighting. Hodr Minors are actually rare because many of them end up dying without heirs." Sigurd paused then, smiling a little sheepishly. "So, it may end up that Lachesis is Ares's heir, but there will have to be extensive investigations first. But that's neither here nor there." He stood and cleared his desk before rolling out a map. "Come over here, you three. Or... two, since I doubt Chulainn will move from the door." Deirdre managed a laugh and helped Sigurd pin the map open on the desk. I hesitated, glancing at Chulainn worriedly, but he smiled and nodded. Sigurd was right; he had no intention of moving. "You're more than welcome to join us, Chulainn."

"If you're simply showing them Agustria, I already know enough from previous jobs," Chulainn refused, shaking his head. He seemed... amused by something, but I didn't know what. "Anything else, I can hear."

"Very well, but if you've insight, please tell me," Sigurd urged, smiling at him. Chulainn ducked his head to hide his slight smile. Yes, he was definitely amused; I wished I knew why. "Now then... here is Agustria. We're right here in the very bottom corner." Sigurd pulled out a small box filled with metal tokens and used a blue one to mark Evans on the map. "And up here is Nordion." A second token, this one colored green, marked Nordion's location. "And way over here..." He set a red token down on a castle in the middle of the country. "Is Agusti."

"Strange, the castles seem concentrated in the south," Deirdre noted, running her fingers over the map. I frowned when I realized she had a point. Nordion and three others shared the lands south of Agusti, whereas there were only two north of it. I suppose one could argue 'three' due to the Bragi Tower across the strait, but as far as I knew, no one ruled from there. "Why?"

"The lands north of Agusti are ruled by the royal family. Madino to the far north is their vacation home, while Sylvale Fortress is the traditional training grounds for both Agustria's Royal Knights and Nordion's Cross Knights."

"They share it?"

"Yes, since technically speaking, those lands only became part of Agustria through marriage."

"Technically?"

"Sylvale's chieftain was not defeated by Hodr in combat, but by his wife, Gwyneth. As such, they were her lands, not his, and they only became 'his' through their marriage. So, she added a clause to its inheritance that it was to be shared by 'all of her children'. In modern day, that means Nordion and Agusti share it."

"And right now, the bulk of Nordion's main force is there, conveniently separated by Agusti itself," I whispered, tracing the roads. "Where is Sylvale?"

"Here," Sigurd explained, setting down another green token. He then placed a red token on the nearest castle. "And that is Anphony."

"So, I am assuming blue tokens are 'us', green tokens are 'allies', and red tokens are 'enemies'..." I couldn't help but be a little playful once I realized the trend. "Oh dear, should I be worried?"

"Hey, you only have red hair. If one's colors reflected allegiances so easily, I would be much more worried about your brothers." He grinned and I muffled a laugh. "No, the colors are simply to help visualize the map. Red and blue are strikingly different, and Chalphy's flag is blue. Green is for allies because of our elite knights, the Grunritter."

"Why is your house color blue, but your knights are green?" I remembered Arvis once complaining about it, since all the other elite knight brigades had easy logic behind their colors. Velthomer's Roten Ritter were red, of course, for Fjalar's fire. Belhalla's Weissritter wore shining white armor for Saint Heim's light. The Grau Ritter of Dozel were gray, same as their flag and Soteria's shields. Yngvi's Beige Ritter was named for the color of their bows. Similarly, Friege's Gelb Ritter was named for their thunder magic. Yet Chalphy's knights did not wear blue like their flag, or even the purple and blacks associated with Neit. They wore some shade of green.

"Life. Our house is blessed by Neit of Death and the Dead, but death is simply another part of life. The Crusader Baldr thus chose his house colors to reflect the dichotomy. Blue for life-giving waters, and green for the flourishing lands. Thus we are the life to balance Neit's death." He smiled, soft and a touch proud. "That's the tale passed to me, at least. Who knows what the actual reason was?"

"I see." It rather fit, truthfully. Sigurd himself was one who always shone and always hoped, no matter what happened. "Ah, we have gotten off-track. I'm sorry, Deirdre."

"No, no, that was rather interesting to learn!" Deirdre reassured, quickly waving her hands in front of her to 'wipe away' the apology. "Ah, but to return to the original subject, I was wondering why you marked Anphony as red, Sigurd. Sir Eve said only Heirhein was attacking, yes? Where is that on the map anyway?"

"That would be here," Sigurd answered, fetching another red token. He placed this one on a castle nestled amongst cliffs to the north and east of Nordion. "As for Anphony… well, it's possible they won't get involved, but if they do, I doubt it'll be to help."

"Oh?"

"Macbeth, Anphony's lord, is a lazy and greedy man, far too focused on immediate pleasures. Eldigan investigated him for corruption a few years ago and upon realizing Macbeth was working with bandits to raid his own people, he immediately brought it to King Imuka's attention. Thus, Macbeth was charged with several crimes and fines, and now endures a constant stream of officials who ensure Macbeth did not 'succumb to bad habits'. Or he did until King Imuka died."

"No imprisonment?"

"For a man as greedy as Macbeth, the fines hurt more than imprisonment ever could. And believe me when I say King Imuka made sure to levy every single one he could think of. Some were terribly creative, actually." Sigurd returned his attention to the map, expression grim. "All of that, however, means that he won't lift a finger to help Nordion now. With that said, there's no guarantee he'll attack. He's probably too busy throwing a party to celebrate King Imuka's death and will think joining the assault on Nordion is too costly an effort."

"So, you mark him as an enemy, but that does not make him Heirhein's ally either."

"Precisely, my dear. In all likelihood, Heirhein marches alone."

"But it still marches." Deirdre pressed her hand to her mouth while she thought. "Why would they?"

"Their relations had been steadily declining ever since House Nordion became the Hodr Major house, but they crumpled after Ellidiot became obsessed with Lachesis. She refused him in no uncertain terms, of course. I was there when it happened, because the idiot thought asking to court her so soon after Xanthe's death was a good idea." Given context and my limited knowledge, my guess was that 'Xanthe' was Lachesis's mother. "I made the small mistake of telling Androcles about it."

"Dear, that's two names I don't know."

"Ah, sorry. Xanthe was Lachesis's mother, and Eldigan's stepmother. Androcles was their father." So, I had been right, then. Wait, but this had been four or five years ago, and Lachesis had only just turned sixteen. "Anyway, I brought it to his attention because I thought it creepy since Lachesis was still a child, but I didn't want to cause a scene at a funeral."

"Please tell me someone else did."

"Androcles did, because the second I informed him what I'd overheard, he went on a warpath that Lachesis still delights in, and Eldigan groans about. The end result was, essentially, Androcles making it very clear he would not suffer any attempts to force Lachesis into courting or marriage, especially while she was underage, and he may or may not have insulted Heirhein's honor while he was at it."

"And now, they lay siege on Nordion." She frowned. "It seems so... petty. Would they really do that?"

"Yes." The word was heavy, and made heavier by how quickly, and bluntly, he answered. "I'm certain they have other excuses, of course. There are many who think Eldigan arrogant because he's awkward with small talk, and Boldor is no exception. He's probably laughing about the idea of making Eldigan weep from fear, in addition to finally having revenge for previous insults."

"I am assuming this Boldor is the father of…" Deirdre made a face. "Ellidiot cannot be his actual name, can it?"

"It's Elliot, technically, but… well, he's obsessed with Lachesis, like I said. Despite her refusals, he continued attempting to woo and defeat her. One of these attempts actually managed to terrify her and, unfortunately for him, Quan happened to be nearby when he did." How old was Elliot anyway? Please tell me he was at least of a similar age. This was hard enough to stomach.

"Visiting, I take it?"

"Yes, Eldigan had invited Quan and me to their Midsummer's Ball, and Quan went to find Lachesis as soon as he heard Ellidiot had arrived, since he knew how uncomfortable he made her. Hence him being near enough to see Lachesis's terror and he immediately went on the offensive to protect her. Damn near killed him, truthfully." How did this man somehow anger both Sigurd and Quan and remain alive? "Eldigan had to talk him out of it." Ah, that was how.

"Why?"

"Because it would lead to civil war, and Eldigan desperately wanted to avoid that. And, more importantly in this scenario, so did Lachesis. That's why neither of them had crushed Ellidiot's skull yet. They'd win a war, yes, but the people would suffer and neither could bear that." So, instead, Lachesis endured the attentions of an obsessive man since she was a child. "To finish the story, it took Eldigan and Lachesis a while to calm Quan down, long enough for Ellidiot to regain his wits and escape, but Quan finally yielded and immediately came up with the nickname to make himself feel better. Lachesis adored it, and we've never used his proper name since."

"Why did no one simply arrange an accident?" She scowled, and I could only marvel at how easily she suggested it. "Lead him off into the woods to get lost or something. There's cliffs as well. Wouldn't it be easy?"

"You and Quan are not allowed to plot together." Sigurd, meanwhile, took it in stride. "Regardless, to bring this back to the original point, Boldor is Ellidiot's father."

"You didn't answer me."

"Ellidiot does have a little sense and all that sense is devoted to ensuring he's never conveniently alone, especially when he knows any of us are near. Or so Quan complains." So, he considered it. No wonder Sigurd claimed the two should never plot. "And Boldor would still somehow make it Nordion's fault likely." How? "Neither here nor there. The point is that while I'm certain Ellidiot leads the assault, Boldor fully endorses it."

"What a delightful pair." She pinched the bridge of her nose, like she was warding off a headache, before tapping the last of the southern castles. "What about this one?"

"Mackily… well…" He struggled for words, but pulled a yellow token from his box and placed it on the castle. "For now, they'll remain neutral. That's their lord's way. He'll watch and wait and not do a damn thing one way or the other until and unless he knows exactly where the wind blows."

"So, he won't help, but he won't attack either."

"Clement will go on the offensive if and only if he believes there's a direct threat to him or his territory. He's a very shrewd man, quiet, and not particularly ambitious. At times, it lets him be the voice of reason. At others, he simply appears indecisive."

"I see." Deirdre frowned more, shaking her head. "Forgive me, but given what you've told me, Agustria doesn't sound very united." No, it very much did not. "How did Imuka rule them? How is Chagall supposed to do so?"

"All very good questions. While we're asking those questions, we can add 'why would you even think to attack your strongest duchy and main protector of your lands?' to the list."

"May I ask a fourth?" I hesitantly began, realizing a potentially glaring flaw to Chagall's entire scheme. Of course, I wasn't certain I even had the right to ask this, but both Deirdre and Sigurd looked at me curiously, so I pressed on. "Lord Eldigan is the Hodr Major of our generation, with all the strength that entails. How is a prison holding him?"

"If we're speaking only of his strength and only the prison, it's honestly not," Sigurd admitted easily. Despite that, though, his expression remained grim and even pained. "Hell, Quan and I can break out of prisons with relative ease and our strength boost is considerably less."

"Do I want to know how you know this?"

"We accidentally locked ourselves in Leonster's dungeons one time. That was fun to explain." How did one 'accidentally' do that? "But Eldigan…" He winced. "He… he's very anxious, you see. Overthinks a lot, and can freeze if overwhelmed. Right now, he's…" Sigurd closed his eyes, his words wavering in pain. Deirdre immediately moved to his side and half-hugged him. "Right now, he's probably cursing himself, terrified out of his mind and panicking over what will happen to his people and loved ones. He would also be very, very aware that attempting an escape with the crime of 'oath-breaking' hanging over his head will only make things worse."

"So, the prison does nothing. What imprisons him is his own fears and sense of duty." In other words, Chagall was very lucky. If Eldigan were anyone else, he'd no doubt be dead.

"Sadly, yes." He took a deep breath and shifted to brush a thankful kiss over Deirdre's hair. She blushed and smiled up at him. "Ah, I want to rush to his aid at once, but Lachesis is right. Charging into another country when I am supposed to serve as Verdane's watcher would only cause more problems than it solves."

"I doubt permission will take long. Chagall's ambitions are more dangerous than Verdane, and he might have been anticipating this request."

"Oh?"

"Prince Kurth told me they've heard about Agustria's troubles even on the Isaachian front, so I do not doubt they've reached Belhalla." I had to smile teasingly at him. "And, to paraphrase him, 'if Nordion gets involved in trouble, Sigurd will not be far behind.'"

"Well, nice to see you two are getting along." I… suppose we were, huh? It was a strange feeling, but I think... I think I was happy about it. "I shall hope and pray you are correct, Alicia. If anything happened to Nordion… to Grahnye, Lachesis, or Ares… Eldigan would never recover from the pain."

"I fear as a healer, I must disagree. I believe all pain can be healed." I made sure to smile as serenely as I knew how. Now, more than ever, was the time to be the calm and reliable healer. "One may bear scars, but they can still recover, so long as they are willing to try. It takes a lot of courage, of course, but people are more courageous than you'd think."

"Ha, when you say that, I can easily believe it." Sigurd nodded. "Still, I shouldn't rely on that. How can I call myself a knight if I didn't at least try to protect everyone with my own hands first?" He might have continued, but Deirdre started giggling for some reason. "What is it, my love?"

"Oh, I was just thinking of how much I adore both of you," Deirdre explained, smiling brightly. Sigurd stared at her, entranced by her smile once again, while I shook my head and moved away to gather my notes again. Since we would be marching to war again, and I had no doubts we would with or without permission, it was all the more important for me to check my inventory. "But it won't just be you two saving everyone! All of us are here, and I'm going to do what I can to help!"

"Hmm? What do you…?" Sigurd began, his eyes widening. I caught Chulainn's eye as I picked up my papers, to silently tell him we were leaving. "Deirdre, you're staying here."

"Eh?" Her smile crackled and crumbled at the words. "What? No, I'm leaving with you."

"Absolutely not. It's far too dangerous."

"That doesn't…!" She glared at him suddenly, and he took a step back. "You liar!"

"Th-that's an unreasonable thing to call me, isn't it?"

"You're breaking a promise, so what else is there to call you? You promised to stay with me no matter what!"

"That… this isn't the same thing!"

"It is! Well, I don't care anyway. I'm coming with you, no matter what!"

"And I'm telling you that you need to stay here!"

Their argument continued, but shock closed my ears to the rest of their words. My various notes slipped from my hands as I stared at the scene. I hadn't expected this. I couldn't. They had never said so much as two negative words towards each other, yet now, they were arguing. I tried to think of why, and it was only when I saw the very real fear in both their eyes that I understood. This was… this was about Deirdre's past. This was about her heritage. So, my first reaction was to try and calm them down lest they let something slip. But, at the same time, simply talking around it would only cause more problems. You didn't treat a wound by hiding it and hoping it'll heal on its own. You risked infection if you tried. So, I was certain they needed to speak openly about this and soon.

Yet Chulainn… Chulainn was here. He was as silent as ever, still standing guard, but he was here. I knew he could keep quiet, knew he already suspected Deirdre had a secret, but…

"Are you not going to intervene?" Chulainn's voice in my ear nearly made me jump, and I whirled to see him standing next to me. When had he gotten close? "Seems strange to me you haven't," he continued, picking up my papers. "Did this startle you?"

"It… did," I mumbled, trying to think of how to answer. My attention drifted back to the arguing couple, darted to the door, and focused back on him. "I…"

"..." He stared through me, as he usually did, before his eyes widened slightly. I immediately turned back to Deirdre and Sigurd, wondering if one of them had… "I'll… keep guard outside."

"Pardon?"

"I'll keep guard outside. Where I can't hear." He stepped back, still holding my papers. "Whatever this is, it deals with the thing you don't want people knowing about her. The reason why that man appeared and talked to you before the wedding."

"I… yes, it does." There was no point in hiding it. "So…"

"I'll be outside."

"Thank you." I gave him the best smile I could. "Thank you so much."

He left without another word, only a hint of a smile, and took my papers with him. As soon as the door clicked shut, I headed over to the arguing couple and gently tugged them both over to the chairs and table. The movement startled them into silence, and in silence they remained as I busied myself making tea for them. It was only when I returned with their pots and cups that the silence broke.

"Where did Chulainn go?" Sigurd asked, looking around. Deirdre, meanwhile, had her head down and her fists clenched tightly in her lap. "Did something happen?"

"He stepped out," I explained, pouring the tea for them. Once done, I poured myself a cup from Deirdre's pot and sat down in the vacant chair next to hers. "Deirdre, here..." I nudged her into taking her own cup. She did so reluctantly, and looked up just enough to show how miserable she felt. "Anyway, he stepped out to be considerate." I couldn't help but smile softly, just relieved and touched he'd do that without a fuss. Deirdre and Sigurd both became thoughtful for some reason and they even exchanged a secretive smile. Then both remembered they'd just been arguing and looked away awkwardly. "What?"

"It's nothing. Or, at least, it's nothing for now." I wasn't certain I believed that, but I would let it go. There were more important things to focus on. "I should apologize for making him uncomfortable."

"It wasn't discomfort." I hoped. "He simply realized this was a private affair and gave space." I blew on my tea to cool it down. "Now, speaking of which, I didn't make tea to simply calm you down. I may not know a lot about relationships, but this clearly needs to be discussed. Now." Both of them winced. "So, I shall take a guess and you can tell me if I'm right or not. The core of the argument lies in Deirdre's heritage and everything associated with it." Both winced again. "So, who wants to go first?"

"I feel like I'm five and having to explain to my mother why I got lectured by my tutor again." Sigurd made a face; I simply fixed him with a calm stare. "I…"

"...May I begin?" Deirdre requested softly, looking down once more. She cradled her tea in her lap, but made no move to drink it yet. "Please?" Sigurd hesitated, but nodded, fussing with his own mug. "When you said I couldn't go, I was… scared. I think that's the word I want. Fear, unease… both immediately warred in my mind. I fear if we're separated, I'll never see you again, Sigurd." She smiled helplessly, a smile born from how ridiculous she felt. "Perhaps it is irrational, but…" But she had spent her whole life thinking she was a harbinger of calamity. She had spent her whole life afraid. It was so much harder to be brave when you were separated from those who gave you courage. "I know it's selfish, but please…" She looked up hesitantly. "Besides, I can fight. I'm not bad at it."

"Deirdre, I'm reasonably certain you could kill me with a single spell. Easily," Sigurd answered without hesitation, with a faint smile. She immediately made a face at the idea of hurting him. "But you don't ride."

"Er… no, I don't? I find horses terrifying personally." She frowned in thought before gasping. "Oh! Of course, speed! You'll be traveling very quickly to reinforce them."

"Yes, so all who leave with me will have to ride. But I'll admit there was more to the refusal." Sigurd sighed, and actually gulped his tea. I went ahead and poured him more. "Part of it… no, all of it is selfish, but for different reasons. War is bloody and dangerous. I'd rather you were nowhere near, where you can be safe."

"That is…"

"Safety does not always bring happiness, Sigurd," I gently reminded, giving him back his mug. I did my best to smile, but I feared it was rueful. "I know that lesson well." Sigurd winced, and I felt terrible for reminding him of that point. But it needed to be said. "Few enjoy being left behind when their loved ones go into danger as well. We saw that clearly here in Verdane."

"That is true," Sigurd conceded, with his own rueful smile. "I did admit it was selfish." That was fair. "The other is… well, you are right in my own fears. With so little known, I fear one of Sandima's allies will take advantage of the chaos and harm you, Deirdre. I fear someone will discover your heritage. I do not care, but..." But others would and the second anyone learned of her heritage, Deirdre would be murdered. It wouldn't matter if she was the wife of a beloved lord, she'd die just the same. If she were lucky, it would be quick, but most Loptyrians' executions were made into grand spectacles.

"I understand, but I feel safer when I'm with you and Alicia, Sigurd," Deirdre replied, managing her own smile. It was brighter than Sigurd's, and truer than mine, but still a dull imitation of her 'normal'. "We already know Evans can be breached, thanks to those assassins. There is nothing that says it will remain safe when you leave. So, if I am to be in danger no matter what, then I wish to be in danger with you. I feel like together we can overcome anything."

"Deirdre…" Sigurd grimaced, and he tried to hide it by drinking his tea. "That is… I understand, but I do mean it when I say those who leave with me must ride."

"And I will no doubt be a liability on a horse." She drooped at her own words. "So…"

"So, she can travel with me in the second wave," I suggested without thinking, finishing off my own cup. Both frowned at me in confusion. "What? I'm assuming there's a second wave. Will you not have infantry following?"

"Well, perhaps?" Sigurd replied, sounding less than certain. He was still staring, but Deirdre's expression lit up when she realized what I'd said. "But what did you mean 'with you'?"

"Sigurd, are you truly expecting I'd remain behind?" I set down my mug, and leaned back against the couch to cross my arms. Inanely, I thought of how Chulainn always stood similarly. "I am your chief healer, remember?"

"Well, yes, and I was thinking you'd stay in Evans as we did originally to-"

"Yet when you took Genoa, I moved there. In fact, you sent for me so I could tend to our wounded as soon as possible. Why would I remain behind when Nordion is already an allied castle and I can therefore set up immediately?" He opened his mouth to protest, and I smiled with every bit of sweetness I could muster. "You will not stop me, Sigurd. I am your equal in the army, remember?"

"...Yeah, I'm not winning this argument."

"No, you are not." Ah, I felt too smug about this. "Now, in the event Nordion falls, we can revisit this conversation, but only then."

"Fine, fine, just… fine. I yield." He set down his mug to throw up his hands and Deirdre and I shared a triumphant grin. "But try to keep safe, for my own sanity. Please."

"I'm not the one who is riding directly into danger, my love," Deirdre pointed out cheekily. She softened quickly. "We'll take extra steps to ensure my foot is covered too, and I promise to go nowhere alone. I'm not in a hurry to learn just how they plan to use me to bring back Loptuous, or how people will react to my mark." Any other time, I'd suggest the same method I used, but I worried many would think it suspicious now. "I could switch to boots instead of sandals, for instance."

"That would probably better suit Agustria's weather anyway," Sigurd replied, relaxing a little at last. "It's both cooler and dryer compared to here."

"Interesting. I now fear Ethlyn will seize the excuse to subject everyone to fittings."

"Not too late to stay behind."

"Absolutely not." She playfully pouted at him. "I love you enough to endure such things." Hilariously, Sigurd turned bright red at the words and had to look away to try and hide it. "Also, what are we going to do with the children? I've little doubts Oifey and Finn will leave with everyone, in your wave if not ours, but what of Dew and Shannan? Altena?"

"Dew is old enough to make his own decision, so we'll leave it to him. As for Shannan…" He grimaced. "My instinct is to have him remain here, but as you pointed out, those assassins make it all too clear it will be dangerous. So, perhaps he'll tag along as part of a 'third wave', one consisting mostly of supplies. We'll discuss it with Ayra." Ideally, by the time such a wave arrived, either we would be in Nordion proper or have a secured camp nearby. "Quan and Ethlyn will decide what they want to do with Altena, but it wouldn't surprise me if they had her come in that same theoretical wave. For the same reason."

"I suppose there's not enough time to send her safely back to Leonster, is there?"

"Not before we all march out, at least, and knowing Quan, he'll need a plan set and in motion before leaving, if only for his own peace of mind."

"I see." Deirdre looked disgruntled, no doubt worried over having a baby traveling with soldiers. Sigurd didn't appear any more comfortable by the thought, and I couldn't say I felt at ease with it either. But there was nothing I could do, so instead, I stood up and brushed off my skirts. "Alicia?"

"You two are calm again, and you discussed the main issue, so you have no need of me for now," I explained, smiling at them both. They returned it with their own sheepish ones. "As such, I must return to my infirmary and workshop."

"Of course you immediately go to work," Sigurd sighed, shaking his head in 'exasperation'. His kind smile belied the attempt. "Thank you."

"I did nothing." All I did was make them sit down. "Ah, but do you two need more tea before I leave?"

Both did want more, so I fixed them another pot each and left. When I stepped out and closed the door behind me, Chulainn was waiting across the hall. "All well?" he asked, handing me back my papers. I smiled in return, letting it serve as my answer, and he relaxed. "Good. Though, later, I should tell Deirdre she needs to plot with Quan anyway. They'll be good back-up plans if nothing else."

"I had a feeling her suggestions would impress you," I teased, walking down the hall. He fell in step with me easily. "Well, we'll see what happens. We'll leave in the second wave."

"Hard to call them 'waves' when we don't know how many we'll have." That was a very fair point, but I didn't know other terminology. "So… hmm?" He looked up frowning, and tugged me a little closer to him. "Another runner." Oh dear, did we have another harried messenger?

The answer was 'not quite'. The runner this time was Quan, and only Quan. "Ah, Alicia! Chulainn!" he greeted breathlessly, barely sliding to a stop in front of us. It took me a very long second to remember he and Ethlyn had, in fact, been due back today, though everyone thought it would be late afternoon or evening before they returned. "I… sorry…" He used his sleeve to try and wipe the sweat of his face, smearing dust across his cheek. He was still dusty from the road, and even wore his cloak. "Arden… he told us an urgent messenger arrived from Nordion. He didn't know more." Ah, so that was why. He must've bolted here as soon as he learned. "What is…?"

"I fear Lord Eldigan has been imprisoned and Nordion is in danger," I whispered, deciding it was better to give him the summary. He immediately blanched. "Sigurd and Deirdre are starting their discussions within." I pointed to Sigurd's office for emphasis. "I must return to the infirmary, so I cannot make you tea, but please drink some water."

"Right, I will. Thank you." With a strained, uneasy smile, he strode to the office, barely even knocking before entering.

When the door clicked shut again, I resumed my walking, thinking of everything I would need. It was not only my inventory I needed to check, but I needed to find my notes on just how much of each medicine was used during the Verdane Campaign. I had a feeling I'd once again be cursing myself for making too little before long, but I could at least give myself a better starting point.

War had come again. I wished it had stayed away.

The general cheer of Evans evaporated in the wake of the news. Those within the castle fretted over Nordion and its people. Those without feared the war creeping close once again. I pulled four all-nighters to catch up on the medicines I needed, and only didn't pull a fifth because someone (Chulainn) informed Ayra of my lack of sleep and no amount of reassurance could placate her worried fussing.

"Did she really threaten to stand guard by your bed?" Sigurd laughed when I told him the next day. We were having our normal morning meeting, and I was making the usual tea. Deirdre didn't join us, for once. She was meeting with Esen about how Evans would manage in our absence. "That'll teach you to stay up late!"

"We needed more medicine!" I protested, scowling at Chulainn. He remained perfectly silent by the door, yet I swore there was a smugness about him. He'd never admit it, but I knew he'd been the one to tell Ayra. "The bruise balms are the worst. Every time I think I've made enough for the day, I find twenty more in need of them."

"Maybe I need to block off the training yards after practice. You need your rest."

"I assure you I am perfectly fine and healthy." What a strange feeling it was to be so fussed over. I was glad they cared, but I did not like how they were interfering with my work. "I can outlast even Arvis, you know." I could outlast him even when he took stimulants. That's how I found them, actually.

"While impressive, I'm scared how you know that."

"Do you truly think he put off work while visiting me?" Besides, I did have practice at this. I'd been staying up late and waking early to study and work since I was a child. So long as I planned appropriately, and hadn't endured a social event, it was no trouble at all. "I do have Holy Blood. That gives all of us stamina. This should not be surprising."

"There's stamina and there's what you do. How are you even functional staying up four nights in a row? I'm barely coherent after three and I'm a Major." He held up a hand to stop me from answering. "No, I don't actually want to know. I fear the answer even."

"It's nothing, truly. Certainly, it's nothing illegal like those stimulant drugs. At worst, I drink some energy boosting tea." The recipe was actually Father Eirik's, as he worked very long hours himself. "I've made you some in the past."

"Oh, is that the mix with the ginseng, ginger, and a couple of other herbs? The one Quan drank straight, while you mixed it with something else for Ethlyn and me? That was actually very nice and..." He paused. "Wait, you're distracting me!" I was reassuring him. There was a difference. "The point wasn't to get an answer. The point was to remind you that Chulainn always stays up with you!"

"I remind him he can go rest any time he wants to." I handed him his tea, his personal mix like usual, and turned to frown at Chulainn again. This time, he smiled back at me, boyish and unrepentant. "Besides, he's even less affected than me."

