Sacrificial Lambs and Soft Hearts

"You what?"

"It is not as bad as it sounds," Luxa told Gregor as she picked at her nails, hardly looking up at him. "In fact, it is rather fun."

"Fun? That's fun?"

"Most certainly. It is like that…that…thing you told me about. That you celebrated above last week? All Saint's Day? Or whatever it was."

"All Hallows Eve. Halloween. It's the day before All Saint's Day."

She made a gesture with her hands. "What difference does it make? You pretend to drink the blood of your god and eat his bones."

"…Now you're talking about the communion at church. Do you listen when I talk? For you to be so mixed up on what I tell you?"

That made her pause before she just went back to her nails. "Does it matter?"

"Yeah, Luxa, it does."

She only sighed before finally looking up. They were in the sitting room of her wing of the palace, Boots and Hazard playing with some toys the younger child had brought from the Overland.

"Do you wish to be a part of it or not? If not, then do not come to visit tomorrow," the fourteen-year-old told him as she sat on the armrest of the couch, her feet up on the cushion. If Solovet or Judith were still alive to see it, they would have hit her on the head and told her to act like a lady.

Being an orphan was not always horrible.

"Run this by me one more time," he told her then from his spot on the other couch. "You guys take all the lambs born in the last two months and slaughter them. Then you drain their blood and bathe in it?"

"Yes," she said, still messing with her nails.

"And why have I never seen this before? Huh?"

"You have only truly been involved in the goings on her for what? Three years?" She shrugged her shoulders slightly. "We do it every six years. In accordance to the god Zapher, lord of all things living and dead."

Gregor blinked. Then, slowly he said, "I didn't even know that you guys, like, had a real religion. I mean, I figured, but I never hear anyone talk about it."

"Oh yes, Gregor. We take Zapher very seriously." Luxa looked up and over at him again before smiling. "You are welcome to attend, but unless you commit your life to him, then you may not participate."

"Yeah, like I really want to bathe in blood, Luxa."

"Right. Because you would rather drink it."

He grew red then. They went over the communion about every time he ever mentioned it to her.

"It is not real blood and you know it! So stop bring it up! It's just a symbol of-"

"And you have bored me." Luxa finished with her nails and stood from the couch then. "Though I expect nothing less of you at this point. It is all you do anymore."

"You-"

"Bored."

"Lux-"

"Bored."

"You-"

"Bor-"

"Here you are, Gregor." Howard came into the room then, still dressed in his hospital uniform, clearly just getting off duty. "Nike sent me to look for you. She told me that she was supposed to take you back home soon and that-"

"Oh, no," Gregor groaned as he jumped up and began to start putting Boots and Hazard's toys away, much to their chagrin. "I forgot. Help me clean up, Luxa?"

"Mmmm. No." She looked to Howard then. "And what kind of guards do I have anyhow? I tell them constantly that I do not wish for you to be allowed into the royal wing."

He only ignored her like usual, going to help the others put the toys back into Gregor's backpack. Luxa only stood over them, watching, unconcerned. It was not her mess, after all.

It was not until Gregor and Boots were leaving, heading off down the hallway that Hazard spoke to Luxa.

In his normal inquisitive tone, he said, "Luxa, what was that that you were telling to Gregor? We do not worship any god. Or at least I do not. Are we really going to have to-"

"Of course not, Hazard," she told him with a roll of her eyes. "I just do not want Gregor here tomorrow. I am going to the spinner territory and have no desire to bring him along. But if he comes here, he will wish to be a part of my trip. This was only an easy way out."

"But wasn't that lying?" he asked, more interested than accusatory. Luxa constantly got onto him for lying and told him that it was a horrible thing to do. But, more and more frequently, it seemed to be the only thing she ever did.

"It was not lying, Hazard. It was merely a joke."

"But-"

"It is different for Gregor and I, Hazard, than with others."

He only stared up at her then before borrowing words that he only heard Gregor say or her mention when the Overlander was around. "Because he's your boyfriend?"

"H-Hazard! Do not-"

"But is that why?"

"I… No. Be quiet."

In that moment, Luxa was too beyond mortified to realize the fatal flaw in her plan. See, when Gregor left the room, he had suddenly remembered that he forgot to grab one of his textbooks from the center table in there. It was a Friday, fine, but if he wasn't coming back the next day, he needed it so he would at least be able to do his homework over the weekend.

