Chapter Text
~Children of the Veil~
Part 1: The Lights Festival
It is said in in the old tales, when the whole of Runeterra still trembled in the aftermath of the Great Rune Wars, that upon its descent from the ascended realm, the cast out sword of Mother Justice left in its wake a white burning trail in the night sky, not unlike those the great ships of the king paint on the oceans. That divine paint smear then dispersed and dissipated over its infinite canvas, where its remnants still hang there, like invisible lights in balance between earth and stars.
Where the Sword touched the earth, it consecrated the ground, and thawed the great stone trees in its celestial heat; The sisters found it, earning their mother’s name and legacy.
But in time, they quarrelled, and two souls formed two opposed justices.
One, distant and perfect, is held oppressively close to the hearts of the mortals calling these lands home, while the other, closer to their natures, remains obscured under The Veil, held at bay by generational forgetfulness and misconception.
Justice thus remains a fractured name, only held together by its meaning and history.
And as the act of worship is but a reflection of the soul, mortals, one and all, eventually follow the paths laid out by their own tales.
What then happens when that fabled path is, at last, sought out and walked upon?
A Mother’s Tale
Lestara Buvelle
Chapter 1: Governess
As the arch of the modest stone wall passed overhead, Terbisia’s main street stretching beyond was surprisingly lively, even just a few bells past sunrise. It was, even to a noble born Demacian such as Laurier Gloire, an impressive sight. For a newly established settlement, Terbisia quickly proved itself beyond expectation. Solid, white stone buildings, two to three floors in height lined the streets, their tiled pitched rooftops gleaming in the morning sun with their - strangely colourful , paint schemes. Tall pines and squat birches left untouched from their time among wilderness, rose at uneven intervals between houses, giving a rustic feeling to the whole. Naturally, nothing here came close in scale to any of the larger cities under the king's rule, such as High Silvermere or the Capital, but the expectation had been wooden shacks and dirt roads, and that was now proven entirely incorrect by the clatter of Laurier’s horse’s hooves on the cobbles. The streets here had a unique energy animating them, something Laurier had never really seen before, at least not in this joyous and carefree context; magic.
Shop owners were setting up their stands and merchandise along the boulevard and side streets alike, helping one another with their respective arcane abilities. He saw objects floating weightlessly from hand to hand, from the street to second floor windows, then from window to another across the boulevard, flying in a sea of banderoles and lanterns hanging above. Lanterns which were lit with multicoloured fires at the snap of a finger by a particularly proud looking citizen back down in the crowd. And not too far further, a young girl - probably a foreigner - he judged by her features, froze pieces of a freshly butchered deer with her breath, before neatly hanging them on her stand in front of eager customers.
On the boulevard, the displays of unnatural talents were endless.
Afflictions, Laurier might have called them just a few years ago; everyone did.
They were something to hide, and in the cases where that proved impossible, to be shunned and torn away, forcedly.
Not anymore.
The laws had changed regarding mages in the last few years, and these changes had come at a faster pace than most could manage; it had been a subject of rising tensions within Demacia. Laurier, however, had stood squarely in favour of these changes, an attitude no doubt by respect for his mentor and good friend; Garen Crownguard, as it would have been hard not to feel optimistic when being so often exposed to the Might’s fervent enthusiasm regarding his younger sister, herself a mage.
The infamous Luxanna Crownguard.
The Lady of Luminosity was the title she had earned for herself back during her time in the illuminators. Luxanna Crownguard was much more than that nowadays, a hero, a rebel, a governess, a symbol, it was also with whom Laurier was meant to speak with today, by personal and royal request. A task that made the young captain nervous indeed.
Long had he heard of the Crownguard daughter’s various deeds, and often had he felt the repercussions of those deeds, but never had he met her in person before, and that, despite his own house’s closeness to the Crownguards. He suspected Luxanna’s very publicly known dislike of most of her family to be the reason they had never crossed paths before, since he was well acquainted with many others from her illustrious lineage, but that was not something Laurier liked to dwell on for too long; he was not one for gossip.
Seeing Luxanna's proudest achievement; Terbisia, now prosperously spreading around him bustling with activity, as well as the smiles on its inhabitants, somewhat strengthened his opinion on the matter. Vindicated, Laurier even allowed himself a bit of pride. After all, his vocal approval and enthusiasm regarding the changes in Demacia, as well as his close friendship with Garen - Luxanna’s only close family member who she is known to respect - were stated as the main reasons why the captain had been chosen to deliver King Jarvan’s message to the Governess. Many of his comrades among the vanguard would surely have been more qualified if not for their varying levels of reluctance or even disdain towards magic.