"You're both insane." Sigurd shook his head and happily sipped his tea. "Anyway, I forbid you from pulling all-nighters, Alicia."

"I ignore orders which interfere with my ability to do my job."

"Don't you have helpers who can make medicines for you?"

"Dew is already assigned to me full time, Shannan has spent more time in my workshop than his own room, and both Finn and Oifey give me all their free hours. The medicine-making has replaced their usual lessons." Ethlyn, meanwhile, was handling the more logistical side of healing, such as transport and making first-aid kits for the soldiers. She had barely seen Altena these last few days with everything she did, and Altena's crib was in her room. "My inventory was sufficient for peaceful times, but now we are going to war and that means I need at least triple my usual numbers." For some, I needed even more than that. "This is not even going into the lessons I believe the soldiers will need, such as securing tourniquets."

"Quan and I can handle those, at least. Quan insisted I learn when we were younger." Yes, I supposed he would know well. If they were willing, that certainly was a worry off my mind. "As for the rest..." He sighed. "I know you have a lot of work. I simply wish you would remember your own health. Just because you can go so many nights with minimal sleep doesn't mean you should. I know that lesson well." For some reason, he turned his attention to Chulainn. "That goes for you as well, mister. Don't think I'm unaware of your late night patrols." Chulainn's eyes actually widened, a sharp break from his usual stoicism. "Honestly, if you're going to stay up late, shouldn't you be doing something fun? I know Arden and Naoise genuinely want to go out drinking with you. Alec may have secondary motives, but they don't."

"That is not my idea of fun, Sigurd," Chulainn replied slowly. I found myself frowning at him and he shook his head. "The patrols were for my peace of mind. I dislike how easily the assassins slipped in, and I dislike how close they got to your workshop before I realized what had happened."

"I'm not complaining, so much as I'm trying to encourage you to take breaks and have fun," Sigurd chided, smiling gently. It occurred to me this sounded very similar to something I heard a while ago. "What do you think is fun anyway?" That only confirmed it; it reminded me of the conversation I'd had with Mistress Yesui. Yet Chulainn didn't seem to have an answer to the question, any more than I did. So, I...

"Have you not seen him play with the animals, Sigurd?" I found myself teasing, despite having no right to give any answer for him. Chulainn certainly looked surprised, but Sigurd seemed intrigued. "You should see them when we go foraging. Every time I look away for a second, he's found some sort of... what even was that cat, last time? I still can't believe it didn't bite you."

"It was a lynx, and she was very friendly," Chulainn immediately protested, shaking his head. His slight smile, though, screamed how much he appreciated my response. "She was simply curious about the two picking flowers so close to where her kittens were napping."

"Chulainn, she was growling up a storm until you somehow calmed her. I wouldn't call that 'curiosity'."

"She didn't immediately attack us. Just growling curiosity." He glanced at the door then and stepped away. "Someone is here. I don't think it's urgent, not moving quick enough. But there is more noise than usual for the hour."

"Is that so?" Sigurd asked, sipping his tea. "And knowing you, you're not making it up to try and get out of the conversation." No, but it was convenient and I knew Chulainn was very thankful for that exact reason. "Well, go ahead and let them in. As much as I would love to hear about you charming animals, if someone is approaching at this hour, it is usually important, even when it's not urgent. In fact, it's probably Quan, wanting to discuss the plan more. He said he'd be by first thing." Chulainn nodded and opened the door to wave the person inside before they even had a chance to knock. But the visitor wasn't Quan. No, this visitor was a surprise to us all. "Jamke?!"

"Well met, Sigurd," King Jamke greeted, smiling wearily. He still wore his cloak, showing he'd come straight here from the courtyard, though the damp spots on his collar hinted he'd done his best to wash the worst of the travel-dirt off first. "I apologize for the sudden arrival. I thought I sent a messenger, but discovered I still had the blasted letter in my pocket while I was getting ready this morning."

"No, no, it's fine." Sigurd stood to greet him, and I immediately went about making King Jamke some tea. I... had to remind myself to be perfectly calm, though. I... it was horrible, but I still hadn't forgiven him for the fire in Marpha. I'd been very glad to have so few interactions with him since the war with Verdane ended. "I'm surprised to be certain, but it's fine. Is all well?"

"Verdane is fine, but I'm not certain we'd call the situation 'well'." King Jamke's expression darkened. "Not long after I received your message about Nordion, a messenger bird bearing the royal seal of Agusti arrived. It wasn't a formal declaration of war, but it was a very fancy letter demanding our surrender, so it was just as good as one." Chagall had not even laid siege to Nordion, much less conquered it, and was already trying to force Verdane into submission?

"He sent...?" Sigurd's eyes widened, just as startled as I was. "How stupid can this man be? Ugh... I'm beginning to see why Eldigan never wanted to talk with him."

"Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out how Imuka raised a man this idiotic. He's no king; he's a child playing at ruling and war." King Jamke shook his head. "But since he made his intentions clear, I must do the same. You march to Nordion's aid, yes?"

"I am waiting for permission from King Azmur, but-"

"We both know you're going. You're just pretending to behave." King Jamke managed a slight smile; Sigurd could only shrug in response. "So, you will march to their aid. I shall go with you, along with my own soldiers. If Chagall intends to fight Verdane, then I shall show him how foolish he truly is. I came with volunteers, and with my advisors' full permission." He did what now? "Besides, in a way, this will protect Grannvale, so I hope it'll add weight to my words of reconciliation." He opened his mouth to say more, but then glanced at Chulainn awkwardly. At first, I thought it was because he only just now noticed him. But then I realized he had likely another reason entirely.

So, when I finished King Jamke's tea, I brought it over to the table and turned to Chulainn. "I'm sorry, but would you mind stepping outside for a moment?" I asked him. King Jamke jumped at my bluntness, but Chulainn nodded and stepped out without another word, closing the door behind him. "King Jamke, I have tea ready for you. Would you like a cup?"

"I... yes, I would," King Jamke answered, staring at the door. It took him a couple of blinks to actually move to the table. "That was far easier than I thought it would be."

"Everyone has secrets. Chulainn respects that." I moved out of the way and clasped my hands in front of me. "Besides, Sigurd and I noticed the similarities to what happened with your father. It would be surprising if you didn't."

"And here I'd hoped I was being sensitive." King Jamke sighed heavily and poured himself a cup. "Truthfully, that is another reason why I wish to join. I can't help wondering if Sandima's allies tried to hook their claws into King Imuka, and killed him when they failed." This then led to the obvious question; were they manipulating Chagall or was he simply being arrogant? "Sandima killed Father once he started asking questions, after all."

"Has anyone made the connection yet or suspected dark magic?"

"Thankfully, no." He sipped the tea, smiling at the taste. It was nice to see I still remembered how to make Zaya's tea properly. "Most consider him an amoral, but typical, advisor, while the mysterious illnesses and attacks are being treated as the work of mad spirits." Would the truth ever be known, one day? I had no idea. Would it even be accepted as 'truth' if it was? "So, I know my declaration, but I wish to ask in light of the selfish reasons. Might I join you?"

"I would be honored and relieved to have you, Jamke," Sigurd reassured, smiling brightly. He unrolled the map of Agustria again and beckoned King Jamke over to look. "More than relieved, truthfully. I will leave with any cavalry we have, while Alicia and Deirdre will follow with our infantry. The more guards there, the better."

"I see," King Jamke murmured, still sipping on his tea as he frowned over the map. "To ask the obvious question, what are the chances of us utilizing Return or Warp to get us there sooner?"

"Nonexistent." Sigurd grimaced. "How did Ethlyn explain it... Return works by utilizing some ritual to attune the staff to a specific location and said ritual has to be done in the location. So, once we're in Nordion, she can change her Return staff's destination to Nordion, but right now, all it will do is send someone back here to Evans."

"And Warp? I know Edain has it, and I doubt she'd mind lending it."

"Warp does allow freer teleportation, but is limited by the user's knowledge. Either they must be warped to a destination within sight or a destination the user knows well. It also requires a great deal of skill to use, lest the target either gets lost between space or is teleported to some place completely and utterly random. Or each of their body parts is teleported to different locations. Ethlyn may have been pulling my leg with that last one, mind." Sigurd glanced at me and I simply smiled serenely. After all, I not only had read it was possible, but Father Eirik supposedly witnessed such an event. "Maybe not. The point I was trying to make there is that the only people here with the skill to use Warp are Deirdre and Alicia. Neither of them have ever been to Nordion, and no one is willing to risk them trying simply off a description."

"I'm guessing Edain is also not an option?"

"She's never been to Nordion either."

"Ah, well, there goes that half-idea." He shrugged. "No matter. Nordion is... this castle closest to us, yes? Shouldn't be a hard journey. It trades fairly frequently with Verdane, so the roads are kept clear. So…" A knock on the door cut through the air, and the door opened to reveal Quan. "Well met, Prince Quan. You don't seem surprised to see me."

"Chulainn warned me before I knocked," Quan explained, striding in. He looked… tired. Ethlyn had told me Quan hadn't slept, choosing instead to make and discard plans upon plans for saving Nordion. I'd make some sort of tea for him later. "If you don't mind me skipping pleasantries…"

"I think I'll use this as my excuse to slip away," I murmured, already heading for the door. Quan paused for a very long second before smiling sheepishly at me. "Since King Jamke has brought soldiers, I must prepare for their initial checks." I wanted their baselines as soon as possible, to nip any potential health concerns in the bud. "King Jamke, please come by my workshop later for your own checkup."

"I didn't mean to chase you away, Alicia."

"I have work to do, and I will be of little help with your planning." I did, however, frown at him. "I must insist you rest soon, Quan."

"I'm not sure the one who somehow stayed up for four nights is the one to be lecturing." Quan made sure his voice was as dry as possible, and King Jamke openly gaped. "Yes, she just pulled that off. No, I don't know how she's not passed out."

"How many people have been told?" I may just get a headache from this. "Regardless, according to Ethlyn, you haven't had a proper night's sleep in a week, so I do believe I can still lecture."

"They weren't all nighters."

"Quan, are you saying Ethlyn lied to me?" I widened my eyes in 'shock', and Quan immediately looked panicked. Sigurd, meanwhile, choked on a laugh and King Jamke sighed and shook his head. "Goodness, I should ask her more about it."

"And how can I bribe you to not do that?"

"What else? Get some rest. I can confine you to the infirmary if need be."

"And don't forget, Quan, she has the authority to do so," Sigurd pointed out cheerfully. Quan groaned and threw up his hands in surrender. "Anyway, before I forget yet again, Alicia, did you write to Dietrich?"

"I did the day after we learned about Nordion," I reassured. After all, it would be infinitely harder for us to assist him until things were settled in Agustria.

"Thank you. I'm saddened we can't help, but this takes priority." Besides, we couldn't discount the possibility these warehouses extended into Agustria. "I hope he wasn't too annoyed."

"Did I not show you his reply? He expected something like this would happen as soon as the rumors hit Belhalla." He also jokingly asked us to investigate how 'someone so criminally stupid survived until adulthood', but I had a feeling that was better read than said. "I'll bring it to you later."

"Oh, please tell me it'll make me laugh."

"I think so."

"Then I'll be looking forward to it."

Muffling my own laugh, I left the room and closed the door behind me. As usual when he waited outside, Chulainn stood against the far wall and fell in step with me easily as I walked down the hall. At first, he kept silent and left me to my thoughts, knowing I had a lot to mentally organize. But, once we were some distance away from the office, he suddenly broke the silence.

"You're not fond of him, are you?" he asked out of the blue. I frowned at him slightly in confusion. "Jamke, I mean. You're not fond of him."

"Pardon?" I replied, startled. How had he...? "What makes you say that?"

"How calm you were."

"Chulainn, most would say I am always calm." I may have gotten used to showing my emotions more, but I had my habits. Besides, I liked being calm.

"Yes, but it was a different calm. Usually, your calm is natural, like a still lake. It's soft and pretty to look at." ...I had the strangest feeling in my chest at the observation, tight yet fluttering, and did not know why. "But with him, it was like the lake had frozen over. Still pretty, but you were actively crafting the mask as you moved and talked to ensure everything perfectly conveyed serenity. It's a subtle difference, but noticeable to those who know you." I didn't know how to reply, so I looked away. "That's all."

"Still..." I struggled to think of a reply, and then we turned a corner and I was very thoroughly distracted. "Lex? Dew?" Both were standing there, with the strangest smirks on their faces. "Ah, hello? Did something good happen?"

"A potentially hilarious thing did, yes," Lex confirmed, his grin growing with the words. Since I didn't know what reaction he expected, I could only tilt my head in confusion. "However, I'm not saying anything until I'm more certain."

"Very well?" I replied, still confused. I looked at Dew, wondering if he'd be more forthcoming, but he only whistled for some strange reason. "Regardless, what has you two out and about? If you're wondering about the commotion, King Jamke has arrived with soldiers."

"Yeah, Arden and Naoise are helping them settle in. Dew said you'd need help for their initial health checks." Lex shrugged. "I happened to be free and figured I'd find you and try to help. You know, so we can get you to bed on time."

"I am perfectly fine, thank you very much." I frowned up at Chulainn, who smiled back boyishly. "I know you're the one who told her."

"She wasn't the only one who was worried," Chulainn said, still devoid of any remorse. "It was only brought up because Shannan thought you were skipping meals."

"But I wasn't," I protested, turning to face him properly. Lex and Dew went back to their strange smirking, for some reason. "I know better than to go so long without eating."

"I'm not sure your snacks qualify as meals."

"There were more than enough. Besides, you know I made sure to eat breakfast." I always ate with Deirdre, Ethlyn, and Ayra, after all.

"Which was probably your only true meal of the day. But regardless of what you think, Shannan was fretting, and it dealt with you, so of course Ayra investigated."

"So you told her I wasn't sleeping."

"It may have come up."

"It absolutely did, because how else would she have known?" It was only when I heard Dew snicker that I realized how childish I was being. "Ah, that is neither here nor there. At the moment, I need to prepare for those check-ups. For starters, I need to borrow a room as I'd rather not use my workshop or infirmary for this." I could check on a single person in my workshop, but there would presumably be many. As such, it was better to have a designated room.

"Maybe set up a schedule as well?" Lex suggested, helping me move the subject along. Yet he still smirked, and Dew kept snickering. Just what had gotten into them? "That'll be a better use of your time."

"You're probably right." Even as I agreed, I found myself frowning at old memories. "Will they come, though? In my experience, people would just leave me to wait."

"Even after you requested to check them?"

"Yes? They'd have me wait even after requesting me themselves. I never minded back then, since I could always read, but there's so much to..." Finally, Lex's smirk disappeared, this time for cold anger. "Lex?"

"...Nothing I can do about now, but damn, I wish I could punch them." He grumbled some curses under his breath, and I could only stare in confusion. The confusion only spiked when Dew popped to my side and frowned up at me worriedly. I missed something. I very much missed something. "Right, right, present. We're in the present. Yes, they'll come. I'll drag them myself."

"So, for now, we should get everything ready, yeah?" Dew suggested, smiling warmly at me. He awkwardly took my hand and tugged me along. "Come on! Let's go!" And I followed without a word because it was probably the first time he'd taken my hand since we met and I was startled by the show of affection.

Lex was not forced to drag any soldiers to their appointments. It was still so strange being around people who respected my time.

Preparations continued apace, and my inventory slowly approached 'acceptable for war' levels. Deirdre opted to buy as much as possible from nearby apothecaries, and sent for additional supplies from Chalphy, and Sigurd made good on his promise to close off the training yards outside of set hours. I still had to pull a few more all-nighters, but I was sneaky enough to avoid Ayra's fussing. I may or may not have also bought Chulainn's silence with the promise to only do them three at a time, at most.

"With these numbers, we may have enough to safely march out," I murmured to myself, walking down the halls. Chulainn walked beside me, knowing me well enough by now that I needed no reply. I was simply doing my best to organize my thoughts before my usual meeting with Sigurd. As the days passed, they became shorter and shorter as more things needed to be done. Today, it would probably be a brief talk where I interrupted his planning with Deirdre and Quan. I had no doubts all three had been hard at work since before dawn. "I'd prefer more, but if we had to..." All at once, Chulainn wrapped an arm around me and pulled me towards him. Before I could ask, someone rounded the corner, someone I didn't expect to see at all. "Azelle?"

"Huh? Sister!" Despite his clear exhaustion, Azelle greeted me with a smile. He must have been up well before dawn, given the hour and how he showed no signs of the road. In fact, the only hint he had not been here all this time was his damp hair from a quick wash. "Perfect timing! I can't remember the way to Sigurd's office," he laughed. He then paused, looking up at Chulainn, who still had his arm around me. "Umm..."

"While I am glad to see you, little brother, I do wonder why you're here." I tilted my head back to smile at Chulainn. "Chulainn, this is my little brother, Azelle. I've told you about him, yes? Even if I haven't bragged, I know Lex has." Chulainn smiled slightly and released me. "Azelle, this is Chulainn. I've written to you and Arvis about him."

"Ah, yes!" Azelle blinked a few times before focusing on me. "And... um... as for why I'm here..." Azelle pulled a letter from his pocket, the wax seal proudly showing the royal crest of Belhalla. "King Azmur has given permission."

"You're his messenger then?"

"Indeed." He smiled proudly. "I was with Arvis when the two discussed the matter, so I requested the honor. I'd planned on coming here anyway, since Sigurd has no magic users. Thankfully, King Azmur indulged me. Arvis was a little upset, though."

"I would think him proud that King Azmur trusts you to deliver his words." I reached up and ruffled Azelle's hair; he preened at the praise. "Then again, I suppose his fretful self can't help but worry. We're both heading into danger again, after all."

"You'll be coming with us then, Alicia?"

"Do you truly think you all are going very far without a healer?" I shrugged. "Of course I'm coming along."

"W-well, I'll keep you safe! I've made strides in my lessons, and I brought a few more tomes for variety." Azelle fiddled with his sleeves nervously. "Aida wouldn't let me take some of the higher ranked tomes, like Meteor, but..."

"Ah, that should be reported to Sigurd, along with the message." I stepped away and pointed down the hall. "I was just heading to my usual meeting. Why don't you come with me?"

Azelle happily tagged along, and shared some news from Velthomer with me as we walked. Truthfully, I smiled and nodded at most of it, not… quite caring. It was nice to hear everyone was well, but it was in a mildly awkward, distant sort of way. I was, however, very glad to hear Gabriel and Ellen were settling in well in Velthomer, and that Arvis had hired private tutors for them. I hoped they remembered to run around and play while they studied. After everything they went through, they deserved to just be children. I thought about asking, but decided against it. I could write Arvis a letter later. Wait, no, I'd write Aida a letter. She'd be better able to gauge what was 'too little play' for a child compared to Arvis. As it was, I did my best to listen to Azelle's tales until we eventually made it to Sigurd's office and entered after a quiet knock. Inside, Sigurd, Deirdre, and Quan were gathered at Sigurd's desk, discussing something, and all three looked up as we walked in.

"Ah, Alicia, there you are!" Sigurd greeted, smiling tiredly. For all his talk about making sure we all rested, he'd been getting as little sleep as both Quan and me. "You're later than expected. Did something…" He trailed off when he saw Azelle trail in after me. "Azelle? Well met!" He waved Azelle over, and tried to do the same with Chulainn, out of courtesy. Chulainn, as per usual, ignored him to keep watch by the closed door. "We didn't expect you."

"No, I suppose not, but here," Azelle said, skipping the formalities. Instead, he immediately handed the letter to Sigurd. I studied the trio at the desk and decided to go ahead and make my energy-boosting tea for them. I already had all the ingredients; I kept the station stocked even if I usually made everyone's personal mixes. "I am here as King Azmur's messenger and, with the duty discharge, offer my services to your cause, Sigurd."

"So, His Majesty has given permission at last." Sigurd sighed with relief, popping open the letter with ease and reading through. "I see; he worries the rumors of Chagall killing his father are true and hopes Eldigan will be able to help bridge the faltering peace..." He paused and rolled his eyes. Deirdre tried to lean in close to read the letter over his shoulder. "Yes, I do so enjoy being called out in a letter."

"Uh..."

"It's nothing. He simply joked about how I'd ride to rescue Eldigan and Lachesis with or without his permission, so he might as well sanction it." He let the letter fall to the table, while the rest of us muffling laughter. Still, despite the teasing, it was a testament to how much King Azmur trusted Sigurd. "And we will gladly welcome your aid, Azelle. With so few resisting magic, your skills are only a boon."

"Indeed, and if I recall correctly, you're quite the skilled rider," Quan noted with a smile. His calculating eyes, however, sharpened the smile from something warm to something closer to a 'warning'. "Even if you don't fight on horseback, you can still join the initial wave. We'll need all the dramatics we can get, and few things are more dramatic than a giant fireball. Particularly if it's falling from the heavens."

"I don't actually have a Meteor tome, you know," Azelle pointed out immediately. Message delivered, he resumed fussing with his sleeves. "Aida said the Roten Ritter needs all they have for some sort of plan. Didn't ask because I didn't want to know. I'm assuming with the Isaachian Campaign." He smiled, forcing away the awkwardness of the words. "But I should be able to amplify my Elfire to create a pseudo-meteor. It'll just require a little of my blood."

"A little of your what?" Quan's expression immediately blanked. Sigurd looked similarly confused, while Deirdre looked intrigued. "Did I mishear?"

"No? It's just blood." Azelle shrugged, but his eyes glittered in barely constrained excitement. Oh dear, the scholar within had awakened. "See, when they say those with Fjalar's blessing have fire and magic in their blood, it's not hyperbole or bardic invention. We can use our blood as a catalyst for fire magic. That's how our Final Strike works."

"Oh, of course!" Deirdre gasped, clapping her hands together. All attention shifted to her sparkling eyes. "That explains it! I'd been trying to figure out how you all do it. The others explained that those of magical Holy Bloods can conjure and control their respective elements, but mere cantrips wouldn't explain the sheer power described for a Final Strike. That seems like a proper spell and all proper spells must have a catalyst. For most, that is the special ink used to write tomes, combined with a verbal component to command the spirits. But if your blood is the catalyst, then..."

"Then the Final Strike is simply the ignition of a massive catalyst by our great magical might and fueled by the unparalleled power of our lifeforce," Azelle finished, terribly chipper. Both Quan and Sigurd looked a little unnerved, but I could only sigh and smile. Scholars will be scholars. "However, we can do it on a smaller scale as well. If someone gets splattered with our blood, we can instantly cast a proper fire spell to sear them instead of the usual snap our fingers to ignite their clothes."

"I see! How interesting..." She became very thoughtful. It seemed the scholar in her was also having fun. "What about the other bloods? Can they do something similar?"

"No, and this was actually tested a couple decades ago. The main theory for why is because Fjalar's blessing focuses primarily on magic and is tied to blood, so it had the side effect of making our blood a catalyst. This does mean that if we're not paying attention to our injuries, we can accidentally burn ourselves alive even without a Final Strike."

"So much from a simple suggestion," Quan noted dryly, startling the two out of their academic reverie. He, meanwhile, looked almost exasperated. "I wonder why the magical Holy Bloods get so many extras." ...Oh dear. That had to be the worst thing to say if we were trying to keep things on track. This was the focus of much of Azelle's personal research.

"Honestly, I think it only seems that way because we're more inclined to research it," Azelle countered, already warming to the subject. "Truthfully, that's how we know so much about Fjalar's blessing. Fjalar herself devoted many hours to researching and testing her newfound abilities, and when the pressures of ruling cut into her ability to do proper research, her daughter took over. In fact, it was her daughter who discovered the differences between Major and Minor bloods." He shrugged, barely keeping himself from bouncing on his feet. "Personally, I theorize the martial Holy Bloods have just as many booms, but they're more subtle than exploding blood. Take Nal's descendents, for instance. Everyone knows about their ability to withstand damage, but few know most of them have an increased pain tolerance."

"They can't feel pain?"

"No, no, pain tolerance is different from pain threshold. Pain threshold is something related to the brain and you can experience a lot of problems because you don't feel it." Indeed, pain was one way the body recognized danger. "Pain tolerance is your ability to endure pain and, admittedly, this is something that can be trained. But those of Nal's blood have high tolerances without the training. Probably because even if you're able to withstand the damage, it's not going to be helpful if you're unconscious from the pain." Azelle started speaking a little more quickly now, gesturing with his words. I shared an amused glance with Chulainn, while Quan and Sigurd stared and Deirdre listened with rapt attention. "You've something similar with Hodr's blood, actually. They must have some sort of increased resilience since they do not tear their own muscles or shatter their bones when performing their legendary feats of strength."

"That… is actually a fair point." Quan exchanged a look with Sigurd. "Both of us have fallen from great heights which should've broken a bone, but hadn't."

"Right? And to loop around to the original point, even some of the magical Holy Bloods have subtle boons. Take Thrud's line, for instance. Ignoring how difficult thunder magic is to control, which is 'very', their skill with it is so great they can actually kill a person with a touch."

"Wait, how?"

"Lightning straight through a person!" Azelle was far too chipper about this, but I knew it was only the scholar in him. Though he was starting to get too excited and was flinging sparks. Chulainn took one look at them and immediately moved to my side to lessen the chance of accidentally being set on fire. "Like how toddlers of Fjalar's blood can throw fire with their tantrums. But with lightning and thunder magic. And all of that is ignoring how those with Holy Blood are capable of bleeding more than most. Even more incredibly, despite the injuries they endure, they somehow do not suffer from nearly as many infections as those without Holy Blood and-!"

"Azelle," I gently interrupted, a little reluctant. After all, I found it adorable how excited he could get about research. "You're off-topic." But this was a serious meeting, not a scholarly debate, and the sparks could become quite dangerous with so much paper about. Besides, I was almost done with the tea.

"Oh… er… right…" Azelle mumbled, coughing to try and hide his embarrassment. It didn't work; his face had turned bright red. "A-anyway, the point I wanted to make is that I can amplify my Elfire into a pseudo-Meteor spell with a bit of my blood. I don't have the full pattern of Meteor memorized, or I could just draw it out with my blood, but amplification is simple. It's the equivalent of many mages casting in tandem, but just me."

"I trust this will not use a lot of blood?" I'd rather he did not bleed himself half to death for a single spell.

"Depends on the size, but it shouldn't be much. A little goes a long way with us. That's why the Final Strike is so destructive."

"Then we'll perform a small scale version in safe conditions to get an idea of how it'll work," Sigurd decided, sitting down to scribble something. He then made a point to smile at Azelle. "That will be much later, though. You have to be exhausted, so we'll discuss it when you're better rested." Azelle made to protest, no doubt to insist he was fine, but Sigurd shook his head. "Besides, it's been too long since you were last in Evans! You've been very missed, and I'm sure many wish to give their greetings." His smile became apologetic as he turned towards me. "But I digress. Alicia, you've been quiet. Was there anything to report?"

"No, I came to inform you that my inventory is barely acceptable for a march," I explained, bringing the tea over. Both Quan and Sigurd lit up at my words, while Deirdre was much more interested in the tea. "I'd prefer to have more, so I will continue stocking, but given our battles in Verdane, I believe we've enough for at least the initial battles in Nordion."

"Is that so?" Sigurd nodded. "Well, you shall have the time. There were certain preparations which couldn't be done until we had official permission, so it will be a while yet, unfortunately." While I didn't like the delay, I did appreciate the extra time. "But thank you. I know you've been overworking yourself to fill the gap."

"I've not been overworking? This was my normal during the Verdane Campaign." Actually, I think it was a little less. I almost voiced the thought, but Sigurd's wide eyes told me that would be a rather bad idea. "If anything, I've been quite lazy since staying in Evans."

"You need to be lazier. How did you not collapse?"