When he turned to go back though, he caught the end of what Luxa said. First came the anger, then the annoyance, and then the embarrassment that he had actually believed her.

Finally though came the scheming. Almost immediately he had a plan in his head and knew exactly how he was going to carry it out. Turning, he decided he'd leave his book for the day because he was coming back. Oh, he was coming back. And he would make Luxa sorry for every trying to play a trick on him.

Saturday mornings meant vastly different things for different people. The farmers in the Underland, it didn't affect. Some market people, maybe. Most politicians took off.

Luxa, however, the orphaned royalty of Regalia, had no off days. Everyday was a work day. And on that specific Saturday, she was stuck going to the spinner territory to welcome in the reign of a new spider queen.

Bleck.

However, the one upside was that she had gotten rid of Gregor for the day. Though she never rather liked him being away for too long (there were far too many other girls in the Overland by her estimation to allow something like that), she also did not like having him around too much. There was a fine balance, one that only she seemed privy to. And she was not sharing it with her technical boyfriend any time soon.

So she and Aurora, along with some of her guards and maybe even the current head of the army, Perdita, would go and visit the spinners for a bit. It would not be wholly unbearable. Besides, she and Aurora had not gotten to spend much time together and it would be a good time to remedy that.

She took her time getting ready that morning, as they would not be departing from the High Halls until late that afternoon. She bathed and spent a considerable amount of time picking out her clothing for the day. It was rather late when she finally arrived in the dining hall for breakfast. Honestly, she did not even expect Hazard to still be around, which would be even better. Then she'd have a full morning to herself.

She stopped dead in her tracks when, seated at her dining table, was not only Hazard, but also Gregor and his two sisters.

"O-Overlander," she uncharacteristically stammered, to shocked for words. "You came."

"Of course," he said, grinning at her then. "It is Saturday. You know that we don't have any breakfast food at the house. If we don't have school, we always eat here, now."

"Well, I know that," she said slowly as she walked over to take a seat. "But I thought that you would not come. Considering."

"Oh, the festivities?" Gregor shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Thought I should get some more culture in my life."

"C-Culture?"

"Are you alright, Luxa?" Lizzie asked, frowning at the look on the other girl's face.

"Yeah, Lux, you okay?" Gregor gave her his best sympathetic look. "You cold or something?"

"N-No," she sighed. "I suppose I am just…shocked, Gregor, that you thought to bring your sisters to such a thing. I know that you, Lizzie, are quite adverse to blood."

"Oh, no, I figured they could stay in the royal wing and hangout with Hazard. Unless, well, do you worship Zapher too, Hazard?" Gregor asked, looking to the boy then. He glanced at Luxa before shaking his head no. "Well, good then. You guys can just hang around the royal wing and leave the, uh, sacrificing to the rest of us."

"I feel bad for the lambs," Lizzie said softly then. "But I guess if that's what you guys believe in…"

"Lambs are baby sheep," Boots announced to them all, giving an affirmative head nod. She was quickly approaching five and soon herself would end up in school. "What you gonna do to the sheep, bubba?"

"Nothing, Boots." He patted her on the head then before going back to his breakfast. Luxa just sat in her seat for a moment, not even moving as a servant slid a plate of food in front of her. No, they weren't gong to do anything to the sheep. Before. Now she was going to have to… Oh no. Why, oh why, did she ever lie to him? Instead of just tell him that she didn't want him around? Why?

…Well, that was actually pretty simple. For fear of scaring him off if she flat out told him not to come. But now, this was going to be much worse. Much, much worse.

"Ain't you gonna eat, Luxa?" Gregor asked then, interrupting her thoughts. When she glanced at him, he only grinned toothily. Great. She'd unleashed the rager in him and now he wanted to kill the sheep. Just great. Where was she going to get sheep for them to bathe in?

…And where were they going to bathe in the blood to begin with?

Not to mention he would quickly begin to question why they were the only ones partaking in the action. Ugh. If admitting to lying was not so impossible for her, she'd just come out with the truth. Still the words were like venom to her and there was no way she was letting that into her body.

"Yes, well," Gregor began eventually. "I guess we better get to it then, Luxa? Huh?"

