Every night Nina came to Charioce, to dance under the moons on his palace balcony and remind him of her love. Even though defeating Bahamut with the Dromos left him blind and left her mute their clasped hands, his arm around her waist and her head on his shoulder communicated the love they proclaimed to each other in the cave. But he wanted more. Charioce wanted to see Nina's face when she blushed, when she laughed, when she looked into his eyes as a woman and as a dragon. Perhaps, he thought, this was the curse of his pride for the path he took to defeat Bahamut and the lives destroyed along the way. Fate decreed his penance, and now he would never hear her say, "I love you." It wasn't in his nature to declare defeat, and Charioce knew that Nina was much stronger – even as a human! – and would always continue showing her heart openly to the man she loved, who could never be whole again. And Nina sensed this, each time she came to his side at night. She knew Chris loved her without a doubt, but something struggled in the breast of this king-man who fearlessly dared Bahamut, the gods, the demons, and his own people. Perhaps it was how tight Chris held her, or how often his face defied emotion to show strength to the world. She knew who he was, now; in the darkness in front of and behind his eyes, he still danced with her at the festival, and he held her like he flew through the sky on her back. Nina wouldn't change a thing if it meant losing him... well, maybe the time he put her in prison. But right now, she could feel the secret separation, and hear the pain in his heart. So, first things first.
Bacchus slurped down a chalice of the best red wine he'd had yet – Sofiel was kind enough to bring nectar from the gods to his humble carriage whenever she could visit. Now he only needed Rita and Hamsa to stop harping at him. And Kaisar didn't help, with scars riddling his torso and those staring zombie eyes. It was a shock to see him again in this new altered state, and after hearing the story of his death from Jeanne and Rita he wasn't sure it was a kindness to bring him back. But... that wasn't his choice to make or his to judge, especially not when he didn't have to fetch food at supper anymore. So, under the stars, with Hippo dozing contentedly, he waited for Nina to come back. He knew where she went every night, and he wondered how much longer before something broke, though he suspected Charioce would falter long before Nina would. As though his thoughts summoned her, Bacchus heard those notorious heel strikes on the cobbles as Nina ran into the fire's glow of their little camp, sitting down at the table to catch her breath. (Bacchus noted she never really needed it.) "Moving out yet?" he rumbled. Nina's eyes rolled and she stuck her tongue out, used to this old game between them. Putting her elbows up on the table, and her head on her hands, she stared directly at him with a question in her eyes. Never one to let a mere human push him to rush, Bacchus took a few more long gulps before he stared back, waiting. Nina's face turned pensive, and she reached for the slate and the chalky rock she used to write to those around her when she needed. She didn't start writing immediately, which definitely peaked Bacchus' interest. He could see Nina seriously thinking about what she wanted to say, which meant it was something Important to her. So... it had to do with Charioce. This definitely required another amphora of wine. "Hamsa! Where's the wine? Bring another! Nina is thirsty!" And he settled back to wait. "QUACK Nina doesn't drink, and maybe you shouldn't drink so much!" Hamsa quipped, slowly waddling out from the carriage with a bottle on his back. Reaching the table, Hamsa also notice the slate and chalk rock in her hand, so he settled down near Bacchus to see what she would say.
WAS CHRIS BLINDED BY BAHAMUT OR BY THE BIG MACHINE?
Well, that was interesting. Bacchus had to stop and consider. "It is fact that Charioce lost some of his sight when he first unleashed the Dromos against the gods, then he lost his sight completely – and you lost your voice, Nina – when both of you fired the Dromos, again, together at Bahamut. Perhaps the answer to that question lies in your connection to that machine. It is a piece of the puzzle that you both fit. However, that machine was created using forbidden knowledge of the gods from a time before; firing it twice may have affected the magic throughout this world and it retaliated when it unleashed its fury upon the two of you. Be grateful that you are both alive. And frankly, the silence is a blessing," Bacchus finished with a deep pull from his chalice. Nina's look of shock faded into a pout, and she stuck her tongue out at him. When she considered what Bacchus told her, she thought had to be a magical result. After all, that machine should have done more damage to both of them, even with her dragon-enhanced strength. Bacchus was right; it should have killed them, if it could destroy Bahamut. Nina huffed a sigh; this talking about gods and magic and forbidden knowledge was beyond her. Wiping down her slate, she got up from the table, went into the carriage, and crawled into her makeshift bed. Tomorrow, she decided, she was going home to see the Elder, the oldest person she knew besides Bacchus. Definitely wiser, though.