"How do you manage to fight as long as you do?" Deirdre gently countered, muffling a laugh. Sigurd made a face, but she simply muffled another laugh. "Still, I agree, Alicia, that you should take more breaks, and we have the perfect opportunity. It's been months since you've seen your brother, after all." This... was fair and now that my inventory was 'acceptable' I did not need to spend all my waking hours making medicines. "So, you can both help each other take a break, yes? Though Azelle, if there's time later, I would love to discuss more about how Fjalar's blood serves as a catalyst and other boons of Holy Blood?" She smiled shyly and Azelle lit up at the thought. "But I digress. Alicia, this tea is different from the usual. What is it?"

"Oh, this is my energy-boosting tea," I explained, smiling at her. I had to muffle a laugh when Quan immediately poured himself a cup. "Sigurd will need it mixed with something as it's quite spicy."

"I'll probably need to do the same." She watched as Quan downed his cup in a single gulp. "Oh, he likes it straight? Then I definitely need to mix it. How do you not breathe fire after some of these teas, Quan?"

That led to a round of laughter and the echoes followed Azelle, Chulainn, and me out the door. But once the door shut behind us, there was only an awkward silence neither Azelle nor I knew quite how to break. Chulainn wouldn't. He'd be silent forever if we'd let him. But, finally, Azelle spoke and freed us from the awkwardness.

"Um... we were introduced, but I never gave proper greetings," he murmured, turning to bow at Chulainn. Chulainn blinked a few times, quietly surprised. "As Alicia said, I'm Azelle, her little brother. Thank you for protecting my sister. It's been a great relief to know she's safe." While he spoke very formally, he squirmed in a way that made me frown. "And... uh... I'm sorry, but there's a list of questions Arvis wanted answered, so..."

"Our lord brother can ask those questions himself later," I sighed, a little irritated by the thought. This was the second time he tried this. "Honestly, I cannot believe he tried to use you for this." It was no wonder he'd been squirming. He could barely ask questions of people he knew well!

"I imagine your older brother is simply concerned by the unknown mercenary who spends so much time with his sister," Chulainn noted, not bothered in the slightest. For some reason, this only made my irritation grow. "Most would be."

"But I have already told him I am perfectly happy with you. What else should matter?" I may have said more, but Azelle got the most peculiar look on his face then. "What is it, Azelle?"

"Er... nothing?" he replied, in a slow manner which implied the opposite. Chulainn, for some reason, looked both confused and amused at the same time. "Just... list? I have it in my pocket." He wrote a literal list?

"Burn it," I answered without hesitation. Azelle only stared in response. "Ah, we can use it as fuel for tea, actually. Would you like a cup, Azelle?"

"I... yes?"

"Then let's head to my workshop."

Without another word, I walked briskly down the hall, doing my level best to calm my irritation. Chulainn managed to keep up with me easily, though poor Azelle had to jog to not be left behind. I knew I should've slowed down to be polite, but it was near impossible in my irritation. I had to find a distraction immediately because it felt like ice was creeping under my skin. If he was so insistent these questions needed to be asked, he could come himself to ask them instead of relying on proxies! Honestly, what was I to do with him?

The worst part of the chilly irritation bubbling in me was that when I arrived at my workshop, I didn't even notice Ayra was also there. I'd walked right past her without seeing her, and only realized she was in the room at all when she spoke.

"So, I was just swinging by to check in," Ayra began slowly, glancing between the three of us. Azelle smiled awkwardly at her, and Chulainn barely nodded before following me inside and taking his usual spot on the wall. I'd stopped in the middle of my workshop, torn between my continued irritation and my mortification for being so rude. "But… ah… when did you get here, Azelle? Is it why Alicia is all frozen?"

"Azelle is here because he served as King Azmur's messenger and remains to assist," I explained, turning to face her. I made sure I was polite and poised as a proper healer should be. It was hard with the ice in my veins, but it served no purpose to be angry at anyone here for it. "We're about to have some tea, actually. Would you like some? I still have krinina blossoms."

"Oh, well..." She mentally debated for a moment before nodding. "Sure, that sounds lovely, actually." So she said, but she immediately poked Azelle's arm. "So, did something happen on the road or did something else make her angry?"

"Ayra, can you clear the table for me?"

"Right, yes, on it."

Ayra and Azelle cleared the table and sat down quietly, and I bustled about to make the tea. While I was setting up the pot, I silently held out my hand to Azelle. After a moment, he reluctantly pulled the list out of his pocket and gave it to me. I felt a little better after ripping it up to fuel the fire, but only a little. I would definitely be writing him about this. This sort of nonsense was too much to indulge.

"What was that?" Ayra asked curiously, breaking the awkward silence. Azelle only sighed, while Chulainn ducked his head to hide a smile. "Bad? Is that why she's mad?" She was very fixated on learning this. I wondered why.

"Arvis gave me a list of questions he wanted Chulainn to answer," Azelle answered tiredly. Ayra immediately started laughing. "Glad you think it's funny. Alicia very much didn't."

"If I treat it as a joke, I'm not as inclined to hunt him down and hit him over the head for confusing 'protectiveness' with 'control'." Ayra said the words far too blithely given the context. "What does it matter? Chulainn does his job well. I would've thought the rumors about her, Sigurd, and Deirdre would give him enough to worry about anyway."

"Don't remind me..."

"You would think they would calm down after the wedding," I sighed, busying myself with the tea. As always, it was soothing. I felt better already. "Oh, Azelle, I don't have your mix. Would chamomile be alright?"

"Give him some krinina blossom tea, Alicia," Ayra suggested instead. I paused, more than a little surprise. I'd been making it only for her, as a means of stretching out my limited surprise. "I'd love to share a bit of my home." Still, if she asked, how could I refuse? "You'll like it, I think, Azelle. It tastes similar to the teas you always made."

"Oh, so it's a tea from Isaach?" Azelle asked, his tired discomfort gone in an instance. "Weird, how did we get some? We're really far away."

"Alicia wrote Prince Kurth, and he indulged her." Ayra said the words without a grimace, which was better than her expression when I first told her. I couldn't lie, after all. "Neither here nor there, for now. So, have you greeted anyone else?"

"No, I honestly just got here."

"I beat Lex, then?" She grinned, strangely delighted by the thought, and Azelle made a face. "Sorry, sorry. He'll be glad to see you, though. I think it took him weeks before he stopped looking for you in the library."

"W-well, we did live together for two years. Oh, and thank you for telling me he was hurt. He never would've said anything, so I would've only heard rumors."

"I figured as much." Her grin faded to a sheepish smile. "I did think he was exaggerating about Tailtiu's response, but he actually underestimated it. How did she write twenty letters in two days?"

"She'll write something, send it, and then think of something else she wanted to say, and send it too." Though Azelle rolled his eyes, he smiled warmly. I remembered him writing me about how much he liked and admired Tailtiu's cheerful and sporadic energy, even if it also tired him out very quickly. "She also jumps between thoughts and subjects like lightning through the clouds. Why she never manages to finish any research despite having some brilliant ideas." He gasped then, snapping his fingers and accidentally sending a spark of flame into the air. "Right, I just remembered. Um…"

"Yes?"

"Well… uh…" He played with his hands as he struggled to find his words. "Would you let me study Astra, Ayra?"

"You want to what now?"

"Just observe you while you use it? I-I understand if you'd rather not, but when I heard about it, I was really curious and… um…" He looked away, mortified yet determined. "I was curious about how it worked. Is it a different application of magic? Some magic that is not magic as we know it? Another blessing from Holy Blood?"

"It's a gift from one of the fairies."

"Well, yes, that's what you said. But even if it was a gift, it's still mortals who wield it. So, I believe there is a 'mortal' explanation behind it." He looked back at Ayra, somehow both shy yet unyielding as he met her calm gaze. "Everything in our world can be explained. Holy Blood, magic… everything. We may not know the answer now, but we will. We just have to keep learning and discovering."

"And that right there makes it damn obvious you and Alicia are related." Ayra grinned and Azelle sulked. "She's always studying, always learning, because just because she doesn't know a cure to something doesn't mean the cure doesn't exist. You're both terribly intelligent and have a hunger for more."

"Well, it's not like I'm good for much, so why not learn?" He shrugged. "But discovering new things about the world… it's fun. It's exciting. And in my eyes, it makes the world even more wondrous. But um…" He ducked his head, all steel forgotten. "I'll understand if you'd rather I didn't. I know it's important to you."

"Hmm…" She thought about it for a long moment before nodding. "No, I don't think I'll mind. Not if it's you." She leaned back in her chair, linked her hands together, and stretched her arms out in front of her. "You don't want to learn as some way of telling me the fairies do not exist. You only seek to learn how I am able to do it. That does not take away from my beliefs. It adds to it. Besides…" She smiled. "We do have some historical proof. Od never wielded Astra or Luna, but his twin daughters did. So, we know something happened. But you do not seek to decipher what the 'something' is. You only want to study the result of it."

"Yes…" He hesitantly looked up again and smiled faintly. "You see similar things everywhere. Take Alec, for instance. He claims it's just simple awareness, but some of the things he's been able to avoid… it feels like there's something more than just 'awareness'. Sometimes, it seems like he's somehow nullifying the ability."

"I will note I could not draw on Astra's strength when he and Lex baited me." She scowled at the memory, but quickly shook it off. "Now, granted, I was in poor physical condition and poorer mental, but I didn't have issues using Astra before."

"See? Yet it's not like magic itself doesn't work on him because if it did, Alicia couldn't heal him with her staves."

"Interesting…" She nodded a few times to herself. "Well, you can observe. I'm not sure what you'll discover, but I doubt it's magic. I don't have magic."

"Oh, that's not true! Everyone has at least a little magic. Now, some have so little they might as well have none, but everyone does! That's why everyone is capable of learning tomes and staves, even if they're not good at it. Take Ethlyn, for instance. Or, heck, Lachesis. Neither have a lot of magic, but both are able to use staves." Azelle's eyes started shining. "So…"

"Ah, this is what Lex meant when he said you could talk for days if you had the right topic." Ayra laughed brightly and Azelle blushed. "Still, this is interesting and certainly more than I learned. Magic is probably as common in Isaach as it is in Verdane. Perhaps a touch more, since some from Silesse will move to Isaach, but it's still the barest minimum. My lessons barely mentioned it at all."

"Then I'll start at the beginning and you can tell me if you already know something or not!"

Azelle began to explain, in detail, the basics of magic and magical theory to Ayra, with Ayra doing her best to follow along and ask questions along the way. While they talked, I finished up the tea and brought it over to sit, listen, and enjoy their company. Chulainn kindly brought me one of my books to read while I listened, and lingered behind my chair in silence. I didn't know if he was drawn by their liveliness or if he had an interest in the subject too, but I was glad he was close and not watching from a distance as he usually did, so I didn't ask.

Regardless, once we marched, it may be a long while before we could return here to Evans and indulge ourselves. I should enjoy these moments while I could.

In the days following King Azmur's official permission, a frenzied air swallowed Evans. With no more restraints, the only thing preventing us from marching was our own limitations. Every day, more of the plan was set, more defenses were built, more of… everything was done. All the while, we feared the coming of another messenger, one from Nordion declaring their walls could no longer hold, and fretted over just how few cavalry we had for that critical 'first wave'. Yes, Quan and Sigurd would lead the charge and they said those with Holy Blood were armies unto themselves, but it felt foolish to simply rely on that. A single person could not bear such weight forever, no matter how strong, and this would be the worst time for any to crumple. But thankfully for our collective peace of mind, help arrived from a most unexpected source.

"Ring sent some of the Beige Ritter back to help us?" Sigurd asked, his pen falling from his hand in shock. I couldn't blame him. What had started as a 'normal morning meeting' between Sigurd and me had turned into something quite unexpected. It said something that the source of this information was the least surprising part of it all. "Truly?"

"Indeed," Lady Edain confirmed, with a pretty smile and mischievous giggle. She and Sir Midir had arrived an hour or so after dawn, alongside a full half of the Beige Ritter. "Father says that since you came to Yngvi's aid, he would be remiss to not lend his own now. This is to say nothing of how Eldigan defended Evans, and thus Grannvale and Yngvi, from Ellidiot's attempt at an invasion. Poor as it was, if it had actually reached Yngvi, our people would not have been able to recover."

"I… but I was… just doing as I always do…" Sigurd had a strange look on his face. "Are things in Isaach…?"

"I can't speak much about that. You know how Father is. But I do know that since most of the fighting is in the desert, cavalry isn't as helpful as they normally are. Sand bogs down the horses considerably if they're not properly trained for the conditions."

"Ah, so I imagine we have a few who are particularly chafing at feeling useless in the fighting, so this will allow them to regain their confidence and, in the meantime, I get very skilled soldiers." Sigurd glanced out the window, where we could see a young man with long blonde hair directing the soldiers in the courtyard. I returned to what I'd been doing: making tea. Chulainn, as always, remained next to the door, silent as a statue. Quan was resting, for once, and Deirdre had been checking some of the castle's defenses with Sir Arden. "Why is Andrey here?"

"He wanted to check on me. He'd wanted to stay behind specifically to help me, after all." Lady Edain grimaced. "He... he needed time away from Father."

"So, they're still arguing. Sad, but unsurprising." He was silent for a long moment, watching as Lord Andrey finished whatever he was doing and disappeared inside the castle. I decided to look for Sir Midir in the mess, and found him chatting in the corner with Sir Alec and Sir Naoise. "It's gotten worse, hasn't it?"

"It has." She sighed, bowing her head. "They haven't shared a meal together in a year, and given what happened in Yngvi, I'm… well…" Silence fell then, a particular sort of quiet that came from resigned sadness more than anything. No one knew what to say; both Sigurd and Lady Edain appeared to have given up any hope of reconciliation between the father and son. "Oh, but if you mean what is he doing here in particular, he's here to escort me." The forced cheer in her voice when she finally broke the long silence only confirmed it. "He said it was only proper, since I'm staying to assist."

"You what now." Sigurd stared blankly at her. Finished with the tea, I came over to silently set it on his desk. "Edain..."

"No protesting! I've made up my mind." Lady Edain beamed; Sigurd groaned. "Lady Alicia and Ethlyn will need all the help they can get. I've heard about the all-nighters poor Lady Alicia has pulled." 'Poor Lady Alicia' was still right here, and was not bothered. I was tempted to say so, but I noticed Chulainn glance at the door, hinting we were about to receive a visitor. If it was who I suspected, then either he was walking fast or the moment of uneasy silence had been longer than I thought. "Besides, I owe you."

"You owe me nothing, Edain. We're friends."

"Then let me help my friend." She grinned and Sigurd actually let his head fall to his desk, right next to the tea I set down. She tricked him rather easily. "Besides, I do have my own reasons."

"Hmm?"

"Well..." A knock on the door interrupted them and it opened to reveal Lord Andrey. For some reason, he carried a large cloth-covered object. "Oh, Andrey! Are you done in the courtyard?"

"Obviously," Lord Andrey replied, sounding both tired and annoyed. He tried to step in the room, but Chulainn lifted an arm to block him. "Who dares...!"

"Chulainn, it's fine," Sigurd reassured, lifting his head and smiling softly. After a moment, Chulainn nodded and dropped his arm to let Lord Andrey through. "Hello to you too, Andrey."

"I... yes, hello, Sigurd." He eyed Chulainn suspiciously as he set the object down. The cloth slipped slightly and gave a small peek of a golden bow. "Who is this? Not one of your knights, I know."

"Chulainn is a mercenary I hired, and one who has my absolute trust for many reasons." Though Sigurd said the words gently, there was a firm finality to them as well. He would tolerate no more discussion on the matter. "What you set down... is that Yewfelle?" Ah, if that was the case, no wonder it was gold. Yewfelle, the Shining Bow gifted to Ullr by Laima of Fate... according to the tales, it fired arrows of pure light which never missed its target. Supposedly, these arrows were so strong Ullr regularly would kill three or more soldiers with a single arrow. "Ring didn't take it with him?"

"No, he vowed to not wield it until Brigid was found, remember?" Lady Edain quietly said, smiling sadly at the bow. It took me a long time to remember who 'Brigid' was: Lady Edain's elder twin, and the Ullr Major of our generation. "He couldn't even bear to look at it after we lost her on that ship in Northern Agustria."

"Ah, yes, that's right," Sigurd murmured, trying to hide his own sad smile by sipping his tea. It didn't work, of course, but he tried. "What was it again? You were visiting Bragi Tower and pirates struck?"

"Indeed, and she was separated from us. So, I brought Yewfelle along in case I run into her." She forced a smile; Lord Andrey rolled his eyes. "I could be that lucky. I'm Ullr minor, after all. So, that's the selfish reason. We're too close to where we lost her for me to resist."

"I... oh, very well. I can't refuse you."

"I know~!" Lady Edain giggled and Sigurd shook his head. "So, I'll let Deirdre know and get settled into my rooms. And Andrey?" She turned to her brother and gave him a huge hug. Lord Andrey froze, startled, but awkwardly patted her back. "Send me a letter when you've arrived back at the front, will you? So I know you're safe?" Lord Andrey nodded, looking almost sullen. "Thank you! I'll see you later, then!"

With that, Lady Edain left, and Chulainn glanced at Lord Andrey before leaving with her. I thought to follow, but when I noticed how stiff Lord Andrey appeared, I decided to go ahead and make him some tea. While I did, I studied him more closely. He was pale, held himself like he was ready for a fight, and his expression was set in a slight scowl. Was this his normal or had it become such from the battlefield? It was hard to say, but I knew a few herbs that could help him relax a little. It wouldn't take long to brew.

"Sigurd," Lord Andrey called curtly once his sister left. Sigurd only smiled, not offended in the slightest by the rude tone. "I... should thank you. You protected Yngvi and saved my sister, at great personal risk."

"You're much too formal, Andrey," Sigurd chided, still smiling. "We've known each other since you were a baby." He stood up slowly from his desk and stepped around so he could speak with him without a 'divide'. "You used to hide behind me all the time, remember?"

"Sadly, yes." Lord Andrey did not look amused by the reminder, and scowled when Sigurd chuckled. "I'm no longer the scared little boy, you know."

"Of course. But you should know you have nothing to prove to me." He said the words gently, but Lord Andrey noticeably stiffened. "Then again, I suppose your arguments with Ring put you on edge with most everyone. Are you aware you've been glaring all this time?"

"..." Lord Andrey looked away, at the ground. "He's ridiculous and a fool. Even what happened here in Yngvi could've been mitigated if he'd let me stay and help Edain like I wanted, instead of demanding I accompany him for inglorious honor. Why shouldn't I call him out on it? It's his fault we lost Brigid."

"I can't answer any of that, Andrey. Even if I come up with arguments, they won't change how you feel." Sigurd smiled. "But you can relax around me. I'm not exactly going to tattle on you."

"No, you never have. Hell, you used to cover for me." Lord Andrey sighed and noticeably relaxed. So, he was holding a lot of anger inside. That wasn't good. I should add... ah, I had the herb I wanted. I knew it was a good idea to keep this area fully stocked. "And I will admit to being irritable about the current circumstances. I can't say I'm happy about my sister going off to more danger, but I know you'll keep her safe and she's stubborn." He was silent for a long moment. "Do you think you'll really be able to find Brigid? It's been so long."

"I'll tell you the same thing I did when she first disappeared. Ullr's blessing has always been luck." Sigurd's smile was both warm and gentle now. "Anyone else, I'd be skeptical. I can admit to that. But I've seen Ullr Luck pull too many crazy things for me to simply dismiss the possibility."

"Just Ullr's luck? Baldr's blessing may be lesser in comparison, but you've proved far too lucky yourself many times." Lord Andrey shook his head. "Still remember that flood. Hadn't seen Edain panic so much since we lost Brigid."

"Oh, it wasn't that bad. I was just a little rattled."

"And most would've drowned. Some did. Idiot."

"Ah, been a while since you called me that." Sigurd laughed softly, and he glanced at me, knowing full well why I'd remained. "Anyway, you want some tea? Alicia's tea is the best I've had."

"Hmm?" Lord Andrey blinked slowly, and turned slightly so he could see me. "Um... how long have you been here, miss?"

"The entire time. Alicia and I meet in the mornings, so she was here even before Edain arrived. She was just quiet since she didn't have anything to contribute to the conversation."

"Oh, this is the Red Rose Healer. Edain nearly chattered my ear off about you." Lord Andrey hesitated. "I really shouldn't stay long."

"Alicia's been making the tea since Edain left and the water is still warm from when she finished mine, so I imagine it's almost done?"

"Actually, I am done," I corrected, finishing up. I set the pot and a mug down on the table and turned to smile at them both. "It needs to steep a little longer, of course, but I need not linger for that."

"Ah, that's..." Lord Andrey stammered, staring. He then ducked his head. "Then, I suppose I should have a cup then. It would be rude to refuse." I suppose I really should've asked first, but... "Why did you make a second pot?"

"I made Sigurd his usual, the mix I made for him." To my delight, he rarely drank a different kind. Even when he did, it was only at my recommendation, like with the energy-boosting tea. "But I made a different mix for you, something to relax and address some potential health issues you have from holding in so much stress."

"Pardon?"

"Alicia's teas are all medicinal, Andrey," Sigurd laughed, moving his own tea to the table. He smiled at me in thanks; I nodded and stepped away, heading for the door. "She started making it because she noticed how tense you were. So sit down and relax for a moment, will you? You know how poorly an overstrung bow does."

I lingered just long enough to see Lord Andrey sit down before leaving. Chulainn, of course, had been waiting for me and closed the door behind me. "Edain decided she should host a tea," he informed me quietly. I could only smile and shake my head. Of course she would. "She neglected to inform me of the location, but I'd guess Deirdre's solar since I doubt her own rooms will be ready fast enough for her."

"Regardless of where, I'd best attend lest she hunt me down," I replied, muffling a laugh. In truth, I didn't mind. While I did need to do check-ups for all the new soldiers, that could be done tomorrow. "Will you join us?"

"I will stand guard outside."

"Are you certain? Knowing Lady Edain, it may take a while."

"I don't mind." He smiled faintly, but warmly. "You've been working feverishly for days. It's good for you to take a break."

"It's not me I'm worried about."

"It never is. That's why others have to do it for you."

"...Those words should be said to you." Without thinking about it, I reached up and brushed my hand over his cheek. He stilled, but didn't jerk back. "You're always at my side, always doing your job, so I can't help but worry about you."

"..." He looked down and away, and accidentally bumped into my still raised hand. Part of me thought I should bring it down, but the rest of me didn't want to. "It's not... just the job."

"Hmm?"

"I like watching you. Watching you work, watching you teach... it's no chore."

"Oh." I had... no idea how to reply to that. But the words made me strangely happy, so I smiled. "But if you're outside, you can't watch. Are you certain you're fine just waiting?"

"Yes, I am." He met my eyes again and smiled a little. "Someone needs to warn Ayra if she meanders close."

"That's assuming Lady Edain has not already hunted her down." I retracted my hand to muffle my laugh. "Well, if you are certain, then I will not press. But do tell me if there's something you want to do. I don't want you to get bored of me, after all."

"I highly doubt that'll ever happen."

"Still…"

"Fine, fine. I'll let you know." What a relief… "And probably drop you off with someone so you don't fall into trouble."

"You make me sound like an unruly child."

"No, you're worse. You're a stubborn idealist without one whit of self-preservation." Though he smiled boyishly at my scowl, he soon glanced to the side as something caught his attention. When I turned, I found Ethlyn standing near, staring at us while Altena tried to wriggle out of her arms and eat her hair. "Is something wrong? You've been standing there for a while."

"No, nothing!" Ethlyn blurted, shifting Altena to brace her against her shoulder. Altena immediately pouted at no longer having easy access to her mother's hair. "It's nothing. I promise." Chulainn's expression flattened into the irritable stoicism I was used to, and I found myself frowning skeptically. "I'm just a little tired." While I could believe the excuse, something told me that wasn't the case. "Ah, but I was heading this way to look for you, Alicia. I passed Edain and Deirdre, and I think they're hosting a tea party in Deirdre's rooms."

"Seems you guessed correctly, Chulainn," I noted, deciding to let the matter drop for now. I hoped she'd tell me the truth eventually. "Shall we make our way there?"

"It does sound heavenly." She smiled brightly. "So, yes, let's go!"

We took our time making our way to Deirdre's rooms, mostly to give Deirdre and Edain time to prepare. With that said, there wasn't much we could do to delay, so when Ethlyn and I walked in, they were still arranging the table and chairs, and whatever else there was. This, surprisingly, included many platefuls of sweets. Where had they come from? I didn't think there was enough time to make so many.

"Chulainn didn't have to refuse so bluntly," Ethlyn grumbled as we waited just inside the solar. Altena was quiet in her arms, for once, looking about curiously. Considering this was the room with the most sunlight in the entire castle, I imagine she had a lot to look at. "I asked if he wanted to hold Altena, since she stared at him so much, but with the way he refused, you'd think I asked him to eat her." He hadn't been that vehement. He'd just refused and all but pushed us into the room so he could close the door and end the conversation.

"He was panicking, Ethlyn," I gently told her, shaking my head. It had been a slight difference, yes, but noticeable. Honest and blunt as he may be, he was rarely so brusque unless he was panicked or flustered. "That's all."

"Was he? He looked as stoic as always. But you know him best." I... I wouldn't say that. I was just... with him more than most. "Still, I don't think he had anything to worry about. He's always so gentle with Shannan and Dew."

"That doesn't mean he doesn't feel awkward."

"I suppose. He hides just as much behind his calm as you do." She smiled sweetly at me. "So, do you want to hold Altena?"

"Why would I deny you the pleasure? You've spent so little time with her recently."

"Another artful dodge." She snickered and I looked away awkwardly. She... she wasn't wrong, but that didn't mean I had to admit it. "Speaking of artful dodges, we should've tracked down Ayra for this. Do we have time?"

"Let's have some mercy on Ayra." Besides, I think today was the first day Azelle would observe her training for his studies. I didn't want to interrupt.

"That's no fun, though." She grinned wickedly, and I shook my head. "Oh, fine. I'll use this to guilt her into the next one. Edain, Deirdre, are you two done yet? We can help, you know, if you tell us what to do."

"No, you two busy bees must rest," Lady Edain refused with a laugh. "Besides, we're just about done, so come here and sit." She waved us over, and Deirdre took Altena from Ethlyn so she could sit down and get settled. "I suppose I really should've waited a day or so before throwing a tea party, but I didn't want to. You all have been working hard and deserve a treat as soon as possible."

"You sound like a grandmother, Edain," Ethlyn teased, taking Altena back. Deirdre then sat across from her, and next to me. "But we have been working a lot recently. So much so that I can't even think of good gossip."

"Well, that's a shame. I could share what I've heard..." Lady Edain poured the tea for us and sat down across from me. "But I don't think they'll be very fun. Yngvi has only recently recovered enough to see merchants trickle in, and they bring all the best gossip."

"Darn, so what shall we talk about first?"

"I did have a question you three might be able to answer, so perhaps that?" Deirdre began slowly, her smile hesitant. But at our encouraging smiles, she continued. "While I was out working with Esen, I heard someone call me the 'Silver Izelle Maiden'." Oh. Oh, dear. She heard that finally. "I prefer it to the 'Maiden of the Spirit Forest' I used to hear in Marpha, but it still confused me. Izelle is a flower from Velthomer, yes?"

"It is, and I brought you silver ones as a gift when I returned from visiting my brothers," I confirmed, sipping my tea. I had absolutely no idea how to explain the title to Deirdre, but I could at least answer this. "They're the rarest of the izelle flowers."

"Oh, yes, you dried and framed them. I have it hanging on the wall." She did, next to the dried blue izelle flowers I'd ordered. She'd blushed so red when they arrived, but insisted on keeping them together. Sigurd indulged her, even as he wondered just why I kept teasing his wife about blue and silver flowers.

"That's a lovely gift, considering what izelles represent," Ethlyn added, with a smile so bright you almost couldn't see the discomfort. Given she and Lady Edain both gossiped frequently, they probably knew the rumors surrounding Sigurd, Deirdre, and me all too well. "They represent 'hope', 'miracles', and 'rebirth'." Well, wasn't I lucky? I'd only gotten them for Deirdre to tease her. "The story for why is a favorite of mine, truthfully."