The hill upon which the city was built made of the winding boulevard a gentle slope towards the increasingly dense center of town where the houses were built higher and leaned in closer to one another. Laurier rode amongst the citizens, most of whom he knew to be mages, as they prepared for what would surely be an exhausting day of festivities; Today was the newly established Lights Festival -a day meant to celebrate the re-settling of Terbisia as a refuge for mages and similarly oppressed people in Demacia, as well as a day celebrating victory.
It was on the same date last summer that the remnants of the mageseekers, led by their traitorous leader Eldred Crownguard, had attacked the city with genocidal intentions. They had failed, at a great cost to their numbers and an even greater cost to their reputation. Laurier had regrettably not been present for that battle, for he ,at the time, was stationed far away north in High Silvermere, deeply preoccupied with bloodthirsty Freljordian raiders taking advantage of the turmoil that the mage rebellion had been stirring within the kingdom. The captain had nonetheless heard tales of that day; Of the various characters of legend who had helped defend Terbisia. A gathering of great Demacian heroes, united in a just cause, under the blessings of the Fallen One herself. Oh how he wished to have witnessed such a moment. He had no doubt about how glorious it had been, for the memories of the victory still shone bright on the visage of Terbisia.
Perhaps remembering that victory was why most of the locals waved Laurier by with a smile. - surprisingly. There were even children running playfully in front and alongside his horse. Some of them looked at his armor and weapons with awe in their eyes, others mocked him for being a soldier of the king - Who is unfortunately not the most well-liked figure around here - all of them did so with innocence. Occasionally and much less innocently however, Laurier would receive worried unwelcoming gazes from older folks, but that was nothing he did not expect or feel like he did not deserve. In fact that was more in line with the welcome he had anticipated to receive while on his way here. These people had suffered greatly for most of their lives, often at the hands of soldiers in the very same armor he currently so proudly donned. He had more than a few times noticed shackle marks around the wrists of these mages, and the captain was very aware of how permanent those scars would be.
I cannot pretend to understand your pain, Mage, but I can at least empathize. That was more than most of his countrymen could ever manage. Yet I feel that will never be enough. This place was their liberation, better yet; their salvation, something they should have had a long time before they were allowed one; A home. And for that, you are right to reject the likes of me.
Arriving now at the central plaza gave the captain vantage on most of the town, here the slow rise of the hill turned into sharp jagged cliffs, below which the houses kept spreading, giving the city a welcomed verticality entirely different - and much less slippery - to High Silvermere’s great waterfalls. Laurier could see activity everywhere, all the way down to the Veiled River, where a large group of locals were setting up an array of strange looking tubular contraptions along the south shore, all linked by an intricate network of wires. There he saw it - saw him.
Protector’s Grace.
Waist deep in the river, the great colossus, Galio, very clearly happy to be here even from a distance, was ferrying equipment and people with his enormous stone and gold hands from one side of the river to the other, his booming laugh loudly resonating at rather short intervals. This wasn’t the first time Laurier had seen Galio; the golem was for most of his childhood a much less animated feature on the landscape of the capital. But to see him move, wings spread wide open in a colossal display of joy, talking, laughing and joking with whomever he happened to hold in his palm in the moment took his breath away. What a sight.
To Laurier’s right, sitting on a wooden bench facing the vista, an old lady addressed him.
‘He’s a good lad, the big one. Word is, last night Lady Luxanna spent much of her magic in order to have him awake for the festival. Always working herself too hard that girl, always to exhaustion. Would be a shame if she missed the night herself…’
Eyes narrowing, Laurier nodded.
‘Indeed, it would.’
And with a small bow of his head, he was on his way to his quarry again, somehow, he had a feeling Galio wasn’t going to be the only thing he’d remember this day for. He decided that was probably a good thing. Now hopefully she is awake.
Making his way through narrower, quieter streets, lined with enough trees to block out most of the sun’s light, Laurier arrived at the courtyard fronting the newly rebuilt estate commanding the city. Being surrounded by the more heavily wooded part of town gave the space a serene quality - a refuge within a refuge. The palace, perhaps town-hall was a more appropriate descriptor, was a building of competing identities as it served both administrative and residential purposes. It was the largest in Terbisia, barring those serving a strictly public function such as Morgana’s temple or the river market, a typically Demacian manor, though had it been built next to any other they would have made it look puny in comparison, for it lacked the statue ridden facade and the monumentalism of its peers’ stonework. It was still built of the usual gleaming white marble, but its sun-bleached facade had none of the sweeping ornaments so often carved into such properties - but it does have … pink paint ? Is vandalism an issue in this city? That the governess’s own residence was defiled as such made little sense to the soldier, not after seeing firsthand how prosperous the citizens were here. He had to assume then, another reason for the odd splatters of colour on the marble walls in front of him, but he could not think of any.