In the morning, after leaving a note for Chris at the palace and telling Rita where she was going, Nina changed into her dragon form on the outskirts of Anatae and flew home to Dragonfolk Village. Despite the heaviness of her errand, seeing Mama and all her siblings and relatives made her happy and she spent most of the morning playing, swimming and (naturally) eating. When the littles left for further adventures, Nina changed into her old clothes and approached her mama, wondering how to explain the problem without a voice. With a quick thought, Nina pulled out Chris' ring from her pack, and displayed the royal seal deep in the amethyst while pointing at herself, then at her heart. Mama asked "Are you in love?" Nina nodded, then pointed back at the royal seal in the stone again, and back at herself. "The king?" Nina nodded again, then put the ring on her finger, and then put both of her hands to her heart as a blush rose to her cheeks. "You're in love with the king?" Mama asked, somewhat astonished. Nina nodded, made a gesture of her two hands clasping, and then laid them over her heart again. "The king... loves you too? You mean Charioce?" Nina nodded as she turned bright red and her eyes misted a little with tears. Mama sat back, a little astounded, since Nina hadn't written to her about any of this. The king? The same man who used the ancient machine and defeated Bahamut? Mama looked at Nina, who was waiting to finish her tale with frustration across her face. Looking around their home, Nina spotted some dye and grabbed a stick from the tree outside; she grabbed a scrap of rag cloth and wrote her question.
WE USED THE MACHINE.
HE IS BLIND NOW, I CAN'T SPEAK.
WOULD GRANNY KNOW THE CAUSE?
Once she saw the question, Mama looked back at Nina, concerned now that she knew her daughter wasn't talking due to illness. "You're okay? You're not sick or injured?" Nina shook her head, as she took Mama's hand and smiled brightly. Slightly relieved, Mama pondered the question that Nina had written. "I don't know, dear, nobody here has used or seen these machines; we don't have any use for them. But if anybody would know about them, it would be our Elder. Let's both go and see her." Getting up from the floor, Mama grabbed Nina's hand, laughing as Nina pulled her through the entry and ran almost full speed to the Elder's home. Mama called out to the elder, and slowly entered with Nina, looking for the Elder perched on her makeshift throne of finely woven cloth and cushions. Nina approached slowly, quickly bowing in front of the Elder. No sound or word was heard, and Nina stole a peek from one eye; if Granny were asleep, they'd have to come back tomorrow! Slowly walking up, Nina realized Granny was actually awake, waiting for her to say something. Gathering up her scraps, she showed Granny what she had already asked Mama, while miming that she had no voice. In a gravelly voice, Granny replied, "Who is he, that has no sight?" Nina dipped the branch in dye and wrote "CHRIS" then showed Granny. "Ah, you seek answers for the concubine's son who sits on the throne. The king who released Bahamut from his prison after 2,000 years of peace. The man who almost beat you in an arm wrestling match. King Charioce the Seventeenth." Nina's eyes flew open – she hadn't even told Mama about the arm wrestling! But she slowly nodded, a look of determination building in her eyes; she scribbled into the rags again.