"Yes, I remember reading you it so many times I had it memorized when we were younger," Lady Edain teased, her own smile serene. Her very slight apologetic look to me was the only hint that I was right. She too knew the reason why. Perhaps we should just tell Deirdre, but this was supposed to be fun, so all of us quietly decided against it. "But we can go with the short version for now."

"Probably for the best." Ethlyn giggled. "So, Deirdre, one thing to remember is that the Holy War was… bad. Cities were broken, rivers were dammed by the dead, and the streets were flooded with blood. It was brutal and bloody and it took everything the Crusaders had to win against Loptuous. Or… was it Loptyr?" She frowned, looking at Lady Edain. While she did, Deirdre shot me a strained smile and I gave her a reassuring one in return. "Edain, help me remember!"

"The god was dubbed 'Loptous', while their church and empire were Loptr." Lady Edain sipped her tea to quiet a laugh. "There are some records that call their god 'Loptr' or 'Loptyr', though. Mistranslations from old ciphers, if I remember Andrey's rants correctly. You know how he is about code-breaking."

"Yes, yes, and it makes everything so confusing, but I can complain about that another time. The point I was trying to make was just how ravaged Jugdral was by it. The Velthomer region in particular was absolutely devastated, poisoned and corrupted as it was by dark magic. Though Fjalar worked tirelessly to rebuild and rejuvenate the land, there was a distinct fear nothing would ever grow again, and it was a fear which grew with every passing month." Altena started squirming, bored now, but Ethlyn held her hands and 'danced' with her in her lap to get her to settle down again. "Even Fjalar, known for her stubborn determination, was on the edge of giving up."

"Think of it as Alicia giving up on a patient." Why was I being drawn into the account now? The worst part was how Deirdre immediately nodded in understanding. "However, just as she was about to admit defeat, her husband, Magni, gave her a single, blue izelle." Blue izelles bloomed much later in the year, and thrived even in the coldest of weather. In truth, they were why the region was known for its 'year-round' flowers. As such, they were the perfect flower for this tale. "Now, Deirdre, what's unique about izelle flowers is that for some reason, they only grow in Velthomer. They simply do not grow anywhere outside of Velthomer's lands unless you transplant some of the soil. And, even then, they'll still die quickly." As such, few researched the flower for medicinal benefits. Though I suppose this was not a thought most would have while drinking tea.

"However, in this story, that trait proved key. It only grows in Velthomer soil, the very soil Fjalar was ready to give up on. He had found it while on patrol, one of a small patch blooming, and had picked it to show her that her efforts had borne fruit. As the months passed, more and more izelles blossomed." Thus, we had the initial 'Festival of Flowers'. "With a few years, the entire region was filled with flowers once again. And that's why the izelle flower represents hope."

"What a lovely tale…" Deirdre breathed, smiling. Sadly, though, the smile soon dimmed to a frown of confusion. "But why would they call me that, though?" It seemed the story didn't distract her enough.

"Er… well…" Ethlyn stammered, glancing awkwardly at me. I could only close my eyes and sip my tea. I ignored gossip for many reasons, and this annoyance was one of them. "H-how do any of us gain epithets? Maybe they call you that because in their eyes, it's a miracle Sigurd married such a beautiful lady!"

"Ethlyn!" Though it was the most unbelievable of explanations, Deirdre blushed a deep red at it, so it clearly worked. "You're teasing me."

"A little. But it's mostly true. I really never thought I'd ever see Sigurd married. Not to mention how happy he is." Ethlyn beamed at her. "He's practically a changed man! I couldn't be more grateful to you for bringing him that happiness." Yet if Deirdre blushed any redder, she might just faint, so Ethlyn shifted the subject. "But now that he's married, we simply must focus on Edain and Midir." She spoke lightly, her words dancing on hidden laughter, but poor Lady Edain nearly spat out her tea in surprise. "What? We should!"

"I'm quite curious, truthfully." Deirdre clapped her hands together in delight, pleased by both the topic and no longer being the focus on teasing. Meanwhile, Lady Edain's face was rapidly resembling an apple with how red it was, and threatened to rival Deirdre's own blush. "I remember Shannan delivering the most adorable of reports to Alicia."

"R-reports?!" Lady Edain blurted, now red to the roots of her hair. Ethlyn leaned back in her chair to laugh, while Deirdre covered her mouth sheepishly. After a moment, Altena started laughing too, happy at whatever made her mother happy. "What do you mean reports?!"

"Ayra was teaching Shannan how to be sneaky, and spies must make reports," I answered calmly, sipping my tea. It was a very nice blend; I should ask what it was later. "I took the role."

"Wait, she was using him to spy on us?!"

"You're only just now figuring this out?" I couldn't help but smile. "They were rather interesting. I'm thinking of bribing Duke Ring with them."

"Don't you d... wait, what do you mean 'bribe'?" Lady Edain frowned, focusing on the potential change in subject. "What do you need from my father that you can't get from me?"

"Information."

"There are other ways to bribe him for that."

"True, but this will be much funnier," Ethlyn joked, barely calming her laughter enough to speak. Lady Edain scowled at her. "However, in the interest of being fair, I must also ask about what information you want enough to bribe him for."

"Hmm... ah..." I hesitated, but there was nothing to hide. It was just… a little awkward. "Truthfully, I have... been considering making Prince Kurth some tea," I whispered, fussing with the handle of my teacup. The other three focused completely on me. Altena tried to take advantage to squirm off her mother's lap, but Ethlyn held her firmly. "However, I don't know what he likes."

"Oh, so you're bribing him for that." Ethlyn smiled. "He'd be happy to tell you even without bribery, you know. Ring, I mean."

"Sigurd said the same, but..."

"But it still would be hilarious, so you should definitely tell him anyway." Ethlyn's smile turned to a smirk and Lady Edain scowled at her once again. "If you don't want her to do so, then provide your own compensation! He's the only one you lose your cool about, after all, and it's funny every time!"

"Personally, I think it would be much more fun teasing Deirdre about newlywed life," Lady Edain replied with far more dignity than necessary. Still, it sparked more laughter from Ethlyn, and I had to muffle my own when Deirdre started blushing. "Oh my, does it suit you, Deirdre?"

"W-we are not discussing this!" Deirdre protested, her blush darkening. Her eyes widened when both Ethlyn and Lady Edain smirked at her. "This is not an appropriate tea topic!"

"Of course it is! Where else are we going to gossip about scandalous things?"

"That is..."

"If this is going to be the discussion, I fear I will have to leave since I will not be able to contribute nor do I have an interest in the answer," I informed them, more to save Deirdre than anything. Deirdre shot me a grateful look, while Ethlyn pouted and Lady Edain seemed surprised. "What is it? Is it so surprising I don't wish to know how good or poor Sigurd is in bed?"

"When you put it that way, no, it's not," Lady Edain sighed, making a face now. "So, instead, I suppose we can talk about crushes and infatuations?"

"I fear I still cannot contribute, and it will quickly turn into Ethlyn and Deirdre gushing about their husbands, while you shyly mention your knight."

"He's not... I mean..." She shook her head. Meanwhile, Deirdre and Ethlyn both got the oddest look on their faces. "So, you've never had a crush, Alicia?"

"No, I have not." I thought about how to continue, and remembered something from before the attack on Yngvi. Perhaps this was improper, but… "I can, however, share some tales of lovesick fools who were so terribly sorrowful over their 'pink angel' marrying her brother's best friend."

"Oh, now this I have to hear!" Lady Edain immediately burst into laughter and Ethlyn stared at me incredulously, catching my implications immediately. Altena promptly used the distraction to wriggle out of her mother's lap and onto the table, but Deirdre quickly picked her up and set her on her own lap to keep her from hurting herself. "Please, do tell!"

So our teatime gossip focused primarily on some of the more ridiculous injuries Lady Edain, Ethlyn, and I had to treat. While Deirdre couldn't speak of her own experiences, she did share some fun tales of her own silly injuries, and those she witnessed in the past. All in all, it was a surprisingly fun afternoon, considering we would be marching to war again soon. I hoped… I hoped we'd have one again, once Nordion was safe.

Azelle

Class: Mage

Skills: Pursuit

Holy Blood: Fjalar Minor

Age when joining the army: Eighteen

The younger brother of Duke Arvis of Velthomer, he was born after his father's unfortunate suicide and was primarily raised by his brother and his mother, Sif. Naturally quiet as a child, his shyness and anxiety only worsened due to inheriting his father's tainted legacy and enduring the court's distaste of both his illegitimacy and being the son of a commoner maid. This has led to an abysmal self-esteem, despite his numerous talents.

His Mark is located on his left hand, appearing as a double-stemmed flower wrapping around his wrist and resting on the top of his hand. Due to inheriting the blessings of Salamander of Flames, he is very proficient and powerful with magic, particularly fire magic. Unlike his sister, he has the ability to conjure flames at will and he is always researching the limits of his abilities.

Because of his quiet nature, and living in his brother's shadow, most are unaware he is an avid researcher, inheriting the same keen intellect as his siblings. He is able to rattle off magical theory with ease, and he delights in nothing more than learning a new thing about the world. However, only his closest friends, Lex and Tailtiu, are aware of this, despite their earnest efforts to get him to publish his theories.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9) Target

Nordion was under siege by its own countrymen. It's almost inconceivable, but disbelief did not make the words any less true. They asked us for aid, banking on Sigurd's long friendship with Eldigan, and they would have it. Before long, we had permission, supplies, and soldiers. Nothing would stop us, because there was only one choice we could live with.

They really did a good job manipulating us.

This was too early an hour for most in the army. Almost everyone I passed was yawning or staring groggily into space. I was glad I decided to wake up earlier than usual to make a large batch of energy-boost tea for everyone and, more importantly, find enough cups so everyone in the first wave could have some. Though it was embarrassing explaining to the kitchen staff what I was doing in their kitchens so early in the morning.

"Now, Lex, I don't know if their soldiers have archers, but if you're hit by an arrow, you are not allowed to pull them out," I told him, helping to adjust his cloak. He stared back sleepily and downed the tea I'd given him in one gulp. "That's not an answer."

"I'll make sure to remind him," Azelle reassured, smiling gently. It was not enough to hide how he swayed with his own tiredness. "I promise."

"Thank you. And I'd like it if you were careful with this amplification you all plan. Don't bleed more than you have to, please."

"I have it all calculated and Ethlyn will be nearby just in case."

"Good."

"Ugh... why are we even marching at this hour..." Lex grumbled then, coherent enough to speak. Azelle blinked a few times in surprise. "The sun isn't up yet, so why are we?"

"You're actually talking? A mere hour after waking up?" Azelle asked, still staring. He then looked to his own cup of tea. "What sort of alchemical miracle is this?"

"Whatever it is, I think we can both agree to never, ever let Tailtiu have any." Lex yawned loudly and rubbed at his eyes. "Ugh… anyway, I'll make the promise myself. No matter how annoying the arrows are, I won't pull them out without healer supervision."

"You shouldn't pull them out at all without training," I scolded, shaking my head. Lex made a face, and I muffled a laugh. "Regardless, would you like another cup, Lex? I set aside an extra one for you, since I know how hard it is for you to wake."

"Please and thank you."

I'd just given Lex his second cup when a happy and ear-piercing squeal punctured my ear, and I knew even before I turned that the source was Ethlyn. The reason why was obvious. Given that they were marching out to war, Deirdre decided this was a perfect opportunity to give Ethlyn the Light Brand she'd commissioned and, after days of shying away, she finally worked up the last bit of courage this morning. Ethlyn, of course, would've been ecstatic to receive even a pebble from Deirdre, so having a proper magic sword was the pinnacle of happiness and such unbridled joy could only be expressed in squeals, laughter, and spine-popping hugs as Ethlyn demonstrated. Poor Deirdre didn't have any idea how to react and I thought about going over to rescue her. But I didn't get a chance.

"Ow... think that would have woken the dead," Ayra complained, appearing from nowhere. She promptly seized my arm and tugged me in the opposite direction, barely waving goodbye to Lex and Azelle. Azelle looked flustered by the suddenness, but Lex laughed and laughed. "But I'm willing to bet... and wow, look at that, I am correct."

"Ayra, what in the world are you talking about?" I asked, getting my feet back under me now that she'd stopped. Her only response was to point, but that was enough to figure it out. She was pointing at Lady Edain and Sir Midir, the two sharing a quiet farewell away from the crowd. Lady Edain smiled beautifully at him, the palest hint of a blush on her face, and Sir Midir regarded her softly in return. "Ah."

"Yes, not even that squeal could pierce into their little world over there." And I thought it telling the nearby Beige Ritter knights either pointedly looked away or rolled their eyes. It was almost a shame Sir Midir would be gone for so long; this would've been the perfect opportunity to observe. "I wonder if Dew's prank will work."

"Prank?" I was very certain I heard wrong, until her grin proved I very much heard correctly. "Where is he? There should be no pranks this morning!"

"Why not? It'll be fun and break the tension in the air."

"You're as bad as Chulainn sometimes."

"Speaking of him, where is he?"

"Last I saw, he was playing with Shannan." Specifically, he was pretending Shannan's stuffed cat could 'talk' and reassure him. It had been adorable, and I'd originally planned on just stepping a short distance away before returning to watch. "You know how he is."

"You'd never guess he was so good with children. Reminds me of…" She trailed off and abruptly shook her head. "No, never mind."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, it's simply seeing the dead in the living. That's all." Oh, so Chulainn reminded her of someone, then. "Should apologize for yanking you, though. I already said my goodbyes to Azelle, and I didn't think Lex would be awake at this hour. He usually takes forever to wake up."

"I gave him some tea."

"You need to give the recipe to everyone."

"Lord Oifey and Finn have it, actually. It's not hard to make. The herbs are quite common." Father Eirik purposely made all his recipes that way, so he never ran out of stock. "Oh, speaking of Finn..." I looked around the crowd curiously, and found him near the edge. "I'm going to bid him farewell."

"Think I'll snag Shannan and make sure he has a proper goodbye with his favorite storyteller." Still, Ayra frowned. "Will you be alright?"

"Yes?" I tilted my head curiously. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, given your history..."

"Ayra, even if something did happen, which is unlikely, we're surrounded by allies." My tone was dry enough to catch flame and she laughed. "On with you, miss catastrophizing."

Ayra kept laughing even as she departed, slipping through the crowd with ease. Shaking my head, I made my own way towards the edge, and Finn. As I got closer, I noticed the pensive look on his face as he cradled an unusually shaped lance in his arms. I recognized it as the one Quan had commissioned for Finn's sixteenth birthday, but as far as I was aware, this would be his first time wielding it. Logically, I was certain it was a good weight for him, but staring at him right now, he looked so small, like the lance, or perhaps the expectations which came with it, might crush him.

"Well, there's one of my sweet pupils," I teased, keeping my voice as light as possible. Finn still jumped at the sound. "Ah, my apologies. I did not mean to startle you."

"N-no, it's fine..." Finn mumbled, smiling apologetically. I noticed, with a small bit of pride, that the cape he wore was the one I'd made him. "I was lost in thought."

"So I see." Without thinking, I reached up and adjusted his collar. "The cape looks good on you. I'm glad it fits, even if I'm surprised you're wearing it today."

"Well, you made it." Finn, I'd been working on the measurements Ethlyn snuck to me. "It gives me a bit more courage." Wait, no, he'd been replying to the second part of what I'd said. "Um… I did mean to ask. Did Lady Ethlyn tell you the tradition behind…?"

"I was told they were usually made by families." I kept the calm smile, despite feeling a little awkward now. "I hope you didn't mind they were made by me."

"N-no, I don't. I was really happy, actually." He ducked his head shyly, a faint blush on his face. "I… it's probably very forward of me, but… I do think of you as an older sister… as well as my mentor…"

"Oh?" I had… I had no words for the happiness that filled me then. None. So, all I could do was give him my best smile. "Then it seems I have another adorable little brother. Aren't I lucky?" Finn smiled back then, a bright smile of his own. "Now, as your fretting older sister, I do ask you to be careful, all right?"

"I promise to do my best."

"I'll take that." I muffled a laugh, and reached up to pat his head. "Now, will you be well? Is there something wrong with the lance?"

"Oh, no, it's fine. It is..." He looked at it again, his smile fading for the pensive frown once more. "I am merely thinking of what Lord Quan said when he gave it to me." He fell silent, and I waited for him to find his words. "I still don't know why he fought for me, you know. I was just a normal kid, becoming a soldier for the pay. I wouldn't say my life was hard in the church, but it was difficult at times for them to make ends meet. So, I left as soon as I could and went with the most steady option. The army is always recruiting. Then, one day after training, Lord Quan suddenly approached me and asked if I wanted to be a knight."

"You had never spoken before then?"

"No. I'd only seen him once or twice, maybe. Heard a lot of rumors, of course. They called him fierce, pragmatic, loyal... the darkest I ever heard was those calling him 'strange' and 'picked up bad habits from foreigners'." I recalled hearing Leonster was very closed-off from the rest of Jugdral, utterly devoted to their duty of protecting the Munster District. "But he asked, and without thinking about it, I agreed. From my perspective, it was the same job with more pay, so why wouldn't I? And now..." He adjusted his grip on the lance to hold it up and let the blade catch the dawning sun. "Now, I'm loyal for other reasons. I adore his vision of Leonster's future, admire his ideals. But even now, I do not know why he made that offer. I don't know why he calls me Leonster's most promising squire. From my perspective, I'm still very ordinary."

"I suppose asking would be awkward, wouldn't it?" Now, how best to respond? "I can't speak for him, of course. But I can speak for myself, and I know you are sincere, earnest, and you are always seeking new things to learn."

"That..." He blushed immediately, as he usually did when praised. "You tease me."

"No, I am perfectly honest." I thought of something he said in the past, about how Quan encouraged Finn to broaden his horizons. Perhaps he thought Finn the 'most promising' because he learned new perspectives. Perhaps he hoped Finn would breathe new life into their fight, and he would never bear witness to the slaughter which haunted him even now. Perhaps it was something else entirely. "Regardless, I wouldn't focus too much on it, Finn. While it may not make sense to you, I'm certain it does to him. So, keep doing what you always do, and remember your promise."

"I will try?" His eyes darted to the side, looking for a distraction. To his visible relief, he found someone quickly. "Oifey, over here."

"Ah, Finn, there you... oh, Lady Alicia, I didn't see you." Lord Oifey joined us, leading his horse so it stood next to Finn's. "Strange, Chulainn is not with you?" he asked, looking around. "Darn, I'd hoped to bid him farewell."

"Last I saw, he was reassuring Shannan," I explained, smiling faintly. Lord Oifey visibly drooped at the words. "He's very…"

"This brings back bad memories, and it'll be worse because he's the only one of us in the 'third wave'." Indeed, he was and, unfortunately, the only one he knew would be Sir Arden. Dew would be leaving with Deirdre and me. "But we'll be fine."

"That doesn't mean we will not fret, especially when you all only have one healer." Ethlyn was the only one trained in healing magic who could also ride.

"But I'll be able to help!" Lord Oifey puffed out his chest in pride. Finn ducked his head to hide his smile, and I barely bit back my laugh. "I won't be fighting, so I can remain on hand with the medical kits."

"This is true, and knowing you, you will have your notes close at hand." Movement caught my eye and I turned slightly to see Quan approaching us. There was more movement in the crowd as well. Had something happened?

"I bound them into a book and have everything labeled and marked to make it easier to find things." He caught sight of Quan as well, and nodded in greeting. "Are we ready to depart, Prince Quan?"

"Just about," Quan confirmed softly. A terribly cold feeling twisted in my stomach at the words, but I made sure to not show my unease on my face. "Heard you boasting about your kit. Which one did you grab? Ethlyn prepared two types."

"I have the one that passes even your lofty standards, Prince Quan," Lord Oifey answered, somehow both sincere and sarcastic. I didn't know how. "The one with antidotes, everything needed for stitching wounds, and other things not part of the standard. Which I expanded with some medicines Lady Alicia taught us, just in case."

"Extras?"

"Mostly antidotes for the few poisons the broad-spectrum antidote doesn't neutralize, and a couple of different types of bruise balms. Finn insisted we bring them, just in case."

"Oh? Well, sounds like you've been studious students." Quan grinned, and both Finn and Lord Oifey blushed. "But, as I said, we're about to leave, so you'd better start meandering out of the crowd and do your last checks." Both bowed and went to do just that, talking quietly among themselves. "In about three hours, they'll realize how rude it was to walk away and panic."

"Now, now, they gave me their farewells already," I chided, muffling a laugh. Quan didn't bother hiding his. "Well, Finn did. Lord Oifey gave me enough of one by my standards." Though, I didn't exactly have 'standards'. I was still so used to Arvis, who left quickly so he was not tempted to linger.

"I'll be sure to tell them when they inevitably freak out." He sounded so amused by the idea. "I've never been one for long goodbyes, so take care and travel safely. With luck, we'll have everything settled before you all arrive."

"That would be nice, since I could tend to the wounded immediately. But if I learn you all took purposely reckless tactics, I may scold you." It was simultaneously serious yet an attempt at a joke. Quan laughed anyway, and turned away to join Finn and Oifey. Their leaving reminded me of poor Shannan and... "Ah, but do you still have a moment?" He turned back, expression curious. "I... forgive me, but it seems like Shannan does better during stressful situations when he's given a task."

"I can see that. It helps him feel 'in control'." He nodded a few times, eyes sharp. "Why bring it up?"

"It was a random thought, but…" This felt awkward. No, it was awkward. "Altena will be in the third wave, yes?"

"Indeed. There's no way to see her safely to Leonster, and leaving her in Evans will only make me nervous. Why… oh." He snapped his fingers. I remembered Ethlyn did the same once before, and wondered if it was a shared habit of theirs. "Of course. I can ask if he'll keep an eye on Altena for Ethlyn and me."

"If you do not mind, I was thinking the same."

"I certainly don't. He's mature enough to know what she's allowed to do, and Altena is comfortable around him. Plus, he knows to grab an adult if he fears something is wrong." He smiled kindly. "I'll snag Ethlyn and we'll ask him together."

"Thank you." I smiled back, relieved. "Ah, but pretend it was your idea."

"Of course. I merely got the brilliant idea spontaneously while chatting with you about how mature Shannan is." He grinned, and I muffled a laugh. "Ah, before I forget, have you said goodbye to Sigurd?"

"No, I haven't yet." I looked about the crowd, seeing the energy build. The order to ride was spreading. "I'd best find him, shouldn't I?"

"Please do. I don't want to deal with his sulking, and he will. He sulked for hours once when Ethlyn couldn't see him off."

"Surely he would not sulk so long for me?" It seemed absurd, but Quan's very tired, even exasperated, face hinted it was not. "However, I shall take your warning to heart and go. Safe travels, Quan. Please do not do anything which would make Ethlyn cry."

"Me? I would never!"

"So, if I told her-"

"Never, ever." He playfully sulked and I muffled a laugh. "Until we meet in Nordion, Alicia."

"Yes, I will see you then."

He walked away, laughing under his breath, and I had to work on quieting my own as I meandered through the bustling crowd. Thankfully, I ran into Sir Naoise fairly quickly and, after exchanging our own goodbyes, he pointed me to where Sigurd was still in the middle of everything, saying goodbye to Deirdre. Though, if I had to be specific, I would say he was in the middle of an attempted murder by embarrassment with his goodbye kiss. If she went any redder, I was certain she'd faint.

"Sigurd, can you please not almost kill your wife before you ride off?" I jested as soon as I got close. Deirdre immediately ducked behind me to hide and regain her composure, while Sigurd grinned, completely unrepentant. "Quan said you all will be leaving soon."

"Yes, we'll need every shred of daylight, and probably all of the moonlight," Sigurd confirmed, his grin fading. He looked down the road, towards Nordion. There had been no second message; we could only hope that was a good thing. "It'll be a rough ride."

"Please don't be overly reckless. I'd rather not learn how poor of a patient you are."

"Hey, I listen to healers! Mostly." He grinned once more, and, surprisingly, reached over to hug me. I stiffened in response, but did awkwardly return it. At least, I assumed it was awkward. I was still unused to hugs. The only ones I usually got nowadays were from Shannan. "Also, remember to take breaks."

"Sigurd, we're about to-"

"Alicia." He pulled away slightly to rest his forehead against mine, and his hand on my head. "It's fine if you're just a workaholic, but you don't have to earn a place here, you know. You never have." …Oh. Oh, he remembered… "Yes, you're working as a healer, but you're also a friend. You always have a home here. So, please, remember to take breaks." He remembered what I had said, remembered how incredulous I'd been about being able to 'stay' when he 'did not need a healer'. He remembered what had seemed so obvious to him had not been obvious to me, back then. So now, he was making sure to say it.

"I don't know how to not give everything my all. But it's all right." I gave him the brightest smile I could manage. "I want to do my best for you all, not so you'll let me stay, but because you all are so very dear to me. Still, I'll keep your words in mind and try not protest when everyone suggests a break. I've gotten better about it."

"You have. But the revelation of just how hard you were working during the last campaign makes me worried." He stepped back and patted my head; I made a face at him. "Well, I fear no matter what we do, you'll have a lot of work when we reunite. But let me take you and Deirdre on a walk once things calm. Nordion is beautiful. Almost as beautiful as Chalphy."

"We'll look forward to it." I turned to smile at Deirdre, who looked terribly worried. "Right?"

"Ah, yes!" she blurted, agreeing less because she knew what we were talking about and more because we startled her. It took a few blinks for her mind to catch up. "Yes, we'll take a long walk. The four of us."

"Speaking of four, where's Chulainn?" Sigurd asked, looking around. He then smiled and waved. "Ah, hanging back to give space?" I turned and saw Chulainn was still with Shannan, resting a hand on his head as Shannan clutched his stuffed cat and had one last chat with Lex. Ayra lingered near, saying farewell to Ethlyn. "He knows he doesn't have to do that, right?"

"He's more awkward than you'd think. Besides, he's had his hands full with Shannan and trying to keep an eye on Alicia as everyone pulled her this way and that." She giggled and made herself smile. "We'll... we'll see you soon, Sigurd."

"Yes, see you soon."

Sigurd leaned down to kiss Deirdre's cheek and whisper something which made her blush return. Then, without another word or glance back, he led his horse away, mounted up, and called for the soldiers to ride. They cheered, like this was something to look forward to, and soon, all of them were riding off with their gazes fixed ever forward. Those who remained headed inside, to go about their days, but neither Deirdre or I followed them. No, she lingered and I stayed by her side. When I saw her trembling, I took her hand and squeezed it gently to reassure her. She squeezed back harder, like she was afraid I'd disappear if she let go. I didn't mind. I simply stayed with her in silence until even the dust had faded from the horizon. Only then did I turn and tug her with me back into the castle. Now was the time for distractions; we could resume our packing in the morning.

A few days after the cavalry left, the second wave followed. While there was a slight emphasis in speed, for the most part, the going is slow and steady. Every once in a while, we would see signs of the others' passage, but while their journey was hectic, ours was peaceful and quiet. I could only hope it was a good thing. I feared it was the calm before the storm. But those were worries for when we arrived, not now, here in camp. People wandered about here and there to do chores, but I was seated on a stump near the edge, forbidden from any chores. Chulainn, as per usual, was setting up my tent, though today, Dew helped him. He wouldn't even let me attempt, correctly reasoning that if I couldn't get it set up within five minutes, I'd forgo a tent entirely. So, while they worked, I did my usual reading, but I did not read a book today. Instead, I re-read a letter from Prince Kurth, which arrived the day before we marched. As per usual, it came with a gift: a pair of daggers.

'Father wrote me as soon as he gave permission. Of course, I already expected such. As soon as we heard Eldigan had been imprisoned, Byron pleaded to the gods that Sigurd would at least wait for my father. I am glad to hear he showed restraint, for once. Did the Beige Ritter make it to you all safely? I hope so, since I know you all have few soldiers at your command, with the bulk still here in Isaach.

I wanted to gift you something which could help with the days ahead, and Palmer recommended a dagger. 'A healer can always use a good dagger', he said. This confused me, since I knew you chose to never cause harm, and I made the mistake of asking Palmer how it would be useful when you did not fight. He proceeded to give me a three hour lecture on just how essential daggers were for healers.'

