A/N: A birthday gift to my wonderful and super talented friend Rebekka, whose AMAZING fantasy story Throne inspired me so much that I actually managed to break through my writer's block and actually write something. Love, thank you for sticking with me through thick and thin. Here's to more late night sharing and fangirl shenanigans! 3

"You're pacing again."

Jerking up from where he had been staring at the floor, Lea quickly schooled his face into one of polite disinterest. Feeling faintly relieved that he had been called out by Victor and not Amalia, who made him slightly uneasy on a good day, he turned to the Irrlicht who had called him out. Victor was calmly sitting in one of the comfortable chairs scattered throughout the room, one eyebrow raised in slight mockery as he waited for an answer.

Lea sighed. In his defense, it had been a stressful few days, to say the least. Scratch that, a stressful few weeks. He'd known, the minute he had sworn himself to her, that the life of a Companion of the Queen would not be an easy one. But he'd – somewhat foolishly – hoped that perhaps it would be rather cut and dried. He would protect her, stop Benedict, and save the kingdom. And when the time came for him to take up the mantle of power and do what needed to be done, he would do it without hesitating.

Except, then he had met her. Cass, the Queen of the Paien, had changed everything. She wasn't anything like he'd expected, and calling her capable felt like a bit of an understatement. She was fast, efficient, and deadly, and with a brain to match it all, a formidable foe. If they had met on opposite sides on a battlefield, he couldn't help but wonder if he could actually win.

"You're one to talk, Victor," Lucian snorted from where he was lounging on a chair, his black eye from the fight glinting slightly in the late afternoon light. "You shouldn't even be out of bed."

"I am quite fine, thank you," Victor replied, his tone a touch haughty.

"You collapsed two seconds after the Queen," he said dryly, a touch of amusement in his voice. "The parents had to carry you out after they stabilized you."

"If we are discussing injuries, I believe yours should be taken into account as well. If you remember…"

The two dissolved into nearly-arguing banter, and Lea repressed the urge to smile. It was strange seeing someone as serious as Victor actually bantering with Lucian. Then again, after all that had happened, maybe it wasn't. Something had changed that day after the fight with Benedict, something binding. At some point, they had gone from a group of people fighting for the Queen to a group of people fighting to protect their queen. Somehow, without him really noticing, Cass had managed to worm her way through all their defenses, awakening a part of him he'd never thought he'd see again.

Deciding it was better to move instead of sit and think, Lea got up again. A quick patrol around the area would do him good and put his mind a bit more at ease. He was moving towards the far entrance when a door creaked open and one of the healers walked out of it. He couldn't quite recall her name – Rosika perhaps? – but remembered her features well. After all, she was one of the primary healers who had been tasked with the most important healing of all.

"How is she?" Lea could tell Lucian was trying to keep his voice calm, but even the healer seemed to hear the worry and stress hidden just beneath his tone, as she got straight to the point.

"She'll live," she replied shortly, making something in Lea loosen. "But she'll need plenty of rest to fully heal." She leveled a look at all of them which was slightly tempered by the dark bags under her eyes and her obvious exhaustion. "You're really quite lucky so many healers were on hand. Otherwise I doubt she would have made it."

Lea refused to let himself wince, even as the painful memory of how close Cass had been to dying remained fresh in his mind.

"Thank you." Victor shot a look at Lea. "I trust you'll keep an eye on her? I have some matters to attend to."

The healer frowned, but sighed, apparently deciding to let them be. "Very well. But please, no visitors. Her condition is quite delicate right now."

"Of course," Lea agreed as Victor opened the far door for the healer. He heard their quiet murmurs as the door closed behind them, and turned to Lucian. "Find Anakleto and tell him the news? I think he's in the meeting room with the council."

Sparing a quick look at the cracked door, Lucian sighed and nodded. "Alright."

Lea silently slipped through the crack and into Cass' room, not surprised when he saw the familiar form of Amalia sitting at her side. Takumi was off to the side, packing up something into his bag and giving Lea a tired hello. Lea nodded in return, but his eyes were soon unavoidably drawn to the bed taking up most of the room.

"How is she?"

Amalia didn't look up from where she was determinedly holding Cass' hand. "Exhausted, but healing. She was tossing and turning a bit earlier. Dreaming, I think."

Lea frowned when he saw the pinched look on the other Paien's face. "Is it something else then?"

"I'm…worried about her," she admitted. Lea blinked in shock, and felt a bit uneasy. Amalia was actually telling someone besides Cass how she was feeling? Perhaps she had more of a concussion than she originally claimed.

There was a quiet cough from the side, and when Lea turned he saw Takumi give him a look before jerking his thumb towards the door. His eyes, though tired, were serious as they pointedly flicked from Lea to Amalia and back again. The message was quite clear, so Lea nodded. Takumi smiled his thanks and then left, quietly shutting the door behind him.

Lea stayed silent as he stared at Amalia. To be honest, this sort of thing was more Cass' department than his. It was ironic, really. He was a trained assassin who had served the King's Front for years, and yet he was quite content with leaving a Dragonslayer to deal with this particular deed.