WANT ANSWERS FOR BOTH OF US
At this, the Elder opened one eye, "You can't speak? Have you tried?" Nina affirmed, and used some of her pantomiming to show how she communicated. The Elder brushed that aside, asking "Have you tried as a dragon?" Nina and Mama both started; it never occurred to Nina to see if she could speak as a dragon, and how does a dragon do that anyway? Slowly moving to her own landing platform, the Elder gestured to Nina, "Come outside with me, and we shall see what you can and can't do." In the full sun, the Elder turned her back to Nina and transformed into the largest, most beautiful Dragon. Nina was still in awe, even though she'd seen this form when the Elder took her and Jeanne to the gods. With a buffet of warning from Granny's wing, Nina stopped staring and transformed herself into the Red Dragon to stand next to the Elder. In Dragon form, Nina felt the approval from the Elder, and with neck extended Nina bellowed the Dragon's call of challenge. Looking back at the Elder, Nina felt approval again, then there was something tickling her head, but inside of her head. Reaching up with a claw, she itched at the feeling but it didn't go away. She shook her head, but the feeling remained. Granny buffeted Nina with a wing flap again, and then looked into her eyes. At this, Nina stopped trying to itch and concentrated on looking back at the Elder without twitching. Once she finally held still, images and feelings flooded into her mind – stillness, question, waiting. Huh? Again, in her mind – stillness, question, waiting. I am still, I'm not itching my head anymore, she thought. Then she "felt" laughter and approval in her head; suddenly, she realized those were responses to her thoughts! She was talking with the Elder, without speaking! Speaking without using words and a slate and a chalk rock! How amazing and fun! She imagined herself dancing and running and winning at arm wrestling and... THWAP! Granny was shaking her Dragon head, woozy from the flood coming from Nina's outburst. Immediately contrite, Nina stopped "babbling" took a deep breath to calm herself, and closed her eyes to focus. Her next thought was of Charioce, and his blindness, and she ended it with a hopeful question. She didn't get any answers, and she worried that she wasn't doing it correctly, so she thought again. Still no reply... when she opened her eyes, the Elder was transformed back into human form, face down on the platform, fast asleep. With an inner shift, Nina transformed back into her human form, and with a shrug picked up Granny and carried her to her bed. With a shake of her head and a shrug, Nina gestured to Mama and headed back to their home. No more answers until tomorrow, when the Elder woke up again.
Early the next morning, the Elder woke up and when she opened her eyes, she saw Nina sitting by her bed, anxiously awaiting the day. With a sigh, Granny sat up, gesturing for Nina to help her to the main room. Once seated on her cushions, the Elder pointed at Nina's head. "You know you can speak as a Dragon, and you are a Dragon now. Speak." Nina blinked – looking down, she saw herself in her human form. The Elder poked her finger into Nina's nose, "No, you are a Dragon, you have the strength and the will even in this form. Now speak." Nina's eyes widened with understanding; closing her eyes, she began to form thoughts – hear, question, waiting. Just as before, Nina "heard" the response in her mind of approval. Clapping her hands, Nina was pleased she could talk again... but... crestfallen, Nina "spoke" that Charioce wasn't a Dragon. How could he hear her? "Child, if you can speak as Dragon, it proves that the wall standing between regaining your voice and his sight is not a wound that cannot be healed. Your combined wills alone may heal magical imbalance... if the world wills it." At the last remark, Nina projected confusion. "Charioce unleashed chaos of his own choosing, for his own purpose," remarked Granny, "and though he defeated Bahamut, he also caused unnecessary suffering and unneedful death. He is not blameless, but Bahamut was imprisoned until he opened the cage through his own pride. Magic requires balance; each time he used the power of Dromos, the magical force of Mistarcia took its payment. Because you aided him, you paid a price as well." Nina's head came up, a look of defiance on her face; she didn't regret her choice. "I don't deny your choice, and I don't deny his love for you. I could hear it running across your thoughts like a raging river. What you need to know is the magic of your Dragon self can be used to speak to Charioce. He will be able to understand your thoughts clearly, as though you are talking to him with your mouth, and this connection will grow and become greater with use. What remains to be seen is whether or not Charioce will acknowledge his sin of pride and open himself fully to the judgment of what he's done. If he can, the wall that Mistarcia's magic created will crumble and you can extend your Dragon senses through the connection you form. Only then will he see through your eyes, in his mind, and only when you offer him the connection." Before Nina could ask what Granny meant, she heard the faint sounds of snoring. With a shake of her head, she carried the Elder back to the bedroom, and left the lodge. Standing by a railing overlooking the Dragon Village, she thought about what the Elder told her about magic and Chris. She remembered what Chris said in the cave, how he could have been a king unwavering in his convictions and without guilt over his actions, had he not met her. Nina knew without a doubt that he loved her, but Granny said he had to admit he was wrong about doing what he did, if he wanted to see again, and she wasn't sure he felt any differently now. Chris may want to see again, but would he be willing to lower himself, to become – in his mind - the concubine's son who wasn't welcome in the palace? She had to admit to herself that his confidence drew her to him, even when she hated how cold and ruthless he became in pursuit of his goals. Nobody knew what his plans were and he didn't tell her until the very end, so how could she possibly convince him to let her completely inside of his mind now? In the end, Nina had to admit that things would never change, but she was afraid that if things didn't change somehow he would keep pulling away from her. Beside him inside of Dromos, she told him she was not giving up on them. With that thought, Nina straightened her shoulders, looking out toward Anatae, and smiled to herself.