Barring that, the building, like most of the town before it, was more practical and down to earth than the architecture Laurier was used to, which tended to thread the line between impossibly heavy flat stone and expressing a desire to take flight. Sometimes it did - he mused, remembering Galio’s laughter. He figured the city favoured a more chaotic and freeform style of masonry; a product of having had to build fast, with few resources and while under a constant risk of attack, which led to its unusual quirks - but still does not explain the garishly coloured roofs.
Dominating the courtyard was a short round tower - apparently also vandalised - its shadow stretching from one corner of the garden about fifty paces across to the other, under which a strange looking fountain adorned by a mechanical figure of a shark baring its teeth, spewing water from both its mouth and glowing blue eyes, decorated the courtyard’s center. The strange effigy was surrounded by a well-maintained blue and gold grove of dandelions and irises gently floating on the breeze. The soldier raised his eyebrow interrogatively at the sight, somehow the sea predator’s mad grin didn’t diminish the otherwise serene quality of the scene. A woman’s voice spoke up, muted and made distant yet clear by the breeze.
‘State your business, Dauntless Vanguard.’
Despite the imperious tone, her gentle smile was warm and welcoming. Brown haired, the young woman, still in her teens at first glance, stepped out to greet him. He assumed by her garments she was a maid.
‘Lady Crownguard is not expecting a visit this morning, we have been very busy preparing for the Lights Festival; understand little time can be accorded to distractions. I trust this is important.’
Perhaps more than just a maid.
‘I am Captain Laurier Gloire, I bring news from King Jarvan, expediently delivered here at his personal request for haste.’
She raised an eyebrow, her mouth curling up in a curious smile.
‘Very well, your mount will be taken care of. If you will follow me.’
She briefly bowed, then with a snap of her feet turned around sharply and walked back towards the door just as diligently. She stopped within the portal and looked over her shoulder at the now dismounted soldier.
‘Be warned Captain Laurier Gloire, before noon the lady of the house is rather… short tempered.’
The soldier was well acquainted with the character of other Crownguard women - a family trait - he had to assume anxiously as Grand Marshall Tianna’s stern visage came to mind.
No stablemaster came out for his horse, instead half a dozen children who seemed all too happy to help once the maid called them down from the building’s side wing. An orphanage? Laurier was well aware of Luxanna Crownguard’s extensive charity work for the illuminators prior to the rebellion, but to still be so involved as to house children on her own estate despite being a governess was a surprise. It was impressive and rather humbling to a vanguard soldier like him; a reminder that he could always do more - There is always room for good. He knew at this moment that what he had heard from Garen regarding his sister’s kindness was not hyperbolic in the slightest. The Might’s self-aggrandizing tales were generally to be taken with a grain of salt - And a handful if Noxus is involved - but that didn’t seem to extend to those regarding his younger sibling.
Somehow this only made Laurier more nervous, the message he was tasked to deliver wasn’t exactly the most pleasant of news and he had no idea of how the governess would react. A few moments ago, he had been worried about angering her, now he instead felt preemptively guilty about potentially making her sad.
Righteous One forgives.
The main hall, where audiences would typically be received, was in fact the dining room; A long table where two dozen could comfortably sit, were there enough chairs, stretched down the center under the dim blue glow of a chandelier. A chandelier that reminded the soldier of the shark fountain in its aesthetic, a rather bizarre one to him. Of course, no one was here to greet Laurier as his visit was not part of the host’s plans for the day. The young maid instead guided him to the governess’s office deeper within the building. He noticed along the way even more unusual decorations with that same strange look: loads of mechanical contraptions he couldn’t even begin to imagine the function of were scattered haphazardly, hanging on the walls and ceiling, most of which had odd paint schemes. And are quite dangerous looking.
The maid must have noticed his interrogative, slightly worried look as she smiled.
‘They are my lady’s… artwork. Beautiful, aren’t they?’
That wasn’t the first word that came to the soldier’s mind when he locked gaze with the large neon pink monkey mockingly painted over a tableau of the capital city.
More like queer, and… rather offensive. He thought, but having just heard the admiration in the maid’s voice, did not say. He opted for a small nod accompanied with an awkward smile.