"It is a ceremonial practice," she said slowly. "I must…I…" And then, as always, more lies came to her and she was able to put back on her determined face. She was going to fool the Overlander, show him the goriest lamb death she could muster, and then send him screaming back to the Overland.

…All before she had to be in the High Hall to leave on her trip. Yep. Perfect.

Not.

"Since I am the Queen, the festivities do not commence until I first choose a certain calf to-"

"Calf?" Gregor asked. "I thought it was sheep?"

What? Biting her tongue, Luxa said, "It is. We bathe in the sheep blood, but first I have to kill a calf."

"Really now?"

"Really."

"Hmmm." He only shook his head. "Do you say a little speech too? Like when you bond to someone? Or-"

"No. Zepher knows our inner feelings, therefore we do not need to express them through words. Our physical devotion is enough."

"Wow. Sounds very impressive."

She narrowed her eyes before saying, "Considering you drink the blood of your savior? Hardly."

"It's a symbol of-"

"Bored." She stood then. "Let us make haste then. I have many things to attend to."

So they left Hazard and the girls to fend for themselves, both teens contemplating the others motives and their next moves. Gregor knew that Luxa wouldn't easily accept defeat, but would she really bathe in lamb blood?

Luxa, by the same token, was equally mystified with Gregor. Was he really going to let her…bathe in the blood of an animal? The same boy that wouldn't even let a stupid gnawer run himself to death when they were in the Fire Lands? Seriously?

"So…you're going to just bathe in animal blood then?" Gregor asked slowly. "Like it's nothing?"

"Aye," Luxa said slowly. "It is…customary, after all. To worship Zapher."

"Then, what? You guys fill the communal bathing tubs with blood? That's, like, a lot of blood."

Luxa had no idea what they would do if they wished to bathe in blood. Still, she had to play it off.

"I really do not see it as decent for you to ask such things."

"Then I'm guessing I am not going to get to see you bathe in the blood then?"

He phrased it innocently enough, but Luxa knew what he was doing. Forcing down a blush, she simply said, "You could, but I'd fear you'd try to drink the blood."

It was his turn to blush. "I told you that it's a symbol."

"Bored."

He only snorted, saying nothing more.

In the High Halls, Luxa found Aurora and another flier, Aceso, to take them from the palace, out passed the walls. They were dropped around the farm land, out where herds of animals were kept and such. Luxa made Gregor wait out in the fields as she went to speak with one of the farmers. When she came back, a farmer was walking behind her, leading a calf over. In her arms though, Luxa carried a baby lamb.

So she was really going to go through with the whole thing. Gregor was slightly shocked, slightly impressed, and completely repulsed. So the time had come. He really thought she was more cunning than that. That she would have found a way out of it. Though the determination not to admit to lying was noteworthy, her lack of reasoning that telling him the truth would not be the end of the world was kind of a turn off.

Kind of.

"Here you are then," the farmer said as he came to a stop in front of Gregor before handing over the rope that he was using to tug the calf around with. "Very glad to have the Queen come and visit. And pay for a calf. Of course, I do not-"

"That will be all," Luxa told him sharply then as she sat the lamb at Gregor's feet. It baaed up at him miserably and he about lost his heart. That's right. The man that could kill gnawers was a softy for a little baby sheep. Baa.

They were standing out in a mostly empty field, the lighting rather dim as the heated lights used to grow crops were far away. The light of the capital was behind them though and it wasn't completely dark. Luxa only stood there in front of him for a moment, as if not sure what to do next. Gregor figured it was best to hurry the whole charade along.

"Alright, so you going to slit its throat or what?"

Luxa wasn't paying attention to him then though. She was staring at the lamb she had sat down, just staring at it. It reminded her of the one that her uncle in the Fount, York, gave her when she was a child. It did not last as a pet long, mainly because Judith hated it so much, but she had loved it while she had it.

And now there was the one she was gong to have to kill staring at her. Not to mention the stupid calf, which was making these little mooing noises. It was silly, of course, for her to feel that way. They were animals. Just stupid animals.

…But they weren't gnawers. Or diggers. They were just poor, baby animals who had never done anything to anyone. Was she really going to kill them, then, because she had to cover a stupid lie that she told to a stupid Overlander who, honestly, she didn't even want around her that day? It was just so-

"Okay, stop," Gregor said suddenly. "Don't do it."

That made her glance at him then, frowning when she saw her inner emotions reflected on his face.