But…Cass wasn't around. And for all that Lea had been determined to focus on her and her mission, Amalia's subtle yet obvious look of dejection made him hesitate. Taking a deep breath, he slowly approached the bed and sat down on the other side of Cass. "She's going to be alright, you know," he said softly, refusing to flinch when Amalia looked up at him, eyebrow raised. "She's been through far worse than this. She'll pull through in the end, just like she always does."

Letting out a huff, Amalia shook her head. "That's the problem. I know she'll make it," she said, her tone betraying her frustration. "I just…" She looked down to where her and Cass' hands were intertwined. "She hass been through so much already, even before she became Queen. She can fight just fine on her own, and yet somehow trusts all of us to protect her. Even if we don't deserve it."

Lea barely held back his wince. It was a difficult subject for all of them to say the least, talking about how Cass trusted them despite their pasts. When he'd left his family and everything he'd ever known, Lea had expected to never have to talk about it again. When it came to fighting and killing and proving his worth, most people wouldn't care much past what you had and what you could. Cass, of course, had been the exception to that. But then again, Cass had been an exception to a lot of things.

"Lia," he said haltingly, unsure of where exactly she was going with this, "you've been an invaluable member to her Companions. We wouldn't be sitting here if it wasn't for you."

Amalia glared at her lap. "You and I both know if I'd only been faster and had better controlled my powers when she needed them, we wouldn't need to be here."

Ah. "I'm not so sure about that," he told her, unable to help the self-deprecating smile on his face as she looked up at him in surprise. "We all made mistakes, but…" He huffed. "The most important part is how we move on from them, making ourselves better in the process."

Amalia looked up at that, her lips quirking slightly as she appraised him. "That sounds like something Cass would say."

"It is," he admitted, refusing to acknowledge the fact that she had, in her own sort of way, actually said that. He could feel Amalia's eyes on him as he stared at Cass. "Our Queen is quite wise in that way."

"Far more than she gives herself credit for," Amalia agreed quietly. Sighing, she got up, gently pulling her hand out of Cass' and stretching. "I do believe it is your turn to watch now, Leander." Her voice betrayed her amusement at using the full name. "I trust you will keep her from doing anything stupid."

"No more than usual," Lea snorted, smiling a bit in return. He watched her open the door, and didn't even realize he was speaking until she stopped. "Lia?"

Without turning around, her head inclined in question. "Yes?"

"If it came down to it…" Lea bit his lip before taking a deep breath inwardly. "I would trust you with her life and mine without hesitation."

He could sense the surprise as Amalia stood there, facing the hallway. "Truly?"

"I swear it."

There was a long moment of silence, and then Amalia slowly walked out. But just before the door closed, Lea swore he heard a quiet "thank you" before it clicked shut.

As the sun slowly rose on the third day, Takumi glanced up, smiling slightly as he heard the distant birdcalls. There was no one else in the room save for him and Cass as Takumi noiselessly packed up his various bottles. Finishing and snapping the bag shut, he set it aside before turning towards his charge. Leaning over Cass, mindful not to jar her injuries, he checked the bandages around her chest and shoulders again. The injuries she had sustained during the battle, while not too serious on their own, had been nearly life-threatening together. She had lost a lot of blood from the slash on her chest, and Takumi realized she would most likely have at least one more scar to add to her collection. An assortment of reminders of all the times she hadn't been quite fast enough.

He wondered, suddenly, if she had ever tried to hide her scars. He couldn't recall a time he'd seen Cass without a leather jacket of some kind on. Was she embarrassed by them? No, that couldn't be right. He couldn't remember her ever being embarrassed about anything, at least not that she'd admitted to. Maybe she just didn't advertise them? He'd healed more than a few people who had been quite excited at the prospect of having a badge of honor to show off their feats. Of course, true heroes didn't do that sort of thing, but Takumi hadn't been inclined to tell them that. Everyone found out the truth in the end, anyway. It was only delaying the inevitable.

Letting out a sigh, he gently tugged the blankets into a more secure form around her before taking a seat in the hard wooden chair. He winced as he settled, his sore back and exhausted head making themselves known. He knew that if Cass were awake, she'd be berating him and forcefully dragging him to his bed, probably with the Castle's help. For all that she claimed he was a mother hen to them all, Cass was quite guilty of the action as well.

In the bed, Cass shifted a bit, her face scrunching up into a pained grimace even as her eyes remained shut. Her mouth opened, and a barely audible groan made him shoot up, pain forgotten. His hand was back in his bag before he knew it, fingers brushing across well-known bottles as he searched for what he needed.

There was a knock on the door, but Takumi didn't look up as he continued to search through bottles. "Come in," he called out distractedly as he resisted the urge to just dump out the entire bag's contents onto the bed. Where was it? He'd sorted and put away everything only an hour prior.