Laurier followed the maid inside the office and patiently waited for his cue as she went to whisper to the woman sitting at the desk filling the back end of the room wall to wall. The governess was evidently of small stature, considering how she was entirely hidden from the soldier’s view behind her chair’s backrest. The office was even more cramped with “artworks” than the hallway, though most looked unfinished.
Workshop would certainly have been a more appropriate descriptor for this room, workbench for the desk. Parts and tools were scattered on all surfaces and an unfamiliar, though not unpleasant chemical smell coated the air.
Lady Crownguard was, almost expectedly by now, quite busy tinkering. There was no better word for it, for the only paper on her desk were multicoloured sketches and blueprints. The rest and most of the space was occupied by even more tools and metal scraps, each stranger than the last. It was impossible to tell their purpose from a distance, but Laurier had to assume they were for an unfinished project - or many, and they all look like they could kill me. His impression of the Crownguard daughter was already a complete reversal of expectations, never would he have figured Garen’s sister to be so… un-demacian in her hobbies.
The maid pulled back, smiled at Laurier before walking towards the exit, passing the soldier. She wished him good luck while closing the door behind her and before he could ask himself why he would need luck, an energetic voice came from behind the chair.
‘Ok alright soldier man, what’s up?’
Too nervous to process just how casual and unrefined the person addressing him was, Laurier simply went through the motions.
‘Lady Crownguard! I am Captain Laurier Gloire of the Dauntless Vanguard! I have come to deliver a message from his highness Jarvan the fourth’
‘Huh… Lady Crownguard...’
Pensive, lower and raspier than expected. Everything was a surprise today. - Especially Lady Crownguard. What is that accent anyway?
‘I guess that’s my name, isn’t it?’
Continued the woman followed by an amused chuckle. Confusion piled up in his head, but Laurier kept it down, his nerves preventing him from processing the situation well.
‘So, what does the old J4 want with us?’
A small hand poked out from behind the chair lazily pointing up.
‘Oh, and can you keep it down a bit? The wife is sleeping upstairs.’
The soldier internally cursed. Just now did he remember - There were rumours!
Within the vanguard, word was that the governess of Terbisia had been married, or the very least engaged, only a few months ago. In his noble circles, speaking of Terbisia and the Crownguard daughter had, for a while been frowned upon by many, almost taboo, and thus rumours remained rumours. In this land, so reluctant to change its ways, most Demacians preferred to simply wait out how any given societal issue would play out before forming and expressing their opinion on the matter.
The establishment of Terbisia was no exception, and no consensus had yet to be reached on that particular case.
Comparatively, Laurier was a man who took great pride in his progressivism. He was the second only to Garen to accept and even support the idea among his peers, even during the height of the mage rebellion, when prejudice and hatred ruled. The exposure of the mageseekers’ cruel methods of oppression and their subsequent disbandment at the hand of Jarvan IV had turned public perception significantly. Yet, hearing Lady Crownguard mention another woman as her wife so casually, shook something deep within the Demacian foundation of his person.
‘Wife?’ He involuntarily breathed out in surprise.
‘UGH, you shiny people are all the same, it's getting ooooooold! Yes, wife, is that a problem?’
Laurier could see the governess shrug on her chair, and although her head remained hidden behind it, he was certain it was shaking in disapproval by the exasperated tone of her voice . What a terrible impression you’ve made of yourself, get it together this is a Crownguard! Sister to Commander Garen himself!
‘My apologies lady Crownguard, I was only a bit surprised, I… wasn’t informed.’ He began, making sure to keep his voice down, trying in vain to regain composure. ‘I came to inform you that King Jarvan will not be able to attend the celebration of the Lights Festival in the coming days. His highness greatly appreciated your invitation, however unforeseen circums-’
She cut him off. ‘Yeeeeah I figured that was gonna happen, not surprised!’ Whatever she was tinkering with then spat out a jet of pink smoke, but she kept going unperturbed. ‘Tell you what Chuck, I don’t really care for his excuse, and neither will Blondie, I didn’t even want to invite his stupid hypocritical ass in the first place!’
Laurier was having an increasingly harder time believing what he was hearing, or how again the lady of luminosity was nothing like he imagined, nothing how he had been told she would be from the stories he’d heard. Directly from her brother’s big mouth too! Who in Kayle’s name is Chuck anyway?
‘But she insisted!’
She continued, as her voice went from manic and annoyed to exaggeratedly refined with a much higher pitch.
‘“ It will be good for Terbisia’s image, Ma Chérie! The people of Demacia need not be afraid of who we are! Terbisia as it is now is but a temporary solution! Our people need total integration or total independence, no in between!” ’
And back to annoyance but this time with an underlying fondness.