"What is it, Overlander?" she asked slowly, staring into his eyes. "What is wrong? Would you like to drink the calf's blood as well?"

He didn't even take a moment to be offended. "Luxa, I heard you, alright? I know that you don't, like, do this on a normal basis. I was just calling your bluff. But if you're seriously about to, like, kill some animals and bathe in their blood just to win, I throw in the towel. You win."

It took Luxa a moment to process what he had said. Then she found herself getting upset.

"You overheard me? What? Were you purposely-"

"No! And don't get mad at me. You were the one that was lying to me. I mean, God, Luxa, using some fake god against me is kind of, you know, low. Like really, really low."

"It was a joke."

"Oh, please. If I had believed in this Zapher guy, you'd have brought it up and made up some more bull every time you wanted to get rid of me."

Well, he did have a point there.

"And so what if I did? What, Overlander? Were you going to let me kill the animals?"

"Obviously not!"

She made a hmphing noise then before turning away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. "You are weaker than I thought, Gregor, getting so emotional over some worthless animals."

"Yean, well, I'm sorry that I can't look at a lamb and just slit it's throat. I'm not as strong as you. Forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive. I have always known this fact." Then she paused. "Of course, if you wish to go ahead and kill the lamb so you can drink it's blood-"

"I don't fucking drink real blood!"

Needless to say, Gregor did not accompany Luxa to the spinner's territory that day. Or come around Sunday. Or Monday. Which of course meant when he showed up on Tuesday, Luxa was distant and cold, punishing him for punishing her for lying to him. Because that made perfect sense to Luxa.

It wasn't until that next Friday that they were even remotely on good terms again. And even then, neither really wanted to be around one another. Gregor knew better than to not show up though on a weekend. It was a death sentence.

"Anything happen today then?" Gregor asked not soon after he arrived. Luxa was in her stting room, scrolls all about. "Or something?"

"Nothing I could tell someone with such a soft heart."

"Ha ha. Can we just forget last week?"

"Gladly." She gestured to the couch opposite the one she was one, but he knew that test and sat down next to her. "Where are your sisters?"

"Hazard met us in the High Hall. I don't know what they're doing, but they're with him." He let out a slight sigh as he sat down before glancing at her. "So…are we good then?"

"Are we ever good, Gregor?"

Rolling his eyes then, he nodded at the center table where a cup sat. "That yours?"

"You are thirsty?"

"A little."

"It's actually for you. The food sitting there as well. I figured you would be."

That made him smile before sitting forwards slightly so he could reach the cup. Picking it up, he asked, "Ale?"

"Your mother was so rude last time she found out that you were drinking here." Luxa shook her head slightly. "No. It is not ale."

He shrugged then before turning to take a big sip of it. It was not until she was sure that the foreign taste hit his tongue that she spoke.

"It is blood," she announced, rather excitedly, as if she had been holding it in. And perhaps she had.

Had Gregor not been so shocked by her outburst or the fact that they were still fighting, he would have realized that whatever it was tasted nothing like blood. Everyone has tasted at least some amount of blood before, after biting their tongue or busting a lip. Something. And that most certainly was not blood. But his adrenaline was already up just from the thought of having a fight and she was not helping anything.

He dropped the cup, the redish-purple liquid spill further from it. Luxa only looked on with a slightly amused look as Gregor yelled something at her before running from the room. It just so happened that Howard was coming into the room about that time. He was coming to discuss his mother and father's upcoming trip to the capital with Luxa was almost thrown off balance as Gregor ran passed him.

"What is wrong with the Overlander?" Howard asked in shock as he looked to Luxa. She had her void mask back up and merely shrugged.

"I do not know," she said before gesturing to the dropped cup. "I merely gave him some juice. I do not think that it is a fruit that comes from the Overland. Perhaps he is having some sort of…reaction?"

Howard seemed even more worried then. "Do you think perhaps I should go check on him?"

"You may do as you like, Howard," Luxa said with a sigh as she looked back down at her scroll. "He is quite the emotional type. Weak of heart. Almost soft, really."

Howard rushed after Gregor then while Luxa only sighed before shaking her head. She knew eventually she would hate always winning, but in that moment it was actually rather…great. In fact, she would have even thanked Zapher, had he been real.

"I always win, Overlander," she whispered softly then. "Always."