So caught up in searching, it took him a moment to realize that someone had, in fact, come in, and was, in fact, apparently waiting for him to look up. Blinking out of his haze, he flicked his eyes up to see Victor standing just inside the doorway, looking strangely hesitant. "Can I help you?" He asked as he glanced back down at his bag. His tone was a bit short, yes, but in his defense, Cass was in pain, and he could help if he could only find the stupid-

"Aha!" He grinned as he held up the missing container. "Found it." Wasting no time, he quickly poured a dash of it into his mixing bowl, adding the appropriate herbs and whisper of magic. Carefully avoiding the array of ingredients laid out on the bed, he lifted to bowl towards her. Taking a hand out from under the bowl to reach towards her, he was surprised when another pair of hands beat him to it, gently propping Cass up for him. He glanced up again to see Victor, whose face was set in an emotionless line, determinedly not looking at him as he held Cass. Deciding to not say anything, Takumi gently tilted the contents into Cass' mouth, taking care to do it slowly as to not choke her or cause her more pain.

The moment he finished, Victor carefully set her down again, backing away quickly with his hands behind his back. Takumi just turned away, slowly putting all his tools away as he waited for Irricht to speak. A few minutes passed as he kept working, but Victor said nothing. Eventually, Takumi sighed and sat down again.

He wasn't sure how long the two of them sat there, staring at Cass' now calm face. Takumi opened his mouth, but was stopped by Victor. "Were her injuries severe?"

Takumi blinked, not comprehending the question, before realizing what Victor as asking. "Oh, she…" He took a breath, listing them aloud as he went through them in his mind. "Laceration on the back of the head, concussion, centrifugal trauma. And two broken ribs and a semi-deep slash across her chest." He looked away, trying to banish the image of her broken body on the ground. "We were lucky the healers were there." He stared at his hands, and for a moment he swore he could see Cass' blood on them. Getting up suddenly, he jerkily walked to the side of the room and picked up one of the towels the healers had left behind.

"I must ask you to stop blaming yourself."

He jolted around, wincing as his still healing hip made itself known. Upon seeing Victor's unamused look, he scoffed and turned his back again. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The Irricht sighed. "I'm not here to try to tell you how to feel. I am simply telling you that beating yourself up about it will only make things worse.

"If only I'd been fast enough, I could have-"

"What?" Victor demanded. "Save Cass? Leave those four children to die instead?" He scoffed. "I doubt she would have forgiven you, putting her life other that of a child's." He shook his head. "I meant what I said. I'm not here to dictate. The King's Front may be held back for now, but it won't be long before it or something like it comes forth." His glare turned heated. "And if you are going to be one of the Companions of the Queen, you need to be in perfect form. I will not have the future of the Paien jeopardized because the lead healer of the queen was too busy blaming himself."

Takumi couldn't help it. He stared, mouth gaping at Victor, who merely blinked calmly. "I…don't think I've ever heard you say that much in one sitting," he said finally, tearing his eyes away and forcefully closing his mouth.

"Well someone needed to say it," he replied mulishly, looking at Cass' sleeping form again. "We have passed the time for hesitation. We must focus fully on protecting her now."

Takumi stared at the two of them for one minute, then two. Victor seemed perfectly fine with it, as he continued to minutely shift the blanket and pick at invisible specks of dust. It occurred to Takumi that the reason he was feeling so off was that he'd only ever seen Victor, well, angry. This was a softer side, and he couldn't help but feel like he as intruding. He couldn't help the small laugh that broke free of his lips, but Victor's expressions didn't change. "I'm serious."

"I know you are," Takumi assured him, letting himself smile. "You really care about her, don't you?"

"She is my queen. I made an oath to protect, and that is a promise I intend to keep." He leveled a look at Takumi. "Do you?"

The healer stared at Cass for a moment, before letting out a breath. Would he? The better question was, how could he not? "Always."

"Well then you have nothing to worry about." Apparently deciding that their conversation was over, Victor nodded towards the door. "Belli was looking for you earlier. Something about swift violets?"

"Oh goddess in heaven," Takumi moaned, shaking his head. "Will she ever let it go?" Sighing, he reached into his bag and pulled out one last bottle.

"Not another sleeping potion I hope?" Victor asked, quirking his eyebrow. "Didn't you just give her something?"

"That was for the pain," Takumi replied firmly, letting a small smile slip free as he gently pulled out the cork. "She needs to sleep now, and you and I both know she'll get up the moment she can." He went through the usual motions of measuring it out, Victor helping once again to prop her unconscious body up. Soon enough she was settled down again, and Takumi absently wiped his hand on the towel again. "And besides, she's not awake enough to consent, and as her primary doctor I know what's best for her."

Victor huffed out a laugh, absentmindedly pulling his chair closer to the bed. "For all they say you are a gentle soul, Takumi, you have a rebellious streak to you as well."

The Paien laughed as well. "Don't tell anyone. I like my patient's to remain unawares until the healing is already going through their bodies." As he opened the door, he turned around just in time to see the dedicated look and gentle hands of Victor as he tucked the blankets in around Cass again. Smiling to himself, he left without a word, content at leaving the companion to guard their queen.

And in that moment, Takumi decided that maybe, perhaps, they might be able to do this after all.

A/N - Oh you poor thing, Takumi. If only you knew. :)
Please leave kudos and comment on your way out, and if you really liked this, consider checking out the novel it's based upon? "Throne" by Queenogalotofdifferentworlds can be found on both Ao3 and Wattpad. Have a good one!