I had to bite back a smile at the words, finding them just as amusing now as I did when I first read through. Hearing a sudden noise, I looked up curiously, and saw the noise had just been Dew losing his balance and falling onto his rear. Chulainn kept the support poles from falling on him, and waved off my worried look, so I adjusted my seat on the stump I'd claimed as a 'chair' and returned to my re-reading.

'It might have gone on far longer if I hadn't distracted him by asking just what sort of dagger you would need. He recommended one of two: a smaller one for simple incisions and a larger one for surgeries. Since I did not know which one you needed more, I bought both. I'm sure you have your own, of course, but I figured new ones would be helpful.

Try to be careful in the coming days. This is the third allied country which has suddenly turned hostile, and I fear the reasons why. Was there some way I could have prevented this, some choice made to turn their hearts, or is there something more insidious hiding in the shadows? I will have much to investigate once the war with Isaach has ended.'

Those last sentences were the reason why I wanted to re-read the letter. He was right; the timing was suspicious. While it was true Jugdral was not as united as it had been during the Crusaders' lifetimes, relations had remained more or less amicable. The Munster District's ongoing war with Thracia was a notable exception, but the only other international fighting had been centered on Verdane and even that had been solved with King Batu's ascension. I could be wrong, knowing as little as I did about history and politics, but my understanding was even when things were tense, issues had been neatly resolved through diplomacy. After all, the Crusaders had been intelligent enough to draw up formal treaties between their nations, instead of relying solely on their close bonds. Internal threats were far more common, and deadly, than external.

But within the space of a year, maybe a little more, no less than three countries had challenged Grannvale. I knew from overhearing Ayra's story that Isaach had been subtly provoked. Though none knew why Ribaut's lord massacred Dahna, it was the subsequent and brutal death of their king that enraged Isaach's people to the point Mariccle believed war was the only way to force their wrath to cool. Meanwhile, in Verdane, Sandima had goaded King Batu into believing Grannvale would attack first and, thus, he sought to preemptively strike. Now, we had Chagall, who turned his greedy gaze towards Verdane and Grannvale so soon after his father's unexpected death. Was it his own arrogance, or had someone led him astray?

But, honestly, that wasn't what made me worry. It was how each of these acts were perceived by Jugdral's people. Only Ayra, Mariccle, and Quan were 'officially' privy to the truth behind Mariccle's declaration; to everyone else, it looked as if Isaach had callously butchered a peaceful town before arrogantly declaring war. While we'd managed to twist the narrative in Verdane's favor, Jugdral still believed its eldest princes had struck Yngvi viciously and unprovoked. And I could already see the stories drawn from Chagall's actions. Imprisoning Eldigan, a lord with a good reputation even outside his country, would not help his cause, or the stories. From how Chulainn talked of gossip, those perceptions could be as deadly as any blade, tearing their reputations to shreds while Grannvale's remained untouched.

Then there was what little tidbits I knew, thanks to knowing Deirdre's secret and being present for King Batu's last words. Was it all a coincidence? Was this simply the fraying relations between our nations snapping due to Grannvale's arrogance? It could be; they say trouble prefers company. But I couldn't help but wonder if Prince Kurth was right and there was a larger conspiracy. We already knew Sandima's plots, but what of his allies? Had they been involved? Was I jumping at shadows, terrified for my best friend, or was there actually something here? I didn't know, and no amount of brooding could untangle the knots in my head.

"Alicia?" Ayra's very unexpected voice made me jump and I nearly fell right off my stump-chair. "Whoa, sorry!" she yelped, steadying me. Chulainn glanced over from the tent, but I waved his concern away. "I don't think I've seen you startle so badly."

"I was very deep in thought," I explained, folding the letter again. I would... I would figure out how to reply later. The worst part was I couldn't speak of this to anyone but Sigurd and Deirdre. I refused to tell her secret to anyone, after all. Now, I could go find her and share my worries now, but last I saw, she had been talking with King Jamke and Lady Edain, and I didn't want to be around King Jamke anymore than I had to. Childish, I knew, but I didn't. "Did you need something?"

"No, I just finished pitching my tent and came over to see how things were here." She looked down at the two daggers in my lap. I'd kept them with the letter, after all. "Those are new."

"They're gifts from Prince Kurth."

"Oh?" She tilted her head. "Did you send the coin back before we left?"

"The coin?" I frowned at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Is that not a thing in Grannvale? In Isaach, it's considered bad luck to be gifted a dagger. It'll 'cut' the bond. So, when you give one to someone, you include a coin with it to receive back. It makes the exchange 'transactional' and, thus, mitigates the bad luck."

"I've never heard of that story." I tried to think if I had heard anything similar, but came up with nothing. I should ask Lex when we reunite. "I'll give something in return for them, though. We should avoid any chance of bad luck."

"I'll help you." She smiled as she gave the offer, so I bit back the 'are you sure?' on my tongue. "Where did you get your first dagger from? I've seen you use it in the infirmaries."

"Father Eirik gave it to me." It had been for my sixteenth birthday, the only gift I ever got from him. "I wouldn't mind if that bond was cut."

"Fair." Laughing softly, she turned her attention to our surroundings, focusing on the mountains. "So, we're in Agustria now. That's what Jamke said, at least." It was a fair guess. It was difficult to say just where each country's 'official' borders were, but the generally held consensus was Agustria lied beyond the mountains. This was our first camp since passing them. "I never thought I'd visit Artemisia's home."

"Artemisia?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, she was Setanta's mother." She smiled softly, and sadly. "I do not know how she ended up in Isaach. No one ever said. But she made no secret of being from Agustria, and frankly, it was obvious she wasn't. Most Isaachians have dark hair and eyes, and there she was with blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Were you fond of her?"

"I adored her. My mother died from complications with childbirth, so she was the only mother I knew." And, then she'd lost her suddenly and brutally. "She told me once that she'd take me to her home when I was older. Me, Mariccle, Setanta, Eigyr, Fiachra... it would've been a fun little trip. Then she died. She, Setanta, Eigyr, and Fiachra."

"Who are the last two?"

"Oh, Setanta's siblings. Eigyr was six when she died. Fiachra was three. They both saw me off with a smile that last day. Sualtam, their father, teased me and Artemisia gave me the biggest hug..." She trailed off, looking back to the mountains. "And now I am here. What a strange turn of events."

"You should tell her."

"At her grave?" A sardonic smile flashed across her face. "You think I'd ever be allowed in Isaach again?"

"Yes." My answer was instant, and she turned back to me in surprise. "Yes, you'll see Isaach again." It was hard to say why I was so certain, but I think it was because I… I believed and trusted Prince Kurth's words. No matter how the war ended, he would fight for Isaach to remain independent. He would fight for Ayra and Shannan to return home. And even if he didn't, I would. "And when that happens, I'll come visit. You can show me your home, and Sophara."

"Isaach Castle is one of the oldest in Jugdral, and Sophara is a work of art thanks to the quarries in the mountains. We'd have to pass through Ribaut to get there, but it… well, I don't know its condition now, but it was pretty while my sister lived. Oh, but you'd need to see Gaineishire to the far north. Isaach may be surrounded by water, but most of it is situated on cliffs. Only in Ganeishire can you walk to the beach, and it's so beautiful. Setanta and I once stayed out all night collecting seashells. Scared our parents silly." As she talked, a beautiful light filled her face and eyes. The love she had for her homeland was plain to see. "Yes, I'll show you all of it, one day. I think you'll like it."

"I'll look forward to it." A happy little shout caught my ear and I turned my attention back to Chulainn, Dew, and the tent now standing proudly with the others. "Oh my, have you finished?"

"Yes, we did!" Dew declared, rushing over now that they were done. For some reason, though, he stopped in front of me and fidgeted with his hands and sleeves. I wondered why for a moment, but when I caught him glancing at my hand, I took a guess and reached out to pat him on the head. He immediately grinned. "Chulainn's doing one last check of the support poles. Don't want it coming down on you while you sleep."

"She sleeps?" Ayra joked, rolling her eyes. I could only shake my head; she wouldn't let the all-nighters go. "I could've sworn she was still up when most of us went to bed last night."

"Oh, that's my fault. I wanted more lessons." Indeed, he did, though truthfully, he didn't need them for reading and writing anymore. But I was still glad to teach and help him, so I rarely pointed it out. "I grabbed one of her medical books by accident and I think she had to define half of the words for me."

"The one he grabbed used many, many technical terms," I explained, standing up and brushing the dirt off my skirt. My daggers almost fell because I'd forgotten they were on my lap, but Dew caught them. "Thank you."

"You should wear them on a belt or something," Dew noted, handing them back. I had to fight to keep from grimacing at the thought. "I know you don't hurt people unless it's needed to heal them, but given how randomly we're always attacked, who knows when you'll need to cut something out of someone?" Now that... that was a fair point, and I could not argue with it. "At least wear the one you'll use for arrows. That's what we'll most likely be hit with, right?"

"It pains me how correct you are." I sighed, but nodded. "Very well, I'll wear the one. The other will go into my medicine bag."

"Though, it would be good for you to learn how to use the dagger in non-medical settings," Ayra suggested, just as I knew she would. I could almost sigh at it, but held back. To my surprise, though, Dew actually reached over and pinched Ayra's arm. "Ow…! What was that for?"

"It's not nice to force someone to do something they don't want to do," Dew replied, calmly and sincerely. It took me too long to realize the pinch had been in retaliation for her comment. "That's why Chulainn tailors his lessons for us."

"I'm not forcing. I just said it would be a good idea." Yes, but I couldn't… "She should still get running lessons." That wasn't going to happen. I hated running.

"If she did, then won't we have people panicking because she only runs when there's danger?" Dew turned as Chulainn finally joined us, grinning. "What do you think? I know you've been listening."

"I think if she adds lessons, she'll lose what little free time she has," Chulainn answered, shrugging. Trust him to give a practical reason for it. "The only other option would be to cut into the time she spends studying medicines, and we all know she would never."

"True, it's been enough of a fight to get her to take what breaks she does," Ayra sighed, conceding. I had the strangest urge to sulk at them, and I didn't know why. "Anyway, speaking of breaks, Chulainn, why don't you take one for once? I can watch Alicia." Maybe it was because I suddenly felt like I was being treated like a toddler. "Go have some fun."

"You're stealing my fun, though." Chulainn's reply was quick and easy. "It's fun, watching her."

"Other fun, then. Before she gets tired of you."

"I could never tire of him?" I protested, frowning in confusion. Ayra blinked a few times at the answer, and Dew started snickering. "With that said, Chulainn, if you need to rest, just tell me. I'll be fine for a few hours." He opened his mouth to respond, but his eyes flicked to the side, so I turned and saw Deirdre approaching us. "Oh, hello, Deirdre."

"Hello! I overheard something about Chulainn and rest, so I'm assuming we're trying to get him to take a break?" Deirdre asked with a laugh. I glanced around curiously and saw Lady Edain and King Jamke weren't with her. Were they still talking? "I'll add my voice to the choir. We don't know when you'll be able to take a break once we arrive, so it's better to do so now."

"You all are very persistent," Chulainn sighed, shaking his head. There was something amusing... yet not... at how quickly he folded at Deirdre's insistence. It was an odd feeling. "Fine, I suppose. There was a pretty wolf watching us earlier." There was a what? "I could go find her."

"Oh, with the brown and gray coat?" Ayra gasped, her entire face lighting up with a smile. Deirdre and I exchanged a confused look, not certain if we heard correctly. "I caught sight of her as we passed. Such a beauty, and her fur looked so soft..." Why were we talking about fur? "Do you think she's still near? It's been a while since I petted a wolf."

"Possibly." He shrugged like this was a normal conversation. "Wouldn't hurt to look."

"I'm sorry, but are you two plotting on tracking down a wild animal to pet?" I asked, a little incredulous. Ayra smiled sheepishly in answer; Chulainn smiled boyishly. "I swear; if the two of you end up with your fingers bitten off..."

"So, off to pet an animal, then?" Dew mused, tilting his head curiously and cutting me off before I had to think of a credible threat. He swayed his weight from foot to foot before turning to Chulainn. "Hey, what do you like?"

"That's an odd question," Chulainn responded, his smile sadly fading. I liked those few times he smiled. "Why?"

"Well, it's just... I know you like animals and I know you like Alicia." ...Why did that phrase make my stomach twist? "But that's all I know. So, what else? Maybe something that doesn't make Alicia mad about potential injury?"

Chulainn was silent for a very long moment before giving an answer. "Heights, I suppose?"

"Oh, did you used to climb into trees to read without anyone disturbing you?" Deirdre asked, laughing at the thought. "I used to do that. Though, in my case, it was because I didn't want to hear more lectures."

"No, I think I used it to win hide and seek," Chulainn answered slowly. It was like he was trying to remember as he talked. "Might have done it for the quiet."

"You think?"

"It's been a while. I've been fighting since I was Shannan's age." The admission was simple, and blunt as always. But it made Ayra stiffen, and me, sad. Dew seemed surprised, but in a 'oh, so is he like me?' way, which made me sadder.

"Then you have to rediscover your likes." Deirdre, however, accepted it with a smile, and clasped her hands behind her back. "So… um… do you know how to read?"

"Yes. It's a useful ability for a mercenary, so you can find the loopholes in contracts."

"Do you remember what sort of stories you liked reading?"

"..." Chulainn frowned, knowing he was being led, but not knowing where. "I think adventure stories? Grand tales… the normal sort of story which captures a child's attention long enough to sit still and read."

"Then I'll lend you my favorite!" Somehow, I was unsurprised by the suggestion. "I brought it with me, and I think it's similar to those sorts of stories." She giggled; Chulainn blinked slowly. "One of the protagonists shares Alicia's name, just a warning, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Oh, but don't read it improperly like Alicia did."

"Improperly?"

"She's still mad I skipped to the end to see who lived and who died," I sighed, shaking my head. Deirdre playfully sulked at the reminder, while Chulainn looked both exasperated and incredulous. "I don't see the problem. It's no different from reading it a second time."

"That's not the point!" Deirdre protested, still sulking. Ayra and Dew were watching us like we were insane, but in different ways. Ayra looked worried; Dew looked like he wanted to find snacks while enjoying the 'show'. "You're supposed to read it a second time for the foreshadowing you missed!"

"I'm certain I still missed a lot despite skipping ahead, Deirdre."

"Again, not the point!"

"I suppose I can read the book later," Chulainn finally answered, looking a little disgruntled. The fact that he was already moving away hinted he was agreeing less because he wanted to, and more because he didn't want to refuse her. "For now, I'm finding that wolf. Ayra, you coming?" Ayra opened her mouth to agree, but then she glanced at me.

"I can watch Alicia!" Deirdre chirped, giggling. I rapidly debated whether to feel offended or not. Did they think I was two? "Go on!" And Ayra needed no more encouragement. With a look of gleeful excitement that so resembled Shannan's own, she chased after Chulainn as they went wolf-hunting. "Aw, I love it when she smiles like that. It looks like Shannan's!"

"That it does, though I do still worry about them losing their fingers," I sighed, watching them leave. When they were out of sight, I glanced at the nearby woods, remembering what my books said. "You know… since we're in Agustria at last, I should do some foraging."

"Always with the work…" Deirdre immediately sulked, well aware her frowning face could make me yield to just about any demand. I needed to think of a counter quickly. "Why not simply pick some flowers?"

"You can do that. I'm sure we can find some silver and blue ones somewhere around here."

"Alicia!" Deirdre turned bright red, as she usually did. Dew, still near, made a curious noise. "N-nothing! It's nothing, Dew!"

"Yes, I'm just going foraging and she's picking flowers." I offered him my hand with a soft smile. "Would you like to join us?" Dew hesitated before shyly taking it. "Then, let's go."

It didn't take long for us to find baskets, and took even less time to post word of our departure. From there, we meandered into the woods, with Dew leading us to a small meadow he'd seen while helping the scouts earlier. It proved to be the perfect spot, with enough flowers to make Deirdre giddy and enough medicinal herbs to make me smile. In fact, there were so many of both I half-wished we'd grabbed extra baskets! However, as could be expected for this group, we were not left to peacefully forage for long. We'd been there for maybe five minutes before Lady Edain and King Jamke found us.

"What are you all doing?" Lady Edain asked, as soon as she stepped into the clearing. I marveled at how much she sounded like the mothers I'd heard scolding their children in the markets. "You should be resting! It's been a long day!"

"It's just foraging, Lady Edain," I quietly protested, holding up my basket for emphasis. Then I pointed to where Deirdre and Dew were sitting among the flowers. "They're picking flowers." Well, they had been, but now, Deirdre was teaching Dew how to make flower crowns. "It's no more effort than my studying, truly." However, I knew such arguments would never work, so I immediately turned my attention to King Jamke. "I can guess why she followed us out here. Are you her escort?"

"No, truthfully, I was looking for the one bit of sense in our group," King Jamke replied, sounding strangely exasperated. It was almost as strange as him thinking there was 'one bit of sense' anywhere near here. Perhaps he was referring to Dew? "Because for some reason, Chulainn and Ayra are petting a wolf like it's a dog and, more bizarrely, it's letting them."

"That's normal." I kept my voice as light and even as I could. King Jamke raised a brow. "For Chulainn, it's normal. I don't understand it either."

"And it's the one without Holy Blood causing the weirdness, not Ayra." He sighed. "If it was her, it could make some sense. I know enough stories to know Od was blessed by Tiamat of Beasts. But..."

"He likes animals."

"That doesn't mean they like people back. Particularly when they're wild."

"Wait, I thought you were joking when you originally told me that," Lady Edain cut in, her eyes wide. "Is that even safe? What about diseases? Bites?"

"I think the most danger the two were in was the fur flying everywhere," King Jamke deadpanned, looking very unamused. I subtly stepped back and went back to my foraging. "Seriously, I think there was more fur than wolf."

"Just because it's playing nice now doesn't mean it will in the future!"

"It's fine. Surely, some of your ridiculous luck will wear off on the rest of us."

"I'm not sure it works that way. Mostly because that seems a little too predictable for my luck." Lady Edain paused and whirled to face me. "And you're back to work!"

"Oh, so she is. What a surprise."

"Jamke, you're not helping." She scowled, and I bit back a sigh. "Alicia, you really should-"

"Edain, here!" Dew suddenly chirped, rushing over with a completed flower crown in hand. He proudly held it out to her, smiling shyly. Deirdre, meanwhile, slipped to my side with a grin, barely muffling her giggles. "Um... for you? It's not as helpful as the Warp staff, but..."

"Oh, Dew, it's wonderful!" Lady Edain gasped, thoroughly distracted. She immediately knelt down so Dew could place it on her head. "I love it! Thank you so much!"

"It's not itchy or sticking you, is it? Deirdre said it was fine, but I've never made one before, so..."

"It's perfect. Absolutely perfect."

Deirdre and I glanced at each other then and walked away to continue foraging and picking flowers. King Jamke caught our departure, but only waved as he watched Lady Edain praise Dew and Dew preen under her attention. He'd let us go for now, and follow if we remained out too late. That was just how he was.

"He was saying he'd feel weird wearing one he made himself, so I suggested Edain," she explained, not bothering to hide her giggling now. I had to hold her up to keep her from collapsing. "I thought it would make a good distraction. We'll need to thank Dew later."

"Ah, so that's why it was such good timing," I murmured, muffling my own laugh. The best and worst part was how Dew likely didn't know the reason why Deirdre suggested it. "I'm sure he would've thought of it anyway."

"Probably. But we'll still thank him."

"Indeed, we will." I thought about discussing my earlier worries, now that we were alone, but I decided against it. I didn't want to dampen her smile. "Let's see what is in this patch."

Deirdre and I spent an hour or so foraging and picking flowers before returning to camp. Later, I'd take a break to help Deirdre press the flowers she wanted to keep. For now, I wanted fresh herbs, just in case. The herbs around Nordion were particularly useful for bruises and cuts, and I knew I'd need every leaf and root I could find.

A few days later, we made camp early. Why? We found the first signs of battle. It wasn't much, simply churned mud and two corpses rotting in the bushes. According to Lady Edain, they wore Heirhein's colors. So, right now, the others were discussing our next course of action, since it was clear we were now in 'hostile territory'. Some might think I should be with them, as the chief healer, but I knew nothing of battle, so Lady Edain was a much better representative for a healer's perspective. She had trained as a knight before suddenly switching vocations after coming of age. She knew more than me.

What I should have been doing was making medicines. I should have been checking inventory. I should have been studying. I should have been doing a large number of things, but I wasn't. No, instead, I was at the edge of the dense woods, staring at the rotting bodies. They were bloated and twisted, with maggots wriggling through. Their skin was torn and mangled in places, where the carrion had dug inside for meat and marrow. They likely would've been even worse if not for the armor holding them together. The smell made that all too clear.

"Your tent is set up," Chulainn whispered behind me. He'd seen me staring and left me to it, sensing I did not want to talk. "Surprised they took the time to hide them. Since they weren't planning on an ambush, most would've left them where they fell."

"Is that so?" I murmured, studying the two. They seemed so... young. I couldn't be certain, of course, thanks to the rot. But one's face was mostly intact, thanks to the helmet they wore, and they looked barely older than Dew. "Why would they be out here?"

"Scouts, stationed here to keep an eye out for reinforcements. You'd have to kill them quickly and prevent the message, since it's best for reinforcements to take enemies by surprise. A disorderly force falls more quickly."

"I see." Then, after killing them, they would've been on an even stricter time limit. Even I could figure it out. So, there would have been no time, not unless they wanted to risk their own. I could understand this. I... I could. Yet, at the same time, I found I couldn't accept it.

So, I walked over and started digging. It had to be the most ridiculous thing in the world, to try and bury them. But at the same time, I could not turn away and leave them to rot.

"What are you...?" Chulainn asked, sounding startled. I didn't answer, since I thought it obvious. "That... why?"

"Because I want to," I answered, since there was no other response. I had no illusions about this. This was purely selfish, a thing I could not accept. They were too dead to care, and I doubted their spirits would ever know. I highly doubted the gods would somehow 'reward' me for the action. But simply turning away felt too terrible. "Everyone deserves a little dignity in death." Even someone as wretched and monstrous as my father had been given a burial. Even someone as manipulating and vindictive as Sandima had been buried, or so King Jamke claimed. So, these two young boys, who had simply followed orders and been in the wrong place, deserved it too.

Chulainn was silent for a very long moment before replying. "You're hurting your hands." He knelt down and caught mine, and I could see what he mean. I'd managed to cut myself on a hidden rock already, to say nothing of the dirt now embedded under my nails. "There's a shovel in the supplies. I'll get it."

"I can-"

"Stay here. I know where it is, so I'll be right back."

"Very well."

Chulainn was back in a blink, shovel in hand. I tried to take it from him, but he shook his head and started digging in my place. Knowing it was pointless to try and argue, I looked for things to help cover the bodies, since I knew this would be shallow. It would have to be. We didn't have the time to dig 'proper' graves. But they were deep enough for the bodies to rest comfortably, and it did not take much effort on my part to drag the corpses into them. Chulainn tried to do it for me, but I waved him away. This was my selfishness, so I should at least do this much. Though, I did manage to gouge my palm on the second one's broken armor; I didn't realize it was sharp. But it wasn't bad enough to stop, so I continued my task. Before long, both were buried in shallow graves, marked only with larger rocks I found nearby. It wasn't as if I knew their names. There hadn't been any personal effects on either corpse.

Once they were buried, there was nothing else to do. Chulainn did one last check of everything, to make sure the dirt and debris were packed tight, and then we left, returning to the camp proper so Chulainn could return the shovel. I kept my bleeding hand close to my chest to keep from leaving a trail, and we kept on the edges to try and avoid people. I didn't want to deal with anyone; I needed a moment to myself to regain my usual calm. So, of course, we ran into someone. Why wouldn't we?

"Ah, Lady Alicia, there you are!" Lady Edain, in fact, was the one who found us. "We finished the meeting, so I wanted to…" she began, trailing off as she studied me. I must have been quite the sight, with dirt still on my skirt and hands, blood seeping through my fingers. I couldn't look her in the eye, and ducked my head when she turned to Chulainn, her focus on the dirty shovel in his hands. "Well, that takes care of one objective. Deirdre wanted to bury the two." That… that did make me feel a little better. "Though it seems you injured yourself while doing so." She came over and gently took my dirty, bloody hand. "Let's get that treated, shall we? Chulainn, I'm stealing her for a bit."

She held my hand as she led me to her tent. I tried to tell her she needn't bother, it would be no trouble tending to it myself, but each time I tried, she smiled sweetly and the words died on my tongue. They lingered, though, and when I tried to swallow them, they stuck in my throat and made it tight. By the time we made it to her tent, it was strangely difficult to breathe and it took every lesson I had to feign calm as she cleaned both my hands, tended to the cuts, and even rubbed some sort of lotion into them. I didn't know why. This wasn't the first time she'd treated my injuries. She and Ethlyn had done so in the past, for burns and bruises. It made no sense for me to be on the edge of tears over something so simple.

"There we are," she murmured when she finished, putting the stopper back in the jar of lotion. She then took my hands again to look them over. "I went ahead and healed them up since you use your hands so much, but let me know if something is wrong, all right?" I nodded, still finding it hard to speak. "Also, Sigurd is right. You're much too inclined to do things on your own."

"I didn't want to drag anyone into my selfishness," I mumbled, looking for anything that could distract me. But while Lady Edain's tent was cozy, there was very little which caught my eye. "It... it's bad enough Chulainn helped."

"Why? He clearly wanted to. And I'd love to help you more as well. I mean..." She leaned forward and tapped my nose. I instinctually made a face and she giggled. "I am older than you, after all." What did that have anything to do with anything? "It rarely comes up, since you have more experience with healing than I do, but I'm two years older. You should really let me spoil you."

"I feel like I had this conversation with Deirdre and Sigurd before."

"Probably. You deserve some spoiling. You got too little as a child." Her smile faded. "I heard about you, you know. When I got my lessons. I didn't realize it was you, since I never got a name, but Father Eirik would talk about you." I stiffened, not sure I liked this conversation. "I won't repeat what he said, unless you want me to."

"I doubt it was anything flattering." I also doubt it was anything I hadn't heard before. He'd never exactly censored himself.

"Mmm..." She got a thoughtful look on her face. "He said once you were too much like your mother." Oh, was it just her? I was certain he'd complain about me being too much like my father. "Made me think he was taking care of you as a personal favor. Which was strange, because I didn't think that blunt curmudgeon had friends." The words were so unexpected that I choked on a laugh. "The only good thing I could say about him is that he's dutiful. I could tell he thought me an idiot for switching vocations so late in life, but he still taught me to the best of his abilities because he was asked to."

"Yes, that's how he's always been. He has also always had the social graces of a grouchy, feral cat."

"Oh, goodness, he is rather catty, isn't he? If I thought of him like that, I would've been far less tempted to strangle him. I'm surprised no one has tried." I had to muffle another laugh. "Anyway, all that was just to say I don't think he spoiled you in the slightest and, if you haven't noticed, both Sigurd and I like teasing and spoiling those we love. And, since you've never had a good spoiling, I want to dote on you a little more." Wasn't 'spoiling' supposed to be bad, though? "Even disregarding that, it's not abnormal to want to support and help a friend. Even if it's for a selfish thing. Sometimes, you want to support them because it's selfish."

"I..." How to reply? I didn't know. That lump in my throat returned and I could only duck my head.

"So, next time, ask us, even if it is selfish. I'm sure we could've gotten the job done without you hurting yourself if we'd worked together." I suppose she had a point. "Honestly, why didn't Chulainn snag one of us? Then again, he's just as bad about taking breaks as you."

"I've gotten better."

"You have! I so enjoyed the walk we had through the gardens. We should do more of them. You've spent so much of your time studying and working that you need to see new things and discover just what you like." She beamed suddenly. "Then I can learn and spoil you with them~!" I had to muffle yet another laugh at that. "There we go. You look much better now."

"Hmm?"