Nina sat at the table with Bacchus, Hamsa, and Rita, furiously scribbling on her slate tablet trying to explain what the Elder told her about her own Dragon abilities, the magic wall thing, and the problem with Chris. They were naturally curious, but offered no help. They respected her choice and acknowledged her love, but none of them were particularly sympathetic ears to her problems. In the end, her unexpected ally was Kaisar, the only person(?) who stood by his King, even though it cost his position as the Captain of the Orleans Knights, his freedom when Charioce imprisoned him and made him fight, and eventually his mortal life. However, even in this new zombie form, Kaisar still wanted the best for his King. "He won't see his acts as a matter of pride," Kaisar advised. "He knew Bahamut was returning, and he knew the gods wouldn't give him Dromos. He created the wars to wrest Dromos away from the gods, and then used it to destroy Bahamut by himself. I think your Elder was very wise; but I don't believe that Charioce will admit that his methods were wrong, even if it meant he could see again. He loves you, of that I have no doubt. But the hungers of his youth forged the man who sits on the throne. I know this from my own life, from my own family. I believe you should try regardless, because he has tasted a new, great love with you, the first and only he has known since his mother died. I believe you will succeed because you are stronger than his pride. It won't be easy, and you may come to hate him before you can love him again." It wasn't hard to imagine the task ahead. Nina remembered how he mocked her in prison, how he refused to help her friends when they escaped, and how he broke his promise to tell her his plan. As she sat stirring her soup, she felt hopeless. NO! She stood, slamming her fists on the table, startling everyone and causing Bacchus to spit his wine out on everyone. That man risked his life in Dromos, and knew he would be hated in his quest to destroy Bahamut. But he could not keep her out of his heart. All she had to do was widen the crack, and if he could "hear" her, it was a start. She nodded to herself, the inkling of a plan forming. She met everyone's eyes, projecting her determination to see this through. She chose him over Mistarcia, and now she needed the magic of Mistarcia to choose both of them. Rita, Hamsa, and Kaisar shrugged, and placed their hands on her fists, with wordless support for whatever may come. As they glared at Bacchus, he reluctantly joined them, earning a hug from Nina, which spilled his wine on his new tunic.