‘Ugh, Janna’s tits, I hate how that makes sense.’
The messenger stood stiff, completely baffled in the middle of the room. How could a Crownguard, no matter how troubled her relationship with her family’s legacy, use such language? So casually insulting the king ? Not to mention how loud she is being for someone who only a moment ago instructed me to keep it down.
‘Well look who’s not gracing us with his mighty presence anyway!’ She kept on with palpable sarcasm. ‘Hey at least his ex-girlfriend is gonna come, she’s pretty cool and- oh! Please don’t tell me that’s the reason! Hah!’
Shocked into silence, Laurier could do nothing but stare at the back of the chair while Lady Crownguard laughed at her own idea. Finally, she sighed. ‘Anyway, if it was up to me…’ She threw her hands in the air along with the wrench she had been working with, which landed uncomfortably near Laurier with a loud clatter on the tiles, then swivelled her chair around to face him. ‘What they think of our city they can shove up their shiny asses.’
Shimmering, purple eyes stared Laurier down into understanding his mistake; He hadn’t been talking to Luxanna Crownguard at all.
The woman in the chair was completely alien in appearance; her hair was a shade of blue that should have been unnatural, yet it was, her wide grin should have twisted her features grotesquely, yet it didn’t, and her eyes as terrifying as they were, wholly captivated the man in a way he wasn’t sure how to feel about, their tone unnaturally shifting ever so slightly. Her garb, sewn from leathers and white fabrics so fashionable among nobles, stopped short beneath her ribcage exposing her lean stomach on which the tattooed blue clouds continued all the way up her neck and right arm.
A foreigner bringing her own fashion and culture to a Demacian noble’s attire; with far too many earrings, chokers, belts - and obscenely exposed skin.
‘Who...?’
‘It’s me! Your revered governess! Lady Crownguard!’
She crossed her legs and spread her arms wide, arching her back forward, presenting herself theatrically. He noticed then the prosthetic finger on her left hand, and next to it, a gleaming ring bearing the Crownguard sigil.
His laugh surprised both the governess and himself.
‘Apologies.’ He began as she frowned. ‘I was under the impression I was talking to the Lady of Luminosity, not her lover.’
With a hint of pride, the Governess’s grin widened even more. Somehow.
The captain remained perplexed by this development, but now that the slight misunderstanding within his mind had been resolved, his nervousness dissipated, and he regained confidence.
‘If you don’t mind telling me your name My Lady, I sincerely believe that, if the well-being of Terbisia is in your best interest, you will want to hear his highness’s message in its entirety.’
She feigned considering his words briefly, then kicked her feet up, spinning the chair around two full circles, long blue braids flailing wildly around her before responding.
‘Nope, not me! I’m Jinx by the way, stands for Jinx. But you got a serious face about it, and since you don’t look like the average bootlicker… Hey Alice!’
The maid re-entered the room behind Laurier.
‘Yes, My lady?’
‘Get this guy in the hall, I gotta wake up Lux.’
‘I’m afraid, Lady Jinx, that the latter won’t be necessary.’
Right on cue, a door on the left side of the room opened through which stumbled a young blonde woman in her nightdress, clearly still half asleep.
Slowly, she walked towards Jinx, pushing aside tools and metal parts with her bare feet, the cold stones of the floor making her shiver.
‘Morning Sunshine.’
Jinx greeted scratching the back of her head, awkwardly smiling as she realised she was definitely the only one here making enough noise to wake up the other woman.
Luxanna Crownguard had clearly not noticed the soldier in the middle of the room as when she spoke to her blue haired partner her voice was intimate, a bit whiny and roughed up by the morning.
‘Chérie, what’s with the ruckus? It’s still early, isn't it?’
‘Nah it’s like close to noon.’
The blonde woman crashed on top of the other nuzzling her face on her neck, she complained.
‘You should have woken me uuuuup, we still have so much to do before the festival!’
‘No, you deserved some more sleepy time! Even Alice said so!’
‘But-’
‘No buts, My Lady.’
Alice chimed in from behind an embarrassed Laurier looking to his side into a pile of mismatched nuts and bolts, not wanting to intrude too much.
‘The townsfolk are quite content with granting you a grâce matinée once in a while, and judging by your state, you evidently needed the extra bells after waking the colossus.’
Comfortably nestled onto Jinx's lap, Lux grumbled in protest, then after a few heartbeats, blinked.
Her cheeks flushed as she gained awareness of her surroundings, her eyes going from a grinning Jinx, to Alice, to Laurier in rapid succession, widening in embarrassment. Suddenly very awake, Lux stood up, feet planted back straight, like a soldier’s training kicking in at attention, creating a rather drastic contrast between her mannerism and her bad case of bed head. Jinx giggled at the sight.