"You were as calm as always, but far too pale, earlier. Now, there's some color to your face once more, and a smile with it." She clapped her hands together and started rummaging through her things for some reason. "Right, I just remembered. I'd actually brought this for you, and something Dew said reminded me... now where did... ah, there we go." She produced a black, leather belt of all things, one with a leather pouch attached to it. "Here, stand up, will you?" Confused, I did as she asked and held still as she buckled it on me. "Good, you and I have about the same waist size. I thought so."

"Why are you carrying a belt around?"

"Like I said, I brought it for you." She fussed over the buckle a little more, smiling softly. "I used to wear this when I was training as a knight. I'd keep my weapon maintenance kits in the pouch. But I stopped wearing it when I set down my sword and took up the staff. I found it while I was reorganizing things in my room recently, and I thought the pouch would be perfect for an emergency medicine kit. And the belt is made to hold weapons, so your dagger should fit nicely. Dew told me you would wear the one for emergencies."

"Ah, yes, he suggested it." This was... odd. I think that was the word I wanted. It was odd, but not in a bad way. "Um... thank you."

"Of course." She stepped back to smile warmly at me; I ducked my head, but smiled back. "Now that we have that settled, let's have some tea with Deirdre and Ayra. We probably won't have time after tomorrow, after all."

"I..." I hesitated, but nodded. "Very well."

"Wonderful!" She took my hand again and led me out of her tent. "Let's find them and... ah, Chulainn, perfect!" Of course he had been waiting outside for us. "Do you know where Ayra and Deirdre are? We're having a tea party!"

Later, after everyone had settled in for the night, I opened the pouch to fix up an emergency medicine kit in that pouch, one with vials of antidote, needles and thread, and a few other miscellaneous items. And inside, I found a little note Lady Edain left, a simple 'hey, remember to rest, all right? I'm here if you need to talk about anything.' It reinforced the words she said, and I tucked it into one of my books to keep always. It was hard to explain why it meant so much, but it did. Maybe one day, I'd figure out why.

We heard the battle before we saw it. We heard the screams, the sobs, the screech of metal on metal. We smelled the battle before we saw it. We smelled the blood, the death, the cloying rot. None of it prepared me for what we saw when we crested the hill closest to Nordion. The chaos of battle was marked with patches of blood and wisps of smoke. It had long passed the outer gates and spilled into the streets themselves. Even from up here, I could see the bodies piled in the alleys.

"Looks rather organized, so I think they let them in," King Jamke mused as we clustered to observe and discuss. It was a small grouping: King Jamke, Deirdre, and me with Chulainn lingering near. I kept silent, horrified by what we saw, but Deirdre could keep up with his words and made a noise in confusion. "Look at the gates." He helpfully pointed to them. "If they had forced their way in, there would be more damage and bodies near them. But there's not, and the fighting is not in the residential areas. Makes me think they let them in to use the streets as a means of funneling them into traps." As if to prove his point, a wave of fire erupted in one of the intersections, the charring bodies within writhing in pain. "See?"

"And since there's no damage in the residential areas, they must have evacuated the people prior," Deirdre murmured, surveying the city. I wondered if her eyes were good enough to discern if the corpses were 'soldiers' or 'civilians'. I could barely see their colors. "Where, though?"

"Probably the castle. It's the easiest to defend, and there's more defenders at the castle's gates." I could only hope their precious and irreplaceable items made it with them. Their lives were more important, but… "And… oh, hang on." In one smooth motion, King Jamke brought up his bow, sighted some target, and loosed an arrow. It arced gracefully, taking advantage of the hill's height, and slammed into the neck of someone who had been barking orders. The soldiers around them panicked and screamed as their body flopped to the ground like a broken doll. "Apologies, it was too easy a target, and I need to take those when I can get them. My eyes are not as good as other archers."

"I'm not complaining, so long as it helped." Deirdre glanced back at the others, the soldiers making their last preparations under Ayra and Lady Edain's supervision with Dew helping them find missing but crucial items. "But how are we to join the battle? If it was outside the gates, I could see us skirting the edges? It showed up in a lot of stories I've read."

"Most of what you see in stories wouldn't hold up in reality, but we are dealing with a force stupid enough to attack the castle directly. A smart commander would've already retreated to wait them out. There's only so much food you can store." King Jamke pointed to the walls. "So, what I'm thinking is we actually get up onto the outer walls and…"

They continued talking. But this sort of thing wasn't something I could help with, so I tuned them out to look over the city again. This... was a battle. This was a true battle. It was... this was a first for me. Yes, there had been fighting within Genoa Castle and yes, there had been fighting in the woods after returning for the Verdanite soldiers. But in the former, I had been a hostage and, once rescued, I'd been shoved into a nearby room for safety. During the latter, I had been tending patients in a clearing and the fighting had not drawn near until Prince Munnir tried one last desperate charge. Neither had been like this. Nothing I'd ever seen had been like this. I had never seen the wounded stumble and stagger as they tried to find safety. I had never seen the dead left to rot where they dropped. I had always tended to the aftermath, and never seen it unfold before my eyes. There were so many hurt. There were so many who needed treatment. I had... I had to get to their infirmary. I had to help. I had to help as soon as possible.

A quiet part of me, a part which sounded too much like Father Eirik, whispered I should wait. I didn't know anything about battles, much less navigating them. To rush in was reckless. But then I saw someone wearing Nordion's colors collapse in a bloodied mess just inside the outer gates, and there was no stopping me. Someone was hurt; they needed healing. I was a healer; I went to help. It was as stupid and simple as that.

It took an eternity to run down the hill, much less make it to the gates, but thankfully, the wounded soldier had not yet bled out when I reached them. "Hold still," I whispered, falling to my knees by them. They stared at me like I was a ghost. "These wounds aren't deep. I can give you a quick fix."

"I... yes?" they blurted, trying to make sense of everything. I made sure to smile before working on their injuries. "You're... you're a healer?"

"I am." Yes, these wounds weren't terrible. They would be fine. I wouldn't usually rely solely on magic, but attempting to stitch in these circumstances would just be begging for infections and abscesses. "I'll get you back on your feet."

"I-it's dangerous, my lady!" Well, I already knew that much. This was a battle, after all. "I... I was being pursued and..." Their eyes widened as a shadow fell over us. I kept working. "My lady, watch-!"

The words had barely left their mouth when the would-be-attacker choked on a pained scream. I smelled the fresh blood before it splattered across my back, smelled the death before their shadow fell and their body thwumped to the ground. There was the sickening sound of flesh tearing, a hint someone struck a second time to be sure the would-be-attacker was dead. I knew before I looked up that I would see Chulainn behind the corpse. After all, if I rushed ahead, then of course he would've followed as soon as he realized what I did.

"Think we made it to the bottom before they noticed," he informed me calmly, nodding to the top of the hill. From here, they seemed very agitated. Certainly, there was a lot more movement than there had been before. "Where are you heading?"

"That is a good question," I replied, finishing with the soldier's injuries. Once done, I stood and brushed the worst of the dirt off my skirt. More blood smeared into it, but that was fine. Blood wasn't hard to wash out. "Good soldier, might you tell me where Sigurd or Quan are?"

"Th-they're both at the gates, my lady," the soldier answered, wobbling to their feet. They pressed a hand against their closed over wound, pulling away to see the lack of blood. "Duchess Grahnye ceded command of the field to them when they arrived."

"I see." I glanced at the corpse at my feet, wondering if I should check if they were alive. But the amount of blood showed they weren't. "Then we are heading to the gates, Chulainn." Chulainn nodded and reached down to move the body out of the way. "Soldier, be careful. While I closed your wounds, they are not fully healed. Please see me after the battle for better treatment."

"I... yes, my lady." They bowed slightly, glancing between Chulainn and me. "Ah, of course. I'd heard the Red Rose of Lord Sigurd's Army was shadowed by Death's Hound."

"My, I think that's the most accurate rumor I've heard involving me." Still, I couldn't help but frown. "But saying 'shadowed' makes it seem like I don't enjoy his company."

"I... I will keep that in mind, my lady?"

"Oh, I'm not scolding you. I'm merely thinking aloud." I shook my head and smiled gently. "Now, on with you and remember my warning." The soldier actually saluted me before rushing off. "I hope he listens..."

"If he doesn't now, he will when the battle fever fades," Chulainn reassured, smiling slightly. Now what did he find so amusing.? "You dislike being 'shadowed' by death?"

"I dislike that phrasing, yes," I replied with a frown. His smile grew a little. "I'm a healer. I push back against death every day. However, I don't want to push you away, so I would say you 'accompany' me." He ducked his head then, his equivalent of laughter. "I can't say I'm fond of you being dubbed a 'beast' either, but I can at least accept it's your own annoying epithet. Where did it come from?"

"Not sure, truthfully. It was after I took a job fighting some Thracians, so they're my best guess. They believe Neit's realm is guarded by a pack of dogs and wolves, to keep the errant dead from harming the living." Really? That was actually rather fascinating. "I don't usually remember stories like that, but I was struck by the similarity to Isaach's."

"Morena of Death is accompanied by a hound, yes? Meanwhile, in Grannvale, wolves are said to herald the arrival of Neit's reapers." I should let Lex know. I knew it was rare he researched, but he did enjoy stories. Maybe he could look into these similarities. "Ah, but the longer we stay in one place, the easier it will be to target us, yes?"

"Yes, we should head in, and stick to the shadows."

"I'll leave the path to you, but warn I will deviate when I see wounded."

"Fair enough."

Chulainn made it seem so terribly easy to slip into the battle, but then again, it was only us two. I wished it had been harder so I had more time to brace myself. The smell was almost as bad as my infirmaries during a rush, but the clamor was enough to make my ears ring. Still, I held onto my calm and tended to each wounded we passed. 'Coincidentally', all of them wore Nordion's colors; I had a feeling Chulainn picked our path to ensure it. I pretended to not notice, and instead, focused on keeping calm despite the noise. The soldiers greeted me with shocked and grateful smiles, though strangely, even the non-wounded would cluster around as I worked. Did they need to see their fellows heal? Was there another reason? I didn't know, and couldn't think of how to ask. Instead, I let it be, and focused on following Chulainn to the gates. It didn't take long, only another eternity of blood and rot, and once there, I found Sigurd and Quan quickly. They were standing right by them, after all.

"Sigurd, there you are!" I called as soon as Chualinn led me close. Sigurd jumped and whirled to face me, eyes wide with surprise. Quan's reaction was more subdued, but he still openly gaped. "Where is the infirmary set up?"

"In the courtyard just past the gates," Sigurd answered, blinking a few times like he thought I'd disappear. He then looked around for some reason. "Um... Alicia, how did you get here?"

"I walked?" That seemed like a strange question. How else would I have gotten here? "There's too much chaos to run, and I was tending to people along the way."

"Through the battle."

"Was there another way? I don't know how to fly, and I'm certainly not attempting to climb onto the roofs and using them as a bridge." Chulainn looked intrigued by the suggestion, and I frowned at him. "No, it would not have worked. I do not have that sort of athletic ability." I had no athletic ability at all, truthfully.

"I could've carried you," Chulainn commented, his gaze flicking to the side. Something in the battle caught his attention, but he chose against reacting. "Though, the second someone thought to look up, you would've been quite the target."

"You're not carrying me up the side of a building," I retorted, before pointedly turning back to Sigurd. "But yes, I walked through. Chulainn picked the path."

"I see," Sigurd replied, slowly. Meanwhile, Quan... I could be wrong, but he... he looked rather angry for some reason. "And where are the others?"

"Well, obviously, Chulainn is here." I pointed to him for emphasis. "The others were on one of the hills overlooking the city, last I saw." Sigurd kept staring; Quan's anger became much more apparent. "I... I'm sorry if I disrupted any plans. The others hadn't worked out how to join the battle, and no one mentioned anything to me, but-"

"Are you an idiot?!" Quan suddenly roared, pushing past Sigurd so he could yell directly at me. I could only stare in confusion since no one had ever accused me of that before. Father Eirik would grumble I was 'too smart for my own good'. "Waltzing onto a battlefield like that!"

"It was reckless, I know, but people were hurt," I protested, feeling a little small. No, worse, I felt like I was back in Yngvi, back with Father Eirik and his lectures, back where I was a child who just wanted to help. "Besides, I didn't 'waltz'. I kept to the sides, as much as I could." That was where the wounded had usually crawled anyway, to get out of the way.

"Like that matters!" Oh, that just made him angrier... "Do you have any idea how much of a target you are?!"

"Pardon?" I kept my calm. I had to keep my calm. No matter how small I felt, how much like a child I felt, no matter how much hurt and fear I felt, I had to keep my calm. But there was something about how he said the words, something to the inflection and tone, which confused me, so I couldn't help but frown. Quan stared back, still livid. At least, he was until I continued staring, continued being silent. Then, that ire faded, slowly replaced with wide-eyed horror, and not even the minor commotion nearby distracted him. "Quan?" I hoped to prompt a response, but only silent terror answered me. "Quan, what do you mean?"

The answer... the answer became clear in a half-second. There was some sort of yell... no, there were two types of yells. One was triumphant; the other was terrified. I didn't know which belonged to whom. As soon as both rang out, someone wrapped their arm around me and yanked me back, twisting me around until I was safely tucked against their chest. I had just realized it was Chulainn when a javelin thudded into, and through, his lower back, well under his chestplate.

"Chulainn!" Sigurd yelled, steadying him as the javelin's thrower used some sort of rope to rip the javelin out of Chulainn and back to their hand. Blood gushed down his back, and more trickled down the front, a clear sign it had gone straight through. Despite the pain he had to be in, he still held onto me tightly, with only a grunt hinting at how much everything hurt. "Damn them! How are they always so damn quick to target the healers?!" And this... this was what Quan had meant. This was why the soldiers had clustered around.

I was the 'Red Rose Healer'. I may despise the title, think it ridiculous, but the fact remained that there were, unfortunately, many who knew me as such. It was a title born from my very recognizable coloring, my Fjalar-red hair and green eyes. Despite the fervor of the battle, I did not carry a weapon, only a staff. It was obvious just who I was, and if they focused on attacking the healers, then I... I was indeed a very easy target. I would even be a 'priority'.

"Damn, that's a lot of blood," Sigurd hissed, still steadying Chulainn. Chulainn silently shrugged him off and stepped back to look at me. "Look, the infirmary is just past the gates. We'll get them open, so rush inside as soon as they do." Chulainn didn't acknowledge him. He continued studying me closely.

I stared back, not quite able to find my calm in this situation, but then I noticed how his eyes flicked over me. This wasn't his usual 'staring through me' studying. He was... he was checking me for injuries. He was checking to see if anything had hit me, despite him using himself as a shield. He was checking... he was checking if he had 'failed'.

"I'm fine," I whispered, forcing myself to smile. I had no idea how 'good' of a smile it was, but it was the best I could manage. "I'm fine. The blood is not mine." He smiled back, relieved, and then... and then he...

"Chulainn!" And then he turned to attack the nearest soldier as if he hadn't just been run through. He fought as if he didn't have blood pouring over his hip and down his leg. He simply killed them with ruthless efficiency and turned to the next without hesitation. Did he somehow not notice the wound? Battle-fever was known to numb, but he'd been fighting long enough to be aware of that danger.

While I tried to make sense of things, someone else wrapped their arms around me. For one terrifying moment, I thought I was being targeted again, protected again, and tried to shove whoever it was off. But the person only tightened their grip on me, and I heard a gentle, soothing hum. It was only then I saw the silver hair. Deirdre was here. Deirdre was hugging me. When did she arrive? How?

"Sorry, thought you saw me," she whispered, stepping back. Now free from her hug, I could see Ayra had also joined us. "Can't believe you… well, no, I can believe you'd rush ahead. I just don't want to. Are you all right?" She and Ayra were both smeared with blood, mud, and strangely, soot. Without thinking, I brought up my staff to check them for injuries. I should've done this for Chulainn. Why had I frozen at such a crucial moment? Father Eirik would've given me so many lectures… "We're fine. Ayra and I make a very good team."

"She blasts the enemies from afar with her light magic, and I swoop in to deal with the survivors," Ayra quipped, twisting to frown at Chulainn. Quan had joined the fight, shouting at him for good measure, but Chulainn acted like he couldn't hear him. "Ugh… damn this chaos. We followed as soon as we realized you headed inside, Alicia, but immediately got turned around. Had to fight our way here and arrived just in time to see Chulainn get hit."

"Screw that, we saw it go through him!" Deirdre hugged me again, this time much more gently. I think she knew I was still in shock. "How is he fighting?! Look at all the blood!"

"Don't know, but I'll see if he can ignore both Quan and me." With those words, Ayra leapt into the fray, snapping something at Chulainn. The only hint he even heard was him rolling his eyes. He could ignore them both very well, it seemed.

"I feel like the gods decided to repay me for all the heart attacks I've given my friends over the years," Sigurd muttered, watching the battle. It didn't escape me that he shifted to stand in front of me, minimizing the chances of someone sighting and targeting me again. "Gods' blood, ignoring the 'how he's fighting', why is he? Wouldn't it be better to get treated?" Yes, why? Why would he be…?

The answer became obvious as soon as I thought about it. Of course he would fight; it was his job. His job was to protect me and, right now, I was in danger. So, he had to fight. He had to fight until the dangers were no longer close enough to threaten me. It didn't matter if he was wounded; he had a job. He would do that job. To him, it was that simple. I knew because I was the same. When I had patients, it didn't matter how tired I was, how many I had already tended. I had to treat them. When you had a job, you did it, no matter the cost to yourself. You did it because others depended on you to do it, and you could not bear to let them down. So, if I wanted him to stop fighting, if I wanted him to step away and be healed, I…

"Sigurd," I began softly, turning towards him. He made a noise to let me know he was listening, but otherwise, kept his attention on the fighting nearby. Chulainn's pant leg was soaked crimson. "Where was the infirmary again?"

"Pardon?" he asked, facing me. He and Deirdre both stared at me like I'd taken a massive head injury. "It is… it's past the gates?"

"Then, might you open them for me?"

"I… yes." He nodded, and the confusion was… no, his confusion wasn't replaced. He was still confused. But it didn't matter, because I had made a request and he would see it through. "Open the gates!" He stepped back and signaled someone on the ramparts. "Open the gates!"

Deirdre clung to me as the giant gates groaned open, but she let go as soon as they were wide enough to slip through. I lingered, though. I lingered and hunted for Chulainn in the fighting. Because he was still fighting, still ignoring Quan's angry snaps and Ayra's exasperation. On the surface, his attention remained solely on the enemies near. Yet I knew…

"Chulainn!" I called, keeping my voice as even as possible. Just as I had guessed, he stopped at my voice, glancing over his shoulder. "I'm heading inside." He smiled slightly as he waved to acknowledge the words before returning to the fight. It would take him a moment to extract himself, after all.

So, I turned away and ran past the gates. I had my own work to do.

The courtyard was filled with injured. Filled. Some had minor injuries which were treated by other soldiers. Others were worse, and it seemed so strange they were being left to try and tend to themselves. Though I wanted to jump right in and assist, doing so when I did not know how everything was set up would be detrimental to the patients, to say nothing of the rudeness. So, instead, I hunted for someone in charge and, surprisingly, it took me a long time. There was no clear center to everyone's movements, no point of order. But I did eventually find a young girl with brown hair haphazardly tied back and tired green eyes tending to one of the badly wounded, and she was the only one here who did not wear armor. So, I took a guess and drifted over to her, waiting until she finished and stood before speaking.

"My pardon..." I used as my greeting. Despite my soft tone, the poor girl still jumped and nearly fell. "Ah, I'm sorry for startling you," I continued, steadying her. She blinked owlishly at me. "Who is in charge here?"

"Er... that would be..." she tried to answer. But she trailed off just as quickly, her eyes haunted. "Oh, blessed gods, it's me. I'm... I'm the one in charge now. I… I shouldn't be, of course. I'm just an apprentice!" She did look rather young; I'd guess she was Lord Oifey's age. "I..."

"Take a breath." I reached up and cupped her face, forcing her to look at me. "Breathe in deep, hold it for a count, and breathe out slowly." She struggled to do as I asked, but managed it on the third attempt. "I apologize for my lack of manners. My name is Alicia."

"Oh, you're... you're the Red Rose healer?" She nearly collapsed from relief. I decided I truly did hate that epithet. "Oh, thank you, Jarl of War, for shifting the tides back to our favor..." I wouldn't go that far. I doubted the gods had anything to do with me, Holy Blood or not. "I... my name is Dimitra. I'm the... I was the apprentice to the town's doctor. When Lady Grahnye ordered everyone to take refuge inside the palace, Master Rafail offered to assist with the wounded. Master Thanasis, the castle's healer, took him up on it, and we've been organizing the wounded until... until... " Her voice cracked, tears filling her eyes. "They're dead. They killed them."

"What happened?"

"Those damned Heirhein bastards... they baited them out. One of ours was so wounded it was difficult for him to get through the gates. So, Master Thanasis went out to help him inside. It wasn't… it wasn't advised, but Master Thanasis was a skilled swordsman in his own right, so they let him. He'd done it many times before, and we were stupid. We were complacent. They waited until we let our guard down, waited until Lord Sigurd and Lord Quan were too busy afar to help. That's… that's when the sniper struck. The arrow hit him; it was straight through the throat." That was… that would've been a slow, even agonizing, death. "There was a big commotion, screams and everything. It freaked out our patients, so Master Rafail stepped out to investigate. We didn't know what had happened; we thought the enemy had gotten near. But he stepped out and… and the sniper had a second arrow." So, they lost two healers back to back. No wonder Quan had been so angry at me. "That was a few days ago. I've… I've been following the framework they left for triage, but some of these injuries, I…"

"Tell me the framework, and I will take over the worst wounded." Now, more than ever, I had to be calm. "We'll save them. That's our job."

"...Yes!" Oh, she had a pretty smile. "All right, so triage is arranged like this..."

She rapidly explained everything, showing a very clear understanding despite feeling overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. I couldn't help but marvel at the set up because it was simply brilliant, and it made far more sense than what I had used and read in the past. Oh, how I wished I could've conferred with Thanasis and Rafail myself to learn more. Maybe Dimitra would let me read through their notes when things were settled.

There were a great many wounded. I'd already known that, but working on them made the number even more obvious. Dimitra was skilled, incredibly so given her age and how long she'd been learning, but there were things she simply did not know and could only do her best. And, unfortunately, sometimes 'your best' wasn't the best thing for a patient. Thankfully, nothing was detrimental. A few of the soldiers would have longer recoveries than anticipated, but it was fine. We'd make it work. Those who could heal, would. Those who could not heal would die without pain. I quietly counted each one, and held the number in my heart as we treated each and every one.

Eventually, though, I hit a lull and could finally tend to Chulainn's injury. I'd given him a quick treatment when he finally followed me in, of course, but since he wasn't as close to death as other patients, further care had to wait. Though, Deirdre seemed rather intent on 'fixing' the 'not close to death' part, given the blistering lecture she was trying to give him.

"I cannot believe you!" she snapped, glaring down at him. He was seated on a bench in the courtyard while I treated his injuries. The javelin hit was the worst, but he had picked up others while fighting. "Who goes fighting with a hole through their chest?!"

"It was my lower back," Chulainn corrected calmly, his posture perfect so I could tend to him easily. He was wearing different pants from before; Deirdre had brought him a change of clothes before tearing into him. "So, it was through my abdomen, not my chest."

"Not. The. Point." With the way she was glaring, I thought it a mercy she was not flinging spells at Chulainn. "You were run through! You have a hole through you!" Yes, and it was certainly interesting to treat. I was packing it for now.

"Not the worst injury I've fought with."

"Then you should've been yelled at back then too!" Though the words were by no means amusing, Chulainn ducked his head to hide his slight smile. "You're an idiot! I was right there! I had him sighted before you charged in!"

"But I could get him, and it's my job-"

"Your job isn't to make Alicia's harder!" She reached out and squished his face between her palms. If I weren't working, I might have laughed. "Look, I'm grateful you're so devoted to protecting my very best friend, but I swear to all that is holy and not, if you make her cry, I will never, ever forgive you." Chulainn, meanwhile, stared back with the most befuddled look I'd ever seen on his face. "The rest of us could've gotten him. You are not alone. Please do not fight like you are. You scared the hell out of me."

"...Duly noted."

"Good." She let go of his face and turned to me. "Now, is there anything I can do to help, Alicia?"

"No, the injury isn't difficult to treat," I reassured, finishing up. I would need to keep a close eye on it, but for now, I was done. "Oh, but can you forgive me for rushing ahead?"

"Hmm..." Deirdre scowled at the reminder and made a show of thinking. When I stood up to fetch bandages, she slid over to hug me from behind. "Maybe," she finally answered. "Why did you?"

"I saw someone wounded?"

"I figured." She sighed gustily and rested her chin on my shoulder. "Well, then I must forgive you. You wouldn't be 'Alicia' if you didn't do something like that, and I adore you." She tightened her hug for a second before stepping back. "Anything I can fetch?"

"I was going to get more bandages, since his other injuries used more than I originally grabbed, but if you're willing…"

"On it!" With that, she rushed off, a spring to her step.

Chulainn watched her leave before looking up at me. "Haven't you used enough already?" he asked me, serious as always. "You really don't need to waste-"

"I believe I have told you this before, but if it is used for you, then it is not a waste," I interrupted, shaking my head. I then crouched down to double-check my work. "I can replace medicines and bandages. I can't replace you. That's why she's so mad, you know."

"You could get another guard."

"But I don't want another one. I want you." Why would I want anyone else? "But goodness, I don't think I've ever heard her yell so much at a person."

"It's less than what Quan and Ayra were screaming."

"So, you did hear them."

"Of course. I think even the dead could've heard them. I just ignored them."

"We might avoid telling them that." I almost laughed, but the reminder of just how he was injured made my cheer falter. "I... I should apologize."

"Why? It's my job to guard you." Yes, but... "And I wanted to protect you. Besides..." He smiled very faintly. "I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. You have less self-preservation than a kitten."

"I have just as much as Sigurd."

"And he has none." He didn't even pause before retorting and I couldn't help but chuckle. "There we are. That's better."

"Hmm?"

"I like it when you smile." He hesitated a moment before reaching out and brushing my hair out of my face. "It's disconcerting when I can't see it."

"Oh?" I had… no idea how to reply. But even if I didn't, there was one thing I still needed to say, so I gave him my best smile and he stared in response. "I almost forgot. Thank you for saving me, Chulainn."

"...Always." He looked away, a quiet show of embarrassment, and let his hand fall to his lap. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"How about resting and not making me give you a second check-up?"

"That…" He frowned slightly at me. "Is there anything else?"

"No, that would be most helpful right now." I continued smiling; he eventually sighed. "You can ask the guards if you can help keep watch, but you're not allowed to do anything but observe." I glanced up and saw Deirdre returning with an armful of bandages. "Arms up, mister. I need to bandage this, and then I'll help you with your shirt."

"I can-"

"No, please, let me help. I'd rather you not reopen something."

"...Fine."

For all his reluctance, Chulainn didn't actually fight me as I tied off his bandages and helped him get his shirt on. Deirdre watched with a giggle, for some reason. She refused to say why, but smiled sweetly. She kept the sweet smile even after I finished and the three of us headed for the gates. Of course, there was a small argument with the guards on the ramparts when they saw I was there. They didn't want to open it for a healer; they had lost two already and could not suffer a third. Only when I agreed to remain behind the gates did they open them just enough for Deirdre to slip out. Even then, they were in a hurry to close them; they nearly shut them right on Ayra and Quan when they tried to come in!

"Wow, they're a panicky bunch," Ayra mused, stopping near Chulainn and me. Quan climbed the stairs to chat with the guards about something. "Anyway..." She focused her attention on Chulainn, expression hard and exasperated. "You better not be trying to fight. You're wounded."

"It's really not that bad of an injury," Chulainn tried to dismiss. I tapped his arm and frowned at him, though, and he looked away. "But no, I'm just here to offer my eyes. I can still keep watch, even if a certain someone has forbidden me from fighting."