After the starry night fell again over Anatae, Nina rose from her bed and began the nightly journey to the palace. The guards knew her and gave her access to Chris. In a fit of rare humor, the King noted to his staff it would be very difficult to keep a determined dragon out, if she chose to present herself, or she'd merely fly in from the top bypassing the gates altogether. Nina quickly shook her head and raised her hands in negation, blushing that she would every think of such a thing! Sometimes, she would come to him on his balcony as the Dragon, flying him on her back through the air so that he could taste some freedom from his duties. Most often she entered as herself, just like tonight, ingratiating herself to the castle guards – and the kitchen staff, her first stop inside the walls. Loaded with treats and fruit from her friends and the cook, she made her way to his rooms in the highest tower of the palace. She knocked on the door, waiting for Chris' manservant to open the door. After a minute, Nina grew suspicious – the door hadn't opened and she didn't hear any movement inside. Opening the huge door slowly, she peered inside, and not a single sound was heard other than her footsteps. As she looked around, she didn't see a single person – something wasn't right. Dropping the food bag, she rushed toward the open balcony doors, and collided with Chris coming from outside. He caught her, falling backwards from the impact, and they hit the floor with Nina in his arms. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck as he regained his breath, slowly sitting up and cradling her in his lap. "I gave my servant leave, I am alone in my room," Chris explained. "I didn't know when to expect your return. Are you alright?" Nina huffed out a sigh of relief, and allowed Chris to help her stand up. As he righted his clothes, she wrapped her arms around his waist and "thought" to him, feelings full of love, relief, and happiness. She heard him gasp in surprise, his arms tensing around her. He bowed his head into her hair, breathing faster, and she immediately became alarmed. The fear broadcasted itself to Chris, who took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Do that again," he whispered. Unsure, Nina did as he requested, sending her love to him using her draconic power. Again, she felt his sharp intake of breath, and his arms tightened around her. After a bit, she pulled back from him, and took his hand in hers. Using his fingers, she touched her forehead and her heart, and then repeated the gestures on his forehead and over his heart. As she pointed, she thought to him of talking and sharing and determination. Chris closed his eyes and let her new "words" pour into him. He realized how much he missed her voice, her chatter, and seeing her emotions wash over her face, especially that innocent blush when they first met. Chris kissed her, desperately, as though he feared the feeling would go away if she let him go. Nina laid her hand on his face, ending their kiss slowly. Once again, she took his hand and placed his finger on his forehead and on his heart, then touching her forehead and her heart. "I don't understand, I can't see what you're doing," he told her. Nina blew out a sigh of frustration. After a little thought, she put her hands on his head and drew it down towards hers so they touched brow-to-brow. With her finger, she drew a string between their foreheads that touched where their heads touched. As she continued to draw the imaginary string, she sent feelings of herself when she was touching her head, and of Chris when she touched his head. Finally, she brought his forefinger up, and with both fingertips touching where their foreheads met, she sent a feeling of "together", like two colors merging and mingling. Nina repeated the exercise as she tried to convey that he could speak through his mind and his emotions. Suddenly, she sensed a small tendril reaching out, tinged with frustration and hope. Letting her Dragon senses grab it, she let it touch and immediately felt Chris start – success! She sent love and triumph back through the link, and shed tears when she saw the happiness suffuse his normally impassive face. As he embraced her tightly, her link extended deeper, and lightly brushed what could only be described as a hard knot, or a blockage, such as a cork in a wine bottle. As she attempted a tentative touch, Chris stiffened then, pulling her away from his chest, as his face changed from a young man in love to the implacable resolve of Charioce. Nina sent her confusion and felt nothing in return, not even anger. Kaisar's words came back to her; her anger and her will flooded into Charioce, and he took an involuntary step back, reeling from the power of her feelings. When he could still see, her stubbornness was easily deflected, but now he was unable to shut her out. They were connected more deeply now, not just by just spoken word and physical touch. He tried rebounding her feelings back at her, but he sensed her as though she was at a great distance, and getting farther away. He knew then that he was alone on his balcony, his own conscience and iron will intact. With a hand along the walls to guide himself, he went back inside, shutting the doors and locking the elements – and Nina – out.
With tears of anger and love in her eyes, Nina ran from the palace and back to the safety of Bacchus and the carriage, unsure of what to do next. She knew, without a doubt, that he loved her! But Kaisar was right; she found that place inside of him that wouldn't show mercy or hesitate to kill for his cause. And he demonstrated quite clearly that he was not about to give it up or let her into that part of him. The only thing that kept her from despair was her certainty of his love. She remembered his face the moment he felt her communicate her love, and he left her breathless from hugging her so tightly. Still, it didn't go as well as she wanted, and her eyes misted over letting a few tears loose down her cheeks. She crawled into her bed, clutching the red pendant he had given her, and she wept until she finally fell asleep.