‘Who, what...’
The confused Lux began.
‘Oh yeah something about the king not being able to come or whatever, nothing major.’
Laurier wanted to protest, but before he could, Lux shot a glare at Jinx who held her hand up in innocence, her grin betraying her mischief.
‘Jinx, love, thank you for letting me rest.’ Lux smiled and turned to Laurier. ‘I will hear what Jarvan has to say as well as why he isn’t the one personally saying it to me once I get dressed. Now back to the hall sir.’ Then her eyes softly glowed white as her smile turned into something ominous. ‘I trust, soldier, that you are well aware of which details should be omitted from your report.’
‘Of course, lady Crownguard.’
Laurier responded, a shiver running down his spine. Definitely a family trait.
The hall felt like a much more proper environment to have an important conversation in; for one it wasn’t cluttered with Jinx’s “artworks”, and in here Laurier would likely feel a lot less intrusive.
Waiting on the governess to arrive, the soldier paced back and forth trying, and failing, to push away his newfound nervousness. He was a soldier, no stranger to stressful situations, but this day might have contained one too many new experiences and his thoughts began spiraling, Firstly, a whole town of mages. And no way to tell how many of which can control their abilities! The unfamiliar terrain and architecture made him miss the capital, and on its broad ramparts, the unmoving comforting presence of the colossus. Now taking a swim in the Veiled River! Then there was this “Jinx” and her dangerous artform; A blue haired foreigner with an unrefined tongue… Lover to Lady Crownguard!? Twin Aspects, how did THAT happen?
‘Are you alright mister knight?’
The small timid voice interrupting his thoughts echoed in the hall from the main entrance leading to the courtyard, where a girl, no more than 10 years old, stood half hidden behind the door frame with a curious expression. She held an assortment of wildflowers, clenching them tightly by the stems with both her hands. She began cautiously walking towards Laurier.
‘You look tired sir, Miss Jinx says that when I’m tired, I should sleep as much as I can and then sleep even more! She says it’s cuz I can never know when nightmares are going to prevent me from sleeping when I’ll want it most. Did you have a nightmare sir?’
Laurier sighed. Something about the girl had soothed him somewhat, perhaps the cadence of her speech or the implications of her words, had eased his uncharacteristically perturbed state of mind.
‘A nightmare? No nothing like that.’
He drew the nearest chair and faced it to his new audience, before sitting down as comfortably as he could in his armor. He recognized the girl as one of the children that had taken care of his mount earlier. Her being a lot closer now, he noticed the deep white tone of her skin and the unusual facial features she bore; Her green eyes were placed oddly far from one another, pointy nose perked in between, with an oddly shaped scar running down her left cheek across the corner of her lips and down to her chin, where it continued further on her scrawny neck, then under the high collared tunic she wore. Like a cracked block of marble. A faint yellow glow, visible around the creases of these strange eyes, seemed to emanate from beneath the skin. An odd visage, the vulnerability of which endears my heart.
‘Still, you are right, young lady, I am tired. But nightmares aren’t the reason, I’ve only had a… strange day thus far. You see, this town is quite different from what I am used to back in Demacia, and entirely different from what I had anticipated. I fear nightmares might actually come to disturb my sleep if I remain in this unfamiliarity for too long.’
He finished, half joking.
She cocked her head and moved in closer, now standing an arms length away from the soldier. Then smiled.
‘But s’the opposite, isn’t it? I used to have lots of nightmares in Demacia, when I had to eat the petricite soup the half masks fed us in the Hinterlands. But I don’t get’em anymore, not since Miss Jinx and Lady Lux took me in with the others. This isn’t a place of nightmares sir, there’s no half masks here, s’why.’
Her smile was a humbling sight.
The girl had just described, in a far too innocent manner, a life of torture at the hands of past oppressors - Those Kayle-damned mageseekers. Back then the crown still sanctioned and even encouraged their brutal practices, the same crown he still willfully served. - That such a small person, had to be put through such pain, simply for being different... He felt her soul could, should, perhaps, be broken by this fate; having its life be stolen away, forced to work incessantly while being fed poison . - Justice above, this child even looks broken, but her smile… it is not the smile of a shattered soul, no, it is a glad thing. It screams of gratitude and hope.
Suddenly finding himself emotionally compromised, he reached out a hand and gently patted the girl’s head, at which she interrogatively tilted her head to the side again.
‘What is your name, young Lady?’
‘I’m Anaïs… Anaïs Bloomhand.’