"And here I thought I'd have to invoke Shannan." It was strangely hilarious how effective of a threat that was against most of us. "Good to know Alicia's frown is just as effective of a threat."

"Who in their right mind wants a healer mad at them?"

"Since when are you in your 'right mind'?"

"I am perfectly sane."

"I beg to differ, since a sane person wouldn't fight with a hole through them."

"Deirdre's already yelled at me about this."

"Well, you're getting another lecture!"

I watched with some fascination as the two started squabbling. Well, perhaps that wasn't the right word, since Chulainn remained perfectly calm and logical while Ayra snapped, and this certainly wasn't about something 'trivial'. But it was the only word I had to convey how… I could almost see them doing this as children, even though I highly doubted they ever met before Chulainn joined us. It was just something about the air around them both, similar to when Sigurd and Lady Edain bantered. Part of me wanted to study them more and see if I could better parse my thoughts, but I noticed Quan descend down the staircase, his conversation with the guards done, and there was something I absolutely needed to say to him. So, that took priority and I headed for the stairs to meet him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as soon as I was close. Perhaps 'blurted' might have been a better descriptor, since he still had one foot on the step. "I... what happened earlier, I'm sorry. I knew it was reckless, but I underestimated just how reckless it was." Now, would I have done the same thing if I knew? I could admit I probably would've. But at least I would've better understood why he was angry.

"Why are you always so much quicker to say the things I need to say?" Quan 'complained', shaking his head. I could only tilt my head, confused. "I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have snapped as quickly as I did."

"From what I've heard, I'm surprised you didn't yell at me immediately."

"Well, it did take me a few seconds to realize what you did." That was fair. In retrospect, everything about what I did was the height of stupidity. Ignorance was not bliss in the slightest. "But I should've known you didn't fully know the dangers. Why would you? You're rarely near battle, and we take steps to ensure that. After all, you're our strongest healer, so you focus on the worst of the wounded, those who must leave the field to have a chance of surviving. If a battle reaches you, then a lot has to go wrong first." Yes, the sudden attack in Genoa proved that all too clearly. "The bards can sing of the glories and honors of war all they want, but at the end of the day, neither exists. They're lies made for peace. War is nothing but trying to kill as many people on the other side as possible. Healers interfere with that. It's their job to interfere."

"And those who use magic, like me, are high-priority targets, aren't they?"

"Yes, because unlike those who only use medicines, you can heal wounds quickly enough for soldiers to return to battle. Rare is the soldier who will not change their tactics to immediately kill a healer." He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "But, in your case, that's only part of the problem. The other part is you're very recognizable."

"Because I am, unfortunately, the 'Red Rose'."

"And thanks to the Verdanite Campaign, everyone knows you're skilled. So, if our enemy has even a modicum of intelligence, they'll ignore even other healers to ensure you're dead or incapacitated." He grimaced and looked away. "All of this… I should've made sure you knew before we left. It might not have changed anything, since you're as reckless as Sigurd, but you would've had a better idea of the danger you were in." I could've at least made sure I had more than Chulainn protecting me. If I did, would he have been hurt? "I suppose I was too arrogant, thinking we could solve this before you all arrived."

"Perhaps we should split the guilt, then?" It felt like the best way to 'resolve' this, that and move things along. "Ah, but while I have you, where are the others? I've neither seen nor heard them."

"Hmm? Well, Lachesis is in the tower up there." He pointed to the tallest spire of the castle, and waved to someone in the window. I thought I saw blue hair. "She's watching the whole battle from above, alongside Oifey and Finn. They're additional eyes, and messengers." Then I supposed it was Finn currently in the window, then. "This left Grahnye free to coordinate the soldiers until we arrived. Did a damn good job too, despite what she claims."

"Did she?" I tried to think of what King Jamke had said earlier. "King Jamke said the gate didn't look forced."

"Yes, she used a combination of a few different Leonster tactics, already a brilliant move since Heirhein's soldiers would've expected and prepared for Agustrian. She had them hold the gates just long enough to finish evacuations and then allowed Heirhein to 'breach' them, so they charged into the traps set with unbridled confidence. By the time they realized what had happened, they had already lost a good portion of their men, and then she had them run themselves ragged through the streets."

"Then I am guessing everyone else is assisting in these endeavors?"

"More or less. Some are luring soldiers into open spaces for Azelle to bombard with his spells." This would explain the fires we saw when we arrived. "Lex is doing something similar, but he's acting as the 'wall' while others snipe. Meanwhile, Naoise, Alec, and Midir slip along the edges to herd any escapees back into the traps. It's a good set-up for our minimal numbers."

"I shall take your word for it."

"You're probably thinking of all the injured and dead on both sides." He smiled ruefully and patted my shoulder. I refused to actually answer. "Ethlyn, meanwhile, is riding through the city to heal and lend assistance where she is able. You'll see her before long; she prioritizes areas Lachesis recommends and returns frequently to check in."

"I see." It would be nice to see her. I could use her cheer right now. "I was working for a while. Have Lady Edain, Dew, or King Jamke made it here yet?"

"Dew did, a short while ago." I did not much like hearing he came on his own, but I recognized he had no doubt been smarter about it than me. "He'll serve as our primary contact with Jamke while we get them set up along the walls. Once there, we'll shift our strategy."

"Shift?"

"Yes, I was just informing the guards of it." He sighed, glancing at the gates. "The set up is brilliant for the limited number of forces Grahnye had, but it has a few critical weaknesses. Namely, it focuses everything in front, and if your enemy slips around, they will find little resistance." Was this why they had soldiers patrolling and herding? "Once Jamke and his soldiers are in place, they can cover the sides and we can shift our strategy to something with fewer holes to exploit. That's one of the advantages of numbers."

"I take it Lady Edain remains with them, then?"

"For now. She'll treat the injured on her end until we've fully switched. That'll free up Midir long enough to escort her here." He hesitated and looked at the courtyard, and all the wounded scattered about. "...Doesn't look as bad as I feared, but…"

"Their triage is excellent, but the wounded are numerous. These soldiers also appear to be the stubborn sort who fight even when wounded, so they worsen things further."

"So, like Chulainn except without his surprisingly high durability." He became thoughtful then. "No wonder they call him Death's Hound. If someone with Holy Blood did that, it would simply be 'expected'. But, when someone without does it, they're dubbed a prodigy. Jamke's similar, truthfully. He's long had whispers of being 'blessed by spirits'." I would take his word for it as I honestly could not care less. "Causes you problems too."

"What do you mean?" I frowned then. "I imagine any gossip of my 'miraculous skill' went away after my Mark was revealed."

"Are you kidding? They amplified." Ah. Well, let it never be said I understood gossip. "Plus, Fjalar's blood is usually associated with fire, flames, and destruction. Using it for healing, and healing alone, has them chittering."

"Gossip is a headache." I let myself sigh, and he smiled sympathetically. "Speaking of healing, however, I'd best return and help Dimitra. She's quite skilled, but still learning, and her task was made all the harder by recent losses."

"Terribly hard. She was close to Master Rafail. From what I heard, he was like a father to her, in addition to being her mentor. Yet if she faltered, the wounded would've had no one. I'm rather impressed with her, truthfully."

"I am as well. But now that I'm here, I will see she takes care of herself as well."

"We sure you're the one to teach someone that?"

"Quan, I could always inform Ethlyn about-"

"Never mind. I rescind the comment." I thought so. "Ah, what a mess. I want to tear Ellidiot to shreds for doing this to Eldigan's home. But I've my duties, and you have yours, and we'd best get back to both. But before I forget…" He pointed to the dagger on my belt. "Dare I hope you learned self-defense?"

"No." I probably could've been a little less blunt, but… "Prince Kurth sent me some daggers, and Dew suggested wearing one in case we're ambushed with arrows while I didn't have my medicine bag." I hesitated before adding. "The belt and pouch are gifts from Lady Edain. She apparently wore it while training as a knight."

"I see." He frowned, and I had no doubts he wanted to bring up the self-defense again. But then he glanced at the wounded and shook his head. Now was not the time. "Is Chulainn up for a battle or…?"

"No. While I tended to his injuries, I will not be able to fully heal him until after the battle. As such, I would prefer he does not fight."

"So, observation and helping guard the gates. Understood." He smiled. "We'll speak later, Alicia."

"Please stay safe."

He turned away, going to talk to Ayra and Chulainn about something. I watched them for a breath, just enough to center myself, and returned to the wounded. As soon as I got close, Dimitra rushed over to ask me about a patient's wound, knowing there was something wrong but unable to put her finger on it. We managed to figure it out quickly, an arrowhead had been lodged deep, and from there, our work continued. The battle still raged, after all, and whatever lull we had disappeared in a blink.

Did anyone count the dead before I arrived? I would have to find out later.

I had to say; these soldiers may be stubborn, but they were very polite. None of them tried to fight me, and they thanked me profusely at every step. They asked questions about what they were or were not allowed, listened when I told them to stop something, and the lesser wounded were ever eager to assist me however they could. They were also surprisingly cheerful, freely sharing stories and songs to ease the minds of their fellows. I wondered if it was how they pushed back their dread and grief, since I noticed many look at the dead neatly lined up along the sides. I counted them all already, and knew many were terribly, terribly young. Most of those I treated were terribly, terribly young. It was almost a relief when I treated Sigurd's forces; they were at least of age.

"While I am very grateful you did not pull the arrows out, I fear I must ask why you ended up with ten lodged in your person," I murmured, cutting the last arrow out of Lex as he sat on one of the benches for me. King Jamke had dragged him past the gates a few minutes ago, with Lex complaining about how King Jamke was worrying too much. "Could you not have dodged?"

"Ignoring how I'm not dodgy anyway, my job was to stay still and let them break their weapons against me," Lex pointed out, doing his best to not flinch every time I leaned close. I doubted it helped I had my dagger in hand, but there was no way to remove these without cutting them. We were lucky Nal's blessing meant the arrows did not lodge as deep as they would in others; none were anywhere near bone. "Dodging is detrimental to that. And, you know, limited room." I supposed this made some sense, but still…

"And how long exactly were you fighting with ten arrows in you?"

"The promise was to not pull them out, not avoid fighting with them in me."

"That does not answer my question."

"After the tenth, I dragged him here," King Jamke sighed, giving somewhat of an answer himself. He seemed very unamused, for some reason. "Because he seemed intent on fighting even when he was hit with said tenth."

"What were you doing near anyway, Jamke," Lex asked, holding his arms out so I could bandage him more easily. I was glad to see he did not flinch when I did this. "Weren't you getting yours on the walls?"

"And I was confirming everyone was in position before heading here to meet and confer with Quan and Sigurd directly, since Dew is serving as Edain's personal messenger now." Lady Edain remained on the walls with King Jamke's soldiers for now. "We need to ensure we've no blind spots and free the herders for other duties. Then it should be safe for Edain to make her way here." His tone became very dry suddenly and he focused on me. "Unlike a certain someone. I still cannot believe you rushed into the battle, Lady Alicia." Yes, yes, I was aware of the stupidity, thank you. I did not need to hear it from him of all people.

"I can." Lex's easy answer was both surprising and disconcerting. "She's of House Velthomer. Every single one of them is incapable of half-assing anything. Just as fire either burns or doesn't, they either give everything they have or nothing, and they're prone to obsessions, like how fire consumes all within. Arvis has a fixation with burning out corruption, Azelle devours research and magical theory like a starving man gobbles food, and Alicia is utterly devoted to her healing."

"But to run onto a battlefield?"

"Of course. That's where the wounded were. Common sense does not stop fire."

"Lex, there are many stories I've heard over the years of how Nal's stubbornness caused you all sorts of trouble," I began very sweetly, wanting to switch the conversation from this. Lex's eyes widened at my words. "Shall I share them?"

"Alicia, have I mentioned lately you are my favorite sister?" Lex replied, his smile not hiding his nervousness in the slightest. I muffled a laugh and returned to treating his injuries. While it was probably just him trying to wriggle out of trouble, I certainly didn't mind him calling me 'sister'. "Just what has Azelle told anyway?"

"There was the story about the river-"

"Oh, please, not that one. Ever. In fact, forget it entirely."

"I shall consider your request."

"I'm doomed."

"Perhaps I may distract?" King Jamke asked dryly, raising a brow. Lex grinned, unrepentant, and I finished bandaging him up. "Nal's stubbornness?"

"Those of Nal's blood are as enduring and stubborn as stone," Lex explained, laughing softly now that the immediate threat had passed. I shook my head and smoothed my hand over his bandages to ensure nothing was twisted underneath. "It's a nice way of saying we're a bunch of hardheaded fools. There's generalizations for all the Holy Bloods and some are more accurate than others. I can share some with you later, if you'd like."

"Is this stubbornness why you kept fighting with ten arrows in you?"

"Hey, I promised Alicia I wouldn't pull them out. Annoying things, arrows. Either they stick in awkwardly or they bounce off." Lex rolled his eyes, and King Jamke was back to staring. "Oh, wait, you're more thinking… Nal blood means physical weapons are less effective in general, Jamke, and I've a high pain tolerance besides. Not really stubbornness, but it's a good demonstration of why those of Nal blood are compared to stones. Either you have to chip away at us piece by piece, or land one massive blow and hope it kills us."

"You're insane. All of you."

"Yep, insane monsters. That's us." A commotion caught all of our attention, and we looked to see a sudden rush of activity and noise at the gates. "Well, something happened." Without thinking, my gaze went up to the ramparts to find Chulainn. He waved to catch my attention and pointed to a free bench nearby; someone must be badly wounded. "Alicia, you need me to help you move things?" I nodded and he pushed himself up. "Then let's go."

It was a good thing we moved when we did. We'd barely gotten everything situated on the empty bench before Azelle came running in, carrying a wounded Ethlyn on his back. No wonder everyone had been screaming; she had three arrows clustered by her shoulder blade.

"She had been leaning over her horse to pat its neck, and had just sat up when they hit," Azelle explained, setting Ethlyn down on the bench. She managed a pained smile for me, but I could see the blood on her lip. She'd bit it to keep from screaming. "Would've gotten her head or neck if she hadn't moved."

"W-well, Baldr's blessing does include luck," Ethlyn tried to joke, her voice a breathy hiss. I cut the back of her shirt to reach the arrows, and breathed a sigh of relief when I sensed none of them had lodged in bone. "I retaliated with my Light Brand, and I think Azelle followed up?"

"I used the scream to aim, and someone's charred body came tumbling down." Azelle shrugged it off. It felt so strange to hear my sweet and shy brother speak so dismissively of death, but he had fought many times already. "Regardless, the soldiers near formed a wall and I rode with Ethlyn back here to help her. They're still determining my new role now that we've switched strategies."

"So glad you're good at riding, Azelle. Not sure I would've stayed on the horse for long." She looked over her shoulder at me, doing her best to smile once more. "How bad is it?"

"The placement means I should be able to cut them out easily, but they will need to be cut," I murmured, already grabbing what I needed. Dew was right; keeping this dagger on my belt was much more convenient. "Lex? King Jamke?" I briefly turned my attention to them. "I need you two to keep Quan away. I do not need him hovering and fussing right now. And yes, before you ask, I do think it will require both of you."

"Sounds like as good of a time as any to discuss role shifts anyway," Lex commented, snagging King Jamke by the arm. King Jamke looked skeptical, but seeing how no one protested, he went along with it. "Azelle, I'll get yours while I'm at it."

"You want to put a shirt on first?" Azelle asked dryly, pointing to Lex's chest for emphasis. "I'm sure many would appreciate the view, but..."

"Aw, Azelle, I'm flattered!" He smirked and Azelle rolled his eyes. "But nah, give it to Ethlyn."

"Lex, it'll swamp her."

"But it's more cover than what she'll have in a moment." This was true, and I was not certain Ethlyn was as comfortable going shirtless as Lex. "I can take it back once she's found one her size, but it'll be one less worry for now."

"Fair." Azelle glanced at the gates. For some reason, there was even more of a commotion. "I think Quan is already trying to make his way in."

"Then we'd better get moving on the distractions, King Jamke." Lex tugged King Jamke after him. "See you in a bit. Azelle, my spare shirt is with my things. Horse was led to the side stable for a check."

"Got it." Azelle waved them off and turned to me. "Do you need me here or...?"

"Can you fetch me additional bandages while you're at it?" I requested, smiling faintly. He smiled back, nodded, and took off running. "Ethlyn, honest answer, how are you feeling?"

"It's less painful than childbirth," Ethlyn immediately joked, even managing a breathy laugh. She still winced when I rubbed the area around the arrows with numbing balm. I still had some, thankfully. Those extra preparations had been well worth it. "I think I'll stick to helping here, though."

"Yes, that will be best, if only for your own injuries." I glanced up and saw Azelle already returning, bandages and shirt in hand. Goodness, how fast had he run? Did the veterinarian set up closer than I thought? "All right, Azelle is here, so I'm going to cut these out. You'll be fine, Ethlyn."

"Oh, I know. You're here." Her smile was sweet. "Think Azelle will let me hold his hand while you work?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll definitely be fine. Let's get this over with so Lex and King Jamke don't have to distract my fussy husband too long."

Azelle gladly let Ethlyn hold his hand and squeeze it while I worked. He ended up with a bruise, given Ethlyn's Baldr strength, but he suffered it with a smile, and helped Ethlyn get Lex's shirt on as soon as I tended to his hand. It was almost comical how oversized it was on her, but she laughed it off with ease, flapping the loose sleeves about like demented wings as she went to reassure Quan of her well-being. I was just glad her wound was easily treated. The next twenty weren't.

We did end up having to find Ethlyn a shirt that fit sooner rather than later, if only so she didn't drag the sleeves through people's wounds. But it was easily taken care of, thanks to Dimitra being about the same size, and we fell into an easy workflow where I would handle the worst, Ethlyn would tend to the 'moderately wounded', and Dimitra handled both initial triage and quick fixes. I worried for Ethlyn since she was technically one of the wounded, but she insisted on doing her part with a bright smile and fierce gleam in her eyes. I made her promise to get periodic checkups before relenting. Unfortunately, we needed her skills more than she needed rest.

"Ah, I had heard you were here, Lady Alicia." As I finished with my latest patient, a young boy who looked barely older than Dew, Lady Grahnye joined us in the courtyard. The boy immediately stood and bowed to her. "At ease, soldier," she whispered, with a gentle smile. "Is all well?"

"Lady Alicia says I'm out of the battle, but I should regain full movement in my arm," the boy answered, sounding both put-out and relieved. Either way, it was an answer which severely downplayed his injury: a shattered arm, shoulder, collarbone, and shoulder blade, to say nothing of the bruises and internal damage. "I'm going to see what tasks I can still do."

"I don't suppose you can do me the favor of watering the flowers?" She muffled a laugh when the boy tilted his head. "I know it sounds like a silly thing, but Eldigan is fond of them." The boy immediately perked up at that. "Yet none of us have had a chance to water them since this started. I worry they'll wilt before he returns."

"Oh, I can do that, then. I think?" The boy looked at me in question. "Is that all right, Lady Alicia?"

"I would ask you to recruit a helper, in case the watering can proves too heavy," I suggested, reaching over to adjust their sling. I did not want to risk the knot untying. "Do not lift anything over your head, and return to me if you feel any sharp pains." The boy nodded, bowed to us both, and rushed off to grab one of the lesser wounded, a girl not much older with half of her face covered in bandages. As they ran off, I turned my attention to Lady Grahnye, seeing the questions in her eyes. "A horse stomped on his back. Thankfully, he was able to twist so it only hit his right side. The girl was thrown through a glass window, face first."

"I see," she whispered, watching the two. Once they gathered the necessary tools for their tasks, she turned back to me. "I know what Kyros said, but is it true? What of Tabitha?"

"I am not one to lie to my patients, Lady Grahnye. Barring unexpected complications, both should make full recoveries. Kyros's will be longer because he'll need physical therapy, but the worst Tabitha should suffer is scars. She was brought to me quickly enough for me to save her eye."

"Oh, what a relief…" She rested a hand on her chest, relaxing slightly. I still saw the stiffness if her shoulders, and the tiredness in her smile. "And hopefully, the task will trick them into feeling helpful. There's little the people of Nordion won't do for Eldigan."

"I do not think you should sell yourself short." She had, after all, been the one leading them. Many of my patients had spoken of their admiration for her. "But I am not one to debate such things. Your initial greeting implied you were looking for me. Do you need a check-up?"

"Not at the moment." She glanced around the courtyard and stepped a little closer so she could talk more quietly. "I will admit to being tired, and there has been some tightness to my chest. Unfortunately, however, I cannot afford to be anything but 'fine' right now." Her smile became a little bitter. "In my husband's absence, I rule, and our people need me to appear strong."

"We could dismiss it as me being a worrywart. I can give check-ups to others to help cover."

"I will take you up on the offer later, but there is someone else I need you to check first." She managed a soft, tired laugh. "However, right now, I must speak with Sigurd and Quan. Might you accompany me?"

"I should warn; they will not let me past the gates."

"They won't let me either, so it's fine."

"Then, of course. Let me inform Dimitra."

We found Dimitra easily enough, stationed near the gates as she was, and Lady Grahnye took the time to check on her and even give her a little hug. While she did, I informed the guards we needed to speak with Sigurd and Quan, and hung back as they relayed the message. It still took several moments until the gates cracked open enough for a sweaty and bloody Sigurd and Quan could slip inside.

"Sigurd, how is your wife more powerful than you?" Quan joked once they were past the gates. Said gates shut quickly behind them, nearly catching their capes. "And damn if the gatekeepers are not efficient."

"My wife is perfect, obviously," Sigurd boasted, smiling with all the sincerity in the world. Quan rolled his eyes while Lady Grahnye actually laughed. I kept my calm and tried to ignore the screams ringing in my ears. I had barely seen a sliver of the battle through the gates, yet that sliver sickened me and the gates did nothing to deafen the cacophony. But I could not let it show, could not be anything but serene. Others found it comforting. "And she does pay for the power. Her spells take some time to cast and put a heavy strain on her; that's why she paired up with Ayra."

"Makes some sense, but still. Even Azelle was commenting on it. Said Arvis was the only one he'd seen stronger, and not only is Arvis the Fjalar Major, but he's said to be the strongest Fjalar Major since Fjalar herself."

"Again, my wife is amazing. I need no further explanation." He might have continued, just to keep the joke going, but then he caught my eye and frowned worriedly. He only grew more worried when I smiled. "Neither here nor there. Grahnye, how are you doing?" Ah, he noticed how poorly I felt anyway. Drat.

"I am... as good as I can be," Lady Grahnye answered, hesitating only slightly. Quan immediately shifted to stand at her side. "I don't need a crutch, though I thank you for it. I am merely a little tired."

"And if you're actually admitting to it, you have to be exhausted." Sigurd softened and Lady Grahnye bit back a laugh. "How are the civilians?"

"Terrified, but calm. They fear for everyone outside the walls, but believe themselves safe. There's no fear of riots or rebellions, and we still have enough food within. It is rationed, but less out of a need and more to better keep track."

"And water is still fine?"

"Of course." She raised a brow then. "Now, since you're drawing this out, I am guessing you two do not have good news to give to me."

"Er..."

"That will depend, heavily, on what Jamke says," Quan admitted, shaking his head before focusing on Sigurd. "I thought we agreed I'd be the one to talk."

"That wouldn't work, since I know to ask him, not you," Lady Grahnye immediately retorted, rolling her eyes even. Quan pretended to be hurt at the words. Meanwhile, Sigurd drifted close to me and gently touched my hand, quietly asking how I was. I put all my effort into smiling back, and he seemed satisfied by the response. "So, how long do we have to wait?"

"Not long. Given how long it took to extract ourselves from the battle, I'd even say..." He trailed off, looking to the ramparts. As soon as he caught sight of something, he waved. "Jamke, we're on this side!"

"Yeah, Chulainn just told me," King Jamke replied, coming down the stairs. I looked up and felt myself relax when I saw Chulainn keeping an eye on us. "Hello again, Duchess Grahnye. I wish these were better circumstances."

"You and I both, King Jamke," Lady Grahnye replied, switching back to calm elegance. She even clasped her hands in front of her. "Now, I hear the potential bad news is the result of your report?"

"Could be good or bad, depending." My, everyone was certainly being vague about this. "Quan, I finished checking with all of mine, and conferred with Midir to be certain. There's no signs of... right, meant to ask when you first gave the request, but his name isn't actually Ellidiot, is it?"

"I refuse to give that man any respect, so it's the only thing I'll ever call him," Quan replied, words quick and harsh. King Jamke actually took a step back at the vehemence. "Still wish I'd killed him sooner."

"Right, duly noted," King Jamke noted very dryly. He pointedly turned his focus to Lady Grahnye and Sigurd. "Anyway, there's no sign of him."

"I knew I hadn't heard his annoying voice for a while," Sigurd sighed, reaching up to brush the hair out of his face. I caught his hand as he raised it, noticing a gash under his sleeve. "It's fine, Alicia. Nothing to worry about." I promptly ignored him and pushed his sleeve higher so I could do my own examination. "Right, telling you not to worry is like telling a fish to not swim."

"Didn't you claim to be fine with seven arrows in your back? Could've sworn Khasar told me that."

"That was… well…"

"I should tell you the story of the damn flood so you really know to never believe him when he says that," Quan noted lightly. Sigurd could only groan. "But no sign of Ellidiot, huh? Damn. My hope is that he either ran or is among the dead. Yet I can't deny my fear that he managed to take advantage of that small window of opportunity while we switched strategies." It took me a second to remember what he was referring to, and then another to understand what he meant. That 'small window' meant there was a chance he was inside the walls. "He's always had the most uncanny luck at the worst moments."

"So, he of all people..." Lady Grahnye murmured, pressing her hand to her mouth in thought. After a moment, she turned to face me. "Lady Alicia? Might I ask you for that favor I mentioned earlier?"

"You may," I replied, pulling Sigurd's sleeve down. It was a clean cut, already scabbing. I could tend to it later. "You said there was someone you needed me to check on."

"Yes, Lachesis." She tried her best to hold onto her calm, but her worry slipped through anyway. "She needs rest. She's been working feverishly for days, ever since we heard of Eldigan's imprisonment, but she refuses to even sit down, much less take a break." That wasn't good. She may have Minor Holy Blood, but she still had her limits. Without proper planning, she'd hit them, hard, and I doubted she took the necessary precautions. "I've tried to convince her, but she pretends to obey and goes right back to work the second my back is turned. And I have too much to do to watch her."

"I see." I glanced at Sigurd and Quan to get their reactions, and I saw their own worry. Lady Grahnye may be making the request, but they had been contemplating it too. "Do you think she will listen to me? I'm not certain I will have time to watch her unless there is another lull."

"Yes, I think so. It's easy to argue against a sister-in-law, but hard to argue with a healer. Thanasis could convince her to eat when I couldn't." Ah, but he was dead, and Dimitra was too exhausted. I, however, was a healer of some experience. "You also taught her and if there's one thing Lachesis does, it's listen to her teachers."

"Hmm..." I looked about the courtyard, gauging how the wounded were. "How close is Lady Edain to us?"

"Not far, and Midir was escorting her when I left," King Jamke answered, glancing at the gates. "I imagine they'll be here within the next five minutes. Less if they don't flirt." He paused just long enough for Quan, Sigurd, and Lady Grahnye to snicker. "So, I'm supposed to pretend not to notice, right? That's what the rest of you seem to do."

"You could give reports as Shannan did, but beware Lady Edain's suspicions since she knows about them now," I replied, keeping my tone light and my expression calm. It was easier when I focused on our surroundings. "Regardless, if she will be here soon, then it should be safe for me to tend to Lady Lachesis, even if another wave arrives. She can easily take over for the worst wounded, so Ethlyn can continue focusing on the moderately hurt." At everyone's nods, I looked back to the ramparts and smiled at Chulainn. Though he no doubt had been paying attention to the entire conversation, I called out anyway. "Chulainn, I'm heading to the tower." He waved to acknowledge the words and... and instead of taking the stairs like a normal person, he just climbed down the wall itself. "What did I say about making your wound worse?"