Rita noticed how quiet Nina was the next morning. She ate slowly, she didn't look up from her plate, and she didn't ask for seconds of anything. Bacchus was deep in his cup as usual, and Hamsa was dozing on the tabletop – no help there. She looked at Kaisar, who came out of her shop carrying fresh fruit to the table. He looked at Nina, then back at Rita, then shrugged his shoulders as if to say he expected this to happen. It wasn't any use; Rita would never trust a man who used everyone as pawns without apology, but obviously Nina saw something nobody else had, or ever will. Serves him right to lose his vision, Rita mumbled to herself. She opened her mouth to say something to Nina, but what could she say? Before she could try, Nina stood up and walked out of camp, heading toward the lake. Again, Rita looked at Kaisar, who watched Nina go. Something had to be done, but what? "Don't," Kaisar said, as if he read her thoughts. "You won't make anything better. She has to decide for herself if she still wants this, if it's worth the price. Especially after all she has already paid to be by his side." Rita huffed, feeling helpless, and watched Nina uncharacteristically walk, going somewhere other than the market.
Nina had to think. Last night took her back, all the way back to the night of the ball when Charioce the King danced with her at the palace and still ripped her heart from her chest. He did the same thing last night, being the King instead of Chris. In the back of her mind, she could sense the steady beating of a heart, and she knew to whom it belonged; now it annoyed her that she could feel him. She didn't know how anyone could go through life without passion and joy, or lock it away like a stray animal. That's what got him into the mess to begin with! The heat of anger stole to Nina's cheeks, and now she did run, toward the outskirts of Anatae, and onward to their secret cave. Deep inside where nobody could see her, she sat down on the water's edge, staring into the calm waves. Trying it her way didn't work. Well, it worked but not how she expected. Everybody told her what she should have remembered, that the magic wanted payment for his breaking the rules. She didn't care if she couldn't speak again, if she could use her Dragon's abilities and the body signals that everyone seemed to understand. Maybe the question I forgot to ask is whether or not Chris wants his sight back, she thought to herself. Right now, he'd rather choke on his pride than open up to me! Thinking back again, she remembered how he tried to keep her from using Dromos, and how he tried to make the decision for both of them. Ha! Nina's lips set in determination, as a new plan formed in her mind. A plan that would force Charioce – and Chris – to tell the truth. She didn't think she could ever give him up, she loved him too much. But she wanted to know what their future could hold, and there was no future without that. She needed advice and help for what she wanted to do, and it was time for lunch, anyway!
"WHAT?" Bacchus spit his wine out on everyone again. "Hamsa! Do you know what crazy scheme she's cooked up to help that egomaniac?" Hamsa didn't respond; he was busy shaking red wine from his feathers. "QUACK why are YOU so upset? She didn't ask you to do anything! Quit spitting all over us!" Rita was setting the table, pleased to see that Nina was already piling her plate, but not exactly enthused that Nina hadn't given up. With her usual sigh, Rita finished setting the table and sat down next to Nina, reading the slate. Something about official palace summons? "Nina, what are you possibly thinking?" Nina quickly wiped the slate clean and wrote MAKE HIM COME TO ME NOW. At Rita's blank stare, she quickly added SUMMONS BECAUSE HE IS KING. Rita shook her head, "And how do you expect that to happen? He can ignore you whenever he feels like it. Frankly, I wish he'd leave us alone forever." Nina lightly punched Rita on the shoulder, a pout on her face. Then, she set down the slate, put her hands in her lap, and concentrated, closing her eyes to focus all her attention on the tendril of Charioce in the back of her mind. Thinking of her Mama and her family, winning the arm wrestling, flying through the air, Nina gathered up all the happiness and made it into a boulder, sending it down the link like an avalanche. She felt his immediate response, surprise-question-where are you, then promptly put up her own walls, hoping that they were enough to block him for a while. When she reopened her eyes, everybody was staring at her. Rita leaned close to her with a look of suspicion on her face, which was really difficult considering she was a zombie. "WHAT DID YOU DO." Nina shook her head, confused... did they feel it, too? She used the same hand gestures she used with Charioce, and wrote DRAGON SPEAK on her slate. Rita sat back, still eying Nina, and said, "This is something you can do because you're a dragon?" At Nina's nod, she countered, "Can he do it too?" Nina lowered her eyes and nodded very slowly, but also wrote HES NOT VERY GOOD AT IT on her slate. Rita kept staring, making Nina nervous. PART OF MY PLAN, she scribbled, and with that, she met Rita's glare with her own. "I hope you know what you're doing," Rita grumbled. "If he has the strength to start wars just to carry out his own plans, he might use that strength to do without you. And if he knows where you are because of this new mind to mind talking you can do, he might use that against you." Nina was surprised – that didn't occur to her! But for now, she'd look over her shoulder around town and go where everyone already knew she would be. The hardest part, the part that would hurt the most, was ignoring him. She already missed his touch, his scent, and his voice. But it wasn't enough. He had to miss her, too, enough that even his pride couldn't withstand it. And deep in her heart, she was afraid of that.