He shot a glance at the flowers, still held tightly in her small fingers, where they shimmered with gentle colours.
‘Bloomhand?’
‘Aye’ she nodded. ‘I didn’t have a name in the Hinterlands sir, so I got this one when we arrived in Terbisia, all the other kids got one too! Even some of the adults got a new one.’
She responded with childlike pride.
‘So it is, well, young Anaïs, you’re right. Terbisia isn’t a place of nightmares. No, there are but dreams and hope here. That is something I had anticipated when assigned this task of mine, and you’ve proven that to me.’
‘I have?’
‘You have. and I hope to return the favour.’
‘How?’
She asked, not entirely understanding the meaning of his words, he wasn’t sure he did himself, but before he could sort out his thoughts and clarify in a way a child her age would grasp the meaning of, the maid Alice called out from the hallway door.
‘Anaïs! Come, stop bothering our guest. The captain has an important meeting with Lady Lux ahead of him.’
The little girl looked at the maid and nodded rapidly, making the small brown braid, he now saw on the back of her head bounce up and down, the bells adorned to its tip ring out in cheerful obedience. Then she turned to Laurier again and handed out a closed hand.
‘T’is for you mister knight.’
He put out a curious palm and in it, she dropped a single seed, then ran off towards Alice. She took her hand and both walked out together, disappearing towards unknown parts of the estate.
The soldier stared at the seed for a few heartbeats, then, in the next few, saw it rip itself open, sprout out a long green stem and at its tip: a bright red tulip . Bloomhand was it?
He smiled and faced his seat towards the table, tucking the flower in his belt in the process.
Judging he had a few more minutes to himself, the soldier took a deep breath and reminded himself of his mentor’s words.
“Assume the best in others Laurier of House Gloire, prejudice is opposed to the justice the dauntless vanguard aspires to represent.”
He reprimanded himself for his earlier thoughts, the girl had dispelled those, banished them to a corner of his mind he did not wish to come to the fore again on this day. It was those devil’s eyes; they had thrown me off balance. All it took was a drop of unfamiliarity and so quick was I to judge! Sins Unveiled! There is no glory in these ideas, live up to your own name you fool! And Kayle blesses you, young lady Bloomhand.
‘Stand or sit as you like.’ were Luxanna’s first words as she strode towards the soldier with purpose. She drew a chair facing him but remained standing, opting to use it as an armrest instead. Then, with a pensive but determined look she continued. ‘House Gloire has always been close to my own, more than I ever was…’
Her appearance finally matched the descriptions he had been given. She was a Crownguard and therefore quite tall for a woman, though nowhere near as tall as her aunt Tianna, let alone her brother Garen. Her blond hair stopped at shoulder height with gentle wavy curls along its modest length, giving a confident mature look despite her exceedingly feminine facial features. A hair band with decorative wings on its sides adorned the top of her head. She wore a rustic multi-layered white tunic and below that, high waisted leather pants, the top of which almost doubled as a corset, along with armoured boots, protecting her legs all the way up to her knees, adorned with similar ornamental wings.
‘If I recall, you serve in the Vanguard alongside my older brother. The king knew well to send you captain for I would be reluctant to accord the time for most others. I would have only preferred to be addressing the king himself at this moment, not that I particularly like the man.’ She grimaced. ‘But we had an agreement. So before we begin, Captain, I need you to understand a few things, and pardon me in advance if you are already aware of these facts.’
Luxanna Crownguard, it seemed, had that same commanding energy as her brother. Her words were straight to the point and carried her opinions with conviction. The soldier was immediately entranced by her the same way he would have been listening to one of Garen’s motivational speeches, and that did just as much as the young Anaïs had to make him forget how nervous and offended he felt a few minutes ago.
She continued.
‘Despite all the good we’ve done here in Terbisia, for mages and all others discriminated against, it is simply not a real solution, all of us here remain a separate class, and Terbisia is but the corner they shove us in to try and forget we exist, it is apartheid. Only they cannot forget us, for so many still hate us. The mageseeker remnants have already attacked us before, there is no reason for them not to try again. And with Demacia’s population still so restless, when will they ever run out of new blood? Last summer’s battle is bound to repeat itself if drastic measures are not taken and taken soon. And of course, I will, by Morgana’s bindings, do all within my ability to protect my people as things are now, but for drastic measures to be taken, Captain, I unfortunately still need the king. So why exactly isn’t he coming to the Lights Festival?’