"Don't do it, and I didn't," Chulainn answered without the slightest hint of shame. Meanwhile, Sigurd, Quan, and Lady Grahnye were looking up and down the wall like they had no idea how he managed the feat. King Jamke actually went over to knock on the stone. "Checking on the boys?"

"It is Lady Lachesis I must check on, but I will be glad to see them as well." If Lady Lachesis had not taken breaks, then I was certain neither Finn nor Lord Oifey had. "Lady Grahnye, what is the best way to the tower?"

The question startled Lady Grahnye out of her confusion long enough for her to answer my question, though I had no doubts she would ask Chulainn later how he managed to climb down the wall so easily. For now, though, the two of us left the courtyard, with me bringing a staff just in case. Thanks to the directions, it didn't take us long at all to find the tower, but there was a slight problem with it. As one could expect, it had stairs. It had a lot of stairs. It had a lot of very winding stairs. I did not like them.

"Why must it wind?" I asked at some point, feeling dizzy. Round and round we went, and it barely felt like we had made any progress despite what my eyes told me when I looked down. I hated exercise. I could work for hours on end in my infirmary, but a staircase was enough to make my body hurt. "Why?"

"This is more defensible," Chulainn 'helpfully' pointed out. Still, he took my arm and helped steady me. For the first time in my life, I was tempted to ask someone to carry me. "An attacker has to round each turn to try and attack, and the walls make it harder to draw your sword. A defender, meanwhile, just has to knock them off-balance and let gravity handle the rest."

"I suppose a straight staircase wouldn't fit either."

"Not unless it was a ladder, which is more easily broken than stone stairs." He suddenly frowned and pulled me close while he studied the wall. "There's a scratch." He ran his fingers over it, pulling them back to look at the dust clinging to them. "Fairly recent."

"Please tell me this doesn't mean there's potential attackers in front of us." I couldn't help but sigh when Chulainn did not answer. This... this would happen. Of course, this would happen to me. "Ayra is never going to let this go. Never."

"To be fair, there was the suspicion someone might have sneaked in."

"She's still never going to let it go." What to do? The smart thing might be to leave, but I couldn't. The boys and Lady Lachesis could be hurt. "Shall we continue?"

Chulainn insisted on taking the lead, and I followed close behind as we resumed our climb, wind by wind. I took to counting the number, and at 'five', Chulainn stopped and pulled me close again. There, just around the sixth turn, were two soldiers. Worse, the soldiers were not wearing Nordion's colors; they wore Heirhein's.

"They haven't noticed us, and clearly do not expect an attack from behind," Chulainn whispered, watching them closely. I frowned worriedly and gripped my staff tightly. "Could be some higher, but if so, it's probably only one or two. Larger group would've made more noise." Yes, but... "But you want to get to the boys and Lachesis as soon as possible, don't you?"

"Should I apologize?" I whispered back, trying to joke. I was sure it fell flat. "With luck, it's only these two."

"Since when are either of us lucky?" This was more than fair, at least where I was concerned. "I'll distract them."

"Follow as soon as you can. You're still injured, after all."

"I can-" He made the mistake of looking down, and I made sure to frown at him. It worked before, so perhaps… "All right, all right."

"Good." My free hand ghosted over his bandages. I could only hope they and the stitches would hold. "I'll… we'll be waiting."

Chulainn awkwardly patted my back in reassurance before letting go and sneaking a little closer. He was perfectly still for half of a heartbeat, and then he pounced, snagging one by the shirt and flipping them over his shoulder so they tumbled down the stairs. The other, he slammed into the wall, and I took advantage of the gap to push past and run up the stairs as fast as I could manage.

If I thought I'd been dizzy before, it was nothing compared to now. My chest was on fire; my lungs were filled with shattered glass. I could barely see straight, and had to rely on the wall to keep upright. My legs were so numb I barely realized they were attached, and I scraped my palm when I stumbled and nearly fell. But my other hand kept a firm grip on my staff, and my goal remained unchanged. I had to reach the top. I had to check on the others. This could all be paranoia, but I couldn't rest until I had seen them and was certain. It was just like when the assassins went after Shannan. I didn't mind being wrong; I just had to know as soon as possible.

Sadly, however, I was just as right now as I was then. I smelled the blood before I finally hit the landing, and rounding the corner into the main 'room' of the tower showed the blood was Finn's. A man wearing a black jacket and maroon cape had struck Finn through the back with a lance, not unlike Chulainn's own injury earlier, and ripped it up and out in a spray of blood. Finn crumpled from the pain, and only did not collapse because Lady Lachesis caught him.

"Finn!" she screamed, keeping him upright. While she did, Lord Oifey snuck between them and swung his sword, driving the man back before he could try a second attack. "How dare you, Elliot!?"

"How dare I?" the man scoffed. So, this was the infamous Elliot. I didn't like him before, and I truly didn't like him now. "Come now, this is your fault. If you'd just become my wife, this never would've happened."

"I would rather die than be your wife, worm!"

"But would you rather they die?" He had the most disgusting smirk on his face and it grew when Lachesis blanched. Lord Oifey immediately stiffened and shifted so he stood more firmly between the two and Elliot. "So, come over here and..."

And that was when I did what had to be the stupidest thing in Jugdral. I knocked on the doorway. It was just a simple tap, barely loud enough to be heard, but it startled and caught the attention of Elliot, and frankly, that was all that mattered. "My apologies, but none of them are dying," I informed him, keeping my calm despite how out of breath and disheveled I appeared. I hated running. Running was the worst. "Finn, are you conscious?"

"Who the hell are you?!" Elliot roared, whirling to face me. He swung his lance wildly, and blood slung onto my cheek as he pointed the tip straight at my face. I felt myself going cold when I realized the blood was Finn's. "How did you get here?!"

"I ran." Without thinking about it, I reached up and pushed the lance to the side so it was no longer in my face. "Now then, if you seek treatment, I ask you drop your weapon. If you seek a fight, I ask you go elsewhere."

"You...!"

"Ah, and if you seek a wife, I would advise you to leave, and perhaps see if someone can cure you of your personality." I nudged the lance more out of my way and strode past him. Finn was still bleeding. "I fear that is beyond my abilities." He spun, no doubt to try and attack me for insulting him. I honestly didn't care since I doubted it would kill me before I finished tending to Finn. But then Finn decided to challenge my record of 'doing the stupidest things in Jugdral'.

He attacked. He attacked Elliot. Despite bleeding profusely and being paler than snow, he actually attacked Elliot. The first strike didn't hit, but somehow, he managed to attack again before Elliot could retaliate. Then, by some miracle, Elliot's answering attack missed, and Finn managed to land two more blows and a kick, sending Elliot flying into a heap out onto the landing. Others might have found it impressive. I, on the other hand...

"Finn, get back here and stop making your wounds worse," I ordered, snagging his shirt and tugging him towards me. The tiny movement was enough to completely unbalance him, but I helped him sit down on the floor with me so I could begin treatment. "Oh, what am I to do with you?"

"Not scold me?" Finn requested, his voice breathy with pain. He somehow managed a smile, while Lady Lachesis and Lord Oifey stared incredulously. I didn't blame them for taking a second to process what just happened. "I... um... apologize for breaking my promise?"

"You're alive. I'll forgive you for anything and everything, so long as you live. I can't bring back the dead; I can only heal the living." I frowned as I noticed just how ragged the wound was. Not only had he been run through, but he had a few more minor injuries, and Elliot had twisted the lance as he ripped it out to cause more damage. I dared not think of the full extent until we were safe; it was hard enough to stabilize him. "With that said, you have gotten yourself quite the extensive injury and, as such, will have quite the extensive recovery."

"I figured."

"Oh, Finn, I'm so sorry..." Lady Lachesis breathed, hovering now that her initial shock had passed. Lord Oifey moved to the window and waved, catching someone's attention below. "I... I wasn't paying attention and..."

"But you were paying attention, to the battle," Finn countered, tipping his head back to frown at her. The movement nearly sent him teetering, but she quickly reached down to steady him. "That's what we agreed. You and Oifey would continue to watch outside and I would head down to give Lord Sigurd and Lord Quan an update. I should apologize for reacting so slowly."

"But I..."

"I chose to shield you. And I'd do it again."

"I can bleed more than you, you know. Holy Blood."

"But that doesn't mean you don't feel pain."

"Yes, but I wouldn't die!"

"But I'm not dying. Alicia won't let me."

"We didn't know she was on the way! And I don't have a staff up here!"

"Oifey has his medicine kit. I would've lasted long enough for someone to carry me down."

"Stop being logical when you're bleeding everywhere!"

"Might you two be quiet?" I requested, still tending to Finn's injuries. It wasn't as bad as Sir Midir's injury at Yngvi, but it wasn't much better and would require quite a few stitches. "He needs to stay still. Lord Oifey, may I borrow your kit? Mine is in the courtyard, and I fear this will require more than what is in my emergency pouch." Note to self: add more surgical thread the next chance I got.

Lord Oifey happily handed me his medical kit, and knelt beside me to give whatever assistance he could. Lady Lachesis focused more on helping Finn upright and talking to him to keep him distracted from the pain. But I'd barely gotten him stable when Lord Oifey gasped and I looked up to see Elliot standing. Somehow, someway, he had dragged himself to his feet and, despite his injuries, he tried to attack us once more.

It failed. It failed just as it did before, but for a very different reason.

"Don't you dare!" It failed because Lady Lachesis surged forward and she did not bother drawing the sword on her belt. Instead, she grabbed him by the face and slammed his skull against the wall with enough force to crack it. "Ah..." She let go and blood smeared down the wall as Elliot slid. Right as his body hit the ground, Chulainn appeared in the doorway, a fresh cut on his cheek but otherwise unharmed, and based on his expression, I gathered he not only realized what had happened, but was rather impressed by it. "Um..." Lady Lachesis, however, looked ill. "Is... is he dead?" she finally asked in the smallest of voices. "I think... he's still breathing?"

"Is he?" I replied softly, finding a stopping point with Finn's treatment. Then, I moved over to Elliot and checked his injuries. She was right; he was still breathing. But... "The damage to his brain is too great. Even if he survived, he'd be naught but a living doll." So, I returned to treating Finn. I could still save him, after all, and he needed stitches quickly. "It is better to let him breathe his last. He's unconscious, so he won't feel pain."

"Oh." Her voice was still so small. "I see."

"Wait, he had a brain to damage?" Lord Oifey immediately snarked, with the most 'surprised' look on his face. The words were so sudden and so immediate that Lady Lachesis actually broke down in incredulous, and perhaps a little hysterical, laughter. "Well, will wonders never cease."

"...You are the worst," Lady Lachesis managed through the laughter. She sat down hard by the corpse and covered her face. "The absolute worst!"

"What? I'm genuinely surprised." He shrugged; Lady Lachesis laughed harder. "But I suppose he did get what he wanted in the end. He always wanted you to touch him." By then, it became clear Lady Lachesis's laughter was more 'hysterics' than anything, and Lord Oifey got an awkward look on his face, not sure how to help.

But right as Lady Lachesis quieted, Chulainn awkwardly rested his hand on her head. "Just focus on your breath," he whispered. Lady Lachesis looked down and nodded. "You can count if you want, but focus on it and nothing else. I'm here to keep guard, Oifey can keep an eye outside, and Finn is in good hands with Alicia. There is nothing you need to do. Breathe."

Lady Lachesis kept her head down the entire time, shifting to lean against Chulainn's leg. Though he looked uncomfortable, he didn't shy away. He let her lean, and he kept his hand on her head in a comforting gesture. Oifey, meanwhile, did exactly as he said and sat by the window to watch the battle below, leaving only to assist me when I needed it. Finn remained a proper patient, so I could finish his initial treatment quickly.

The others were going to have heart attacks when they heard what had happened. I should prepare some medicines and teas, just in case.

Finally, I stitched Finn's injury well enough for him to be moved. Lady Lachesis insisted on carrying him, so we got him onto her back and I kept a steadying hand on both as we descended the too-long-and-winding staircase. Chulainn led the way down, just in case, and Lord Oifey brought up the rear with Elliot's corpse slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Finn attempted to protest, but he was much too dizzy to walk straight and before we were even halfway down, he had passed out from the pain.

"I will need to reinforce these once he is in a bed," I whispered to myself, sensing how the wound strained against the stitches. I should have brought my full medicine bag, but like an idiot, I hadn't. Somehow, I'd expected this to be much simpler. "Chulainn, is everything still all right up ahead?"

"Nothing has jumped out from the shadows yet," Chulainn answered, as calm as always. The only sign of his worry was how he kept glancing back at us. "Ah, but watch your step. I think the bodies of those other two are coming up."

"Are you sure they're dead?"

"I threw both of them down these stairs, so if they aren't, they'll wish they were. A fall from here would easily break their necks, and more." That was... "I'll handle them if they're not."

"Please don't worsen your injury. We have enough to worry about with Finn."

"Chulainn is injured?" Lady Lachesis asked, frowning. She suddenly flinched and glanced at her side; some of Finn's blood had seeped into her shirt. I definitely needed to reinforce these stitches. "When did that happen?"

"Chulainn protected me shortly after I arrived," I explained, careful to keep everything from my words to my expression steady. I still felt terrible about it. If I hadn't been so stupid... today was certainly a day for proving my idiocy. "I'll need to check it once I'm done with Finn."

"Wait, but Oifey said Chulainn was fighting shortly after you arrived."

"Yes. He was run through, and then fought." A random thought occurred to me. "I suppose it is true what they say about pupils resembling their teachers. It's the exact same thing Finn did."

"I didn't teach him to do that," Chulainn immediately retorted, reaching down to move something out of the way. It took me a long second to realize it was the body of one of the two soldiers. "We've mainly been working on incorporating unarmed combat with his lances, such as punches and kicks. No one expects a knight to know much about hand-to-hand combat, especially one who usually rides."

"Well, that explains the kick he used to send Elliot flying onto the landing," I sighed, wishing he hadn't. It truly was a miracle he was still alive. "He's so reckless."

"Indeed, much like one of his teachers." …I set myself up for that one. "Wasn't his response similar to yours as well?"

"Maybe." I wasn't in a mood to admit it right now, and not just because I felt terrible about it. More blood had appeared on Finn's shirt. "Oifey, do you have more bandages in your kit?"

"Bleeding through?"

"Yes, but I can't reinforce the stitches here. So, we'll add more, if Oifey has-"

"I've got some!" Lord Oifey reassured, pulling a little from his bag. He dropped Elliot's body unceremoniously, only paying it enough attention to make sure it didn't slide down, and reached into his kit for more. "Lady Lachesis, let's set Finn down for a moment. Are you certain you do not want to re-stitch, Lady Alicia? There should still be thread."

"Our footing isn't stable enough for me to risk it," I refused, shaking my head. It was only then I realized something. "Oh, I should apologize. I forgot your title."

"N-no, it's fine, Lady Alicia!" He smiled brightly and helped Lady Lachesis get Finn settled on a step. "I don't mind."

"If you are certain..." I crouched down and pulled up Finn's shirt. Yes, he was bleeding through. Thankfully, it wasn't much, but... "You can reciprocate. In fact, I insist."

"Er..."

"Wonder if you'll beat Sigurd in getting him to drop titles," Lady Lachesis attempted to joke. Her smile was too strained for it. "Um... but is there... anything I can do to help?"

"Keep him steady, and hold his shirt up, will you?" I requested, back to business. This needed to be quick. "We need to lean him forward some."

Adding more bandages didn't take long. It honestly took longer to get Finn back on Lady Lachesis's back and for Oifey to pick up Elliot's corpse. Then we resumed our descent and, surprisingly, we had a welcoming party waiting for us at the bottom. Namely, Sigurd and Quan were waiting, both looking terribly worried. They sighed in relief at our appearance, but dread filled their faces once more when they saw Lady Lachesis carrying Finn on her back, and Oifey had a corpse over his shoulder.

"Oifey signaled us that something had happened," Sigurd said, neatly explaining both their presence and worry. I wondered when he'd done that before remembering he had waved to some shortly after I started tending Finn. "I... what happened?"

"Well, we'll start with the good news," Oifey began, stepping around us. He dropped Elliot's corpse once more, this time letting it sprawl on the floor like a broken puppet. "Ellidiot's dead. And we aren't."

"So, he did sneak in." Sigurd closed his eyes. "And went right to Lachesis, like we feared. Damn his obsession." He opened his eyes to look at each of us, his attention lingering on Lady Lachesis. "Why is Finn unconscious?"

"That's the bad news. He was hurt protecting Lady Lachesis." Oifey moved back and took Finn from her. Finn did not stir through all of this, and it made my heart hurt. "He apparently had two followers, but Chulainn threw them down the stairs. Their corpses are off to the side."

"We'd better grab them before they start rotting in earnest," Quan grumbled, bending slightly to scrutinize Elliot's corpse. He even nudged it with his foot. "It'll take ages for the smell to go away otherwise. Who killed Ellidiot? Finn?"

"No, Lady Lachesis did," Oifey answered, neatly and concisely. He shifted so Finn was more firmly on his back and I fussed to make sure nothing else had torn open. Chulainn lingered near, his attention on the surrounding halls, and Lady Lachesis stood awkwardly near, her gaze unfocused. "After Finn knocked him away and he stupidly stood back up."

"Of course he did the stupid thing. What amazes me is that it led to the most politically sound outcome." Quan sighed, shaking his head. "So... whoa!" Before he could continue, he was knocked off-balance by Sigurd pushing past him to get to Lachesis. "Why... ah. Never mind." He smiled faintly, for some reason. "Oifey, Chulainn, might you two give me a more detailed report? Not much, just enough so I can figure out the sequence of events?"

Oifey and Chulainn dutifully did so, Oifey noticeably more comfortable with the idea than Chulainn, and I ignored them for checking Finn once more. It wasn't as if I needed to know the sequence of events when I'd gone through it, and Finn's well-being was much more important. Once I was reassured his injuries still held, though, I found myself listening in on Sigurd and Lady Lachesis's conversation. I was worried by how wan she'd gotten.

"Hey, you're pale," Sigurd was whispering, pushing the hair out of her face. She tried to scowl, but the expression fell flat. "You're clammy too. See, this is why you're supposed to take breaks. You're lucky Grahnye asked Alicia to come find you."

"There was too much to be done," she mumbled, looking away. Neither mentioned they had been lucky for other reasons. "And Eldie..."

"Eldigan would weep if he saw how poorly you were doing." He ruffled her hair and smiled gently. "And he would be the first to say none of this is your fault." Lady Lachesis stiffened at the words. "It's not. I know it feels that way, but it's not. Eldigan chose to reason with Chagall. Chagall chose to be an idiot and imprisoned him. Chagall chose to order the assault on both Nordion and Verdane. Ellidiot chose to lead it. Heirhein's soldiers chose to fight it. Nordion's soldiers chose to defend it. And we chose to come help. Those are all other people's choices, Lachesis. Not yours."

"But I..."

"Lachesis, is there anyone who can convince Eldigan to change his mind once it's set?"

"You. Maybe."

"If that. And it's on Ellidiot for continuing to be obsessed with you despite your refusals. And you were not wrong to refuse him. You know these things. It's just hard to remember right now." His smile softened. "Unfortunately, there is no way to make this your fault. All of this was outside your control, and no amount of trying to blame yourself will change that. But I'm here now. We're here now. So, we'll take back control and make sense of everything once more. I promise."

"You are... so..." She leaned forward and rested her head against his chest. Sigurd hugged her in return, patting her back. "You got permission to be here?"

"Yes."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"...Good." She reached one shaking hand up to clutch the front of his shirt. If she cried, we all pretended otherwise. "Good…"

"So, that's what happened," Quan murmured then, drawing my attention back to him. Chulainn moved to my side, silent as ever, and Oifey readjusted his grip on the unconscious Finn. "Certainly not a sequence of events I anticipated. I can't decide if your luck is poor, Alicia, or if everyone else's is just good." He grinned at me, and I knew my expression flattened. "That's the second time others went looking for someone, and you walked right into them." It was also the second time Finn had been wounded in such a scenario.

"Quan, might you joke about my abysmal luck when your squire is not bleeding?" I requested, speaking more dryly than I had in a very long while. It was improper given everything, but I couldn't help it. "I only have him stable."

"...That could've been said a lot sooner." His cheer dropped like a rock. I could only frown because I would've thought Finn's condition was obvious. He was unconscious. Did he think he'd been swayed to sleep after being carried? "I know it'll be a bit before infirmaries are set up, so he can use my usual rooms." How often did he and Sigurd stay here that they had 'usual rooms'? "I'm guessing you'll accompany him?"

"Yes, I need to do one more check to ensure nothing reopened, and then I'll head outside to assist."

"All right. I'll warn Ethlyn and Edain. Oifey, do you know the way? Sigurd will be a minute; Lachesis needs the support."

Oifey did, in fact, know the way and somehow managed his usual quick pace despite carrying Finn on his back. It took Chulainn tapping him on the shoulder for him to slow down for me, but I still felt a little out of breath when we made it to Quan's 'usual rooms', a spacious cluster of three rooms in what I thought was the 'family wing' of the castle. I could be wrong, and frankly, it didn't matter. As soon as Oifey laid Finn on the bed, I had to steal his medicine kit once more and re-stitch the injuries. Oifey helped by holding the skin together for me, despite how ill he was over it. I thought about reminding him he didn't have to, Chulainn could do the same since he was just outside the door, but Oifey's stubborn frown told me he would do it no matter what and learn while he was at it. So, we worked in silence and, when we were done, he barely managed to drag a chair over to sit down. He was too unsteady to stay upright.

"That should hold at least until I am finished outside," I murmured, tying off the last bandage. Finn had remained unconscious throughout, a testament to the pain, blood loss, and exhaustion. "You two have been pushing yourselves with Lady Lachesis, haven't you?"

"W-well, we tried to rest since we knew you'd scold us," Oifey mumbled, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. His complexion was the most curious mix of 'green' and 'pale'. "But it was hard when she kept insisting on working. She would've collapsed a lot sooner if we didn't help. So, we staggered out the duties as best as we could." He groaned and tilted his head back further. "Thought about trying to guilt her, but she was already overwhelmed. Ellidiot's appearance tipped her over the edge, but she'd been lingering on it for the past few days."

"That was why Sigurd focused so quickly on her, wasn't it?" I checked the bandages and then pulled the blankets over Finn. "How are you?"

"I'll... be fine in a moment. I thought I was better about the blood and smells, but..." Literally holding a dear friend together while a healer stitched them was not something most would be able to shrug off or endure. "He... he needs a watcher, doesn't he?"

"He does. Would you mind?"

"No, I don't." He sighed and slowly leaned forward. He had to drop his head into his hands immediately to stave off dizziness. "Providing Heirhein's soldiers act as expected, I won't be needed. It's just wrapping up, and my strategies are no longer necessary. If I'm wrong, then it's better to stay in one place so I can be found easily."

"Thank you." I smoothed out Finn's blankets, gave him one last check, and then walked around the bed so I could pat Oifey on the head. "Do you need a headache remedy?"

"No, just a little dizzy and nauseous still. It'll pass. If it doesn't soon, I'll get some water. Promise."

I still fussed a little over him, too worried to simply leave, but eventually, his reassurances convinced me he would be well at least for the next few hours, so I left the room to meet with Chulainn. He closed the door behind me, and we headed down the hall in silence. If not for the decor, one might assume we were in Evans, leaving Sigurd's office after a morning meeting. But we weren't in Evans. We wouldn't see Evans for a very long while. The thought made my heart hurt, and when I tried to distract myself, I was reminded of other hurts I should tend to.

"I see you have a new injury," I whispered, reaching up to touch the scratch on Chulainn's face. It was already scabbed, and did not look irritated. "Here, I should check the rest."

"I'm fine, Alicia," Chulainn sighed, shrugging. "There's no pain, certainly none new. It wasn't a difficult fight. They only got my face because I misstepped while trying to throw the second."

"Mmm..." Truthfully, I knew I should leave it at that. It wasn't that I did not believe him, far from it. I simply... "Please?" I think I needed the reassurance. After messing up so badly before, after causing him to be injured, after seeing Finn grievously injured... I needed...

"It's not your fault, you know." He caught my hand and squeezed it in gentle yet awkward reassurance. "I made my choices. You're too quick to blame yourself."

"I am not."

"You were counting the dead earlier. Despite the fact that most were dead before you arrived." Now how did we get onto that habit of mine? I would ignore how he knew; I was used to him seeing what I never told anyone. "You shouldn't add them or me to your burdens." …I had no idea why, but for some reason, that sentence irritated me far more than it should've.

"The dead are no burden." That irritation made my words harder than they needed to be. "They are a weight I carry, yes, but they are not a burden. I carry and remember them because I wish to save everyone and I will not forget those I could not. I counted those in the courtyard because they are still ones I could not save, and I will hold the number in my heart. That is my choice." I twisted my hand around to grab his tightly. "And you, Chulainn, could never be a burden, not to me or anyone else." Ah, I think that was why I was more irritated than usual. Mistaking my counting was easy to do, but conflating him to something one should be rid of was… it was something I could not accept. "Worrying over you and your injuries is also my choice."

He and I stared at each other for a long moment, his eyes wide like I had surprised him. I met his gaze head on, unwilling to back down, and he looked away first. "I am fine, you know."

"I believe you." And I did. "But after seeing someone so dear unconscious in bed from a similar injury, I want the reassurance."

"...All right."

We found an empty room nearby and Chulainn remained silent throughout my examination. Just as he said, his wounds were fine, but I checked each one carefully anyway to be sure. A couple of times, I found him staring at and through me, with his eyes narrowed slightly like he was looking at something too bright. But that made no sense, as the room was no brighter than any other. Still, I had a feeling he would not explain even if I asked, so I focused on my work and pretended to not notice. Once finished, he and I resumed our walk back to the courtyard in the usual comfortable silence.

"Oh, Lady Alicia!" Dimitra spotted me as soon as I stepped out of the castle and rushed over to lead me to the meeting in the center of the courtyard. Chulainn returned to the gates with a wave, to serve as watch once more. "We heard what happened," she explained, gesturing to the others in the group. Lady Edain made sure to smile, but Ethlyn looked worried. "How is Sir Finn?"

"We'll need to give him a more extensive check later, but for now, he's fine," I reassured, smiling serenely. Ethlyn breathed a sigh of relief at that. "I see a lot of activity. Are we already moving inside?"

"Yes, and we were just discussing how to best do so! Master Rafail ordered stretchers to be kept near in case we had to evacuate the wounded, and I was... well, I was thinking we could use those for the worst wounded..."

"That would work, though we do need to find volunteers to carry them," Lady Edain replied, tapping her cheek. Her gaze turned to the wounded stumbling through the gates. "To say nothing of the newly arrived wounded. They'll still need triage. So, my suggestion would be to split the duties and..."

Discussions continued for a while, before we dispersed. Dimitra and Ethlyn oversaw moving the patients, while Lady Edain and I returned to our healing and triage. Outside the gates, the roaring battle died with a whimper, vomiting wounded with its dying gasps. Night had fallen by the time we finished and Lady Edain and I could focus our efforts on Finn.

Nordion was saved, for now. It would be nice if this was the worst of it, but I had a terribly bad feeling it wouldn't.

Lex

Class: Axe Knight

Skills: Elite, Vantage

Holy Blood: Minor Nal

Age when joining the army: 18

The younger son of Duke Lombard, he is well known for his boisterous personality, his staunch loyalty, and his ability to learn and master anything he puts his mind to. Due to his laidback nature, however, he rarely applies himself unless something catches his attention or one of his friends needs him.

His Holy Mark is on his upper left arm, sharp angles resembling a cluster of stars. Due to the blessings of Nal, he has an increased pain tolerance and the ability to resist physical damage, having survived more than one assassination attempt because the assassin's blade broke while attacking him. His fighting style takes advantage of these traits, almost to the point of recklessness.

He suddenly began living in Velthomer two years ago. No one knows why, especially when rumors prior to the move implied his father may defy inheritance laws to have him inherit over his older brother. One thing is clear, though. He shows no intention of returning, despite many of the Grau Ritter wishing he would so they can transfer their oaths from his brother to him.