‘Ahem... It is as you say Lady Crownguard, in fact that is precisely the issue; I shall be brief, your uncle Eldred, traitor to our great kingdom, is gathering his forces near the southern border. We believe he is in touch with Noxus. You needed the king here to convey a good image to the Demacian people if I am to believe your… wife, this his highness shall provide by personally leading the charge against your enemy.’
‘Attacking the problem at the roots…’ With one hand brought up to her chin and the other wrapped around her chest just below the ribcage, Lux considered her words for a few heartbeats. ‘Very well Laurier of House Gloire, I understand the situation. For the record, Jinx is not my wife yet, we are merely engaged. But by her impatient nature, she enjoys prematurely claiming me as her own, which she has every right to do of course. We await for the appropriate moment to officiate our vows, a more stable state of affairs perhaps, and by Morgana we will but…I digress’ She stopped, a hint of red painted on her cheeks as she realised how quickly she went off topic simply to correct the soldier in what he assumed to be a fact.
‘Yet she claimed the name of Crownguard?’
‘A mischievous distraction, which no doubt my dear Alice was glad to fool you into believing I'm afraid. Sorry for all the trouble. Either way, mine is not a name we intend on honouring, let alone keep.’
He hesitated at this casual revelation . Justice above, just what will happen in this kingdom when that comes to pass? Part of him guessed the woman in front of him would in fact not be part of said kingdom if or when this particular ambition of hers came to be. He stammered.
‘I see.’
‘Nevertheless captain, regarding the topic of the king’s decision, I still need-’
Interrupting her was the door at the back of the room suddenly and loudly slamming open as Jinx came running through gleefully.
‘Flashlight, I finished it! check this baby out!’
Lux’s commanding presence had, in an instant, crumbled away entirely, leaving only flushed cheeks and mild annoyance. Jinx asked for attention, and she would have it. She ran up to plant herself right between Lux and Laurier completely ignoring the latter, dragging along yet another large metal contraption, then proudly lifted it above her head in an impressive display of strength.
‘Tadaaaah!’
Jinx’s creation did not inspire anything good; it was a long, mean-looking, rickety metal tube, clearly ballistic in purpose, and an effigy of a Demacian silverwing raptor was at its tip, beak curved into a devilish grin, not unlike the one on its maker’s face.
The blue haired menace then continued like a knight trying to court her princess.
‘My dear lady, oh light of mine, I present to you this night’s…finale; DINO CLAW!’
Lux had quickly forgotten her annoyance and embarrassment in favour of genuine glee. In that moment it was clear to Laurier that her previous demeanor was but a mask she had put on to please or to be efficient at the given task. Jinx had dismantled that facade instantly, and in a few heartbeats, Lux was, at the soldier’s dismay, matching her energy.
‘Jinx you’ve done it! Did you stay awake to work on this? You really shouldn’t have. Oh, but the children are going to love it!’
‘Yeah! I know! I’m proud of this one babe.’
‘Will it be scary?’
‘Absolutely!’
‘And what’s this?’ Lux asked, pointing to a large bag at Jinx’s feet.
“Spray cans! For Galio’s makeup!’
‘Oh! I can already picture mother’s face when she sees him, what a sight that will be!’
The two women kept rambling, it was a veritable word-barrage of admiration, at which Jinx enthusiastically nodded with the proudest smile plastered across her face. Then Lux hugged her, and she dropped “Dino Claw” on the tiles with a loud crash of metal on stone, making Laurier wince. - Isn’t this thing some kind of bomb? Kayle’s holy fire, what is wrong with them?
Evidently both governesses had entirely forgotten about him, as they kept on raving excitedly about the festivities to come, sometimes hugging and other times kissing. The soldier, despite himself, remained quite shocked at the sight. Once again at a loss, he sighed and took it as his cue to leave. He placed on the table a scroll containing the details of his message in written form.
There would be other opportunities to finish the conversation, he knew, but right now its importance felt lacking in comparison to the irreverent display of love before him, a love he did not consider even possible before today, but palpable all the same. The last thing he’d want would be to ruin their moment, these women had been hard at work preparing for this day, the whole of Terbisia was, and ill omens of harder times to come could certainly wait a bit longer.
With one more look over his shoulder confirming that the infamous and revered Luxanna Crownguard was still in fact, locked in a spinning, laughing embrace with the slightly off putting blue haired girl calling herself Jinx, Laurier stepped out.
As the representative of the king on this day, he had a festival to enjoy, and that he intended to do.
Then he shivered, as an unshakable bad feeling came over him when he figured out what exactly had Jinx built, and what all those people on the riverbank were doing earlier.
Kayle fends us all, Hopefully the fireworks don’t end in catastrophe.
To be continued.