Listening to his advisors talk about reconstruction efforts, Charioce sat on the throne listlessly as he always did, eyes open even though he couldn't see. He knew it unnerved his court, and that was another weapon to wield, a sign of strength. Now he could hear the nuances in their voices, listen to the shuffles and the breathing, and he could tell who was outright lying and who was lying through omission. There were no Onyx Knights to protect him in the throne room, but nobody would dare touch The King Who Killed Bahamut. The Orleans Knights were no longer in disgrace, and under Dias' watchful eye, the company grew stronger. Both the gods and the demon clans were at a fragile truce with the humans, and Charioce saw no need to rub salt into new wounds. As he sat through the accounting for dry goods used for refugee assistance, his body was suddenly full to bursting with HAPPINESS! He gasped, barely checking himself from leaping off the throne. He knew without a doubt it was Nina, and though he was annoyed that he couldn't stop her emotions he was curious about what caused the outburst. Gesturing to the advisor to continue, Charioce kept his eyes open then focused inward, as she taught him. He sent a question through to her, but this time... no answer. In fact, for some reason, he didn't feel her at all, that constant presence in the back of his mind. Was it gone? What happened? Charioce pondered this change in events, never looking away from the people in front of him, but it was unnerving. His heart squeezed slightly in reaction, a response from his soul that wanted to feel Nina, even if the man resisted. But this was a puzzle. She wasn't the kind to hide her feelings; he fell in love with her zest for life and her open nature. She didn't play games... she was awful at them, actually. Why didn't she respond? For the rest of the afternoon, and into the evening, Charioce sat on his throne letting everyone drone on, giving half an ear, and wondering where Nina was. When his manservant came for him in the evening, he expected to hear running footsteps coming up the stairs to his room. He didn't, just the sound of the wind tossing the curtains in his windows... and he cursed himself for wanting to hear them so badly.
The back and forth continued for days, into weeks. Nina suffered silently, barring those emotions from leaking through to Charioce. She found new projects to keep herself busy; her dragon strength was still a valuable tool in rebuilding Anatae, and Bacchus couldn't grumble as much now that Nina brought home money for her efforts. Each day, at random moments, Nina would "throw" an emotion at Charioce, and not always good ones. When a troupe of street performers came to Anatae, she let feelings of sorrow-longing travel to him, a reminder of their first dance together. At night, when it just seemed too hard, she would rail anger-love at him, frustrated that he let his pride keep them apart. But, she stayed the course, ignoring any entreaties from him, shutting down the link until she wanted him to "hear" her. Though he stopped sending back, she could still "feel" that he couldn't block her, and that the separation was eating away at him as well. Nina was ruefully impressed that he hadn't buckled, and scared for the same reason. She put on a brave face for her friends, and went off to the cave sometimes to have a cry so she couldn't see their "I told you so" faces. In fact, Rita and Bacchus were worried. They could tell she expected a reaction much sooner, and they didn't know how much longer Nina would stay away from him without surrendering.
After many weeks, the waiting came to an end. As Rita shopped for food in the market, two Orleans Knights approached her, with a court page between them. After a slight bow, the page handed Rita a parchment, closed in wax with the royal seal. "A summons from His Majesty, the King." With only those cryptic words, the page bowed again and the trio left Rita standing. Once they were out of sight, she looked down at the paper, inspecting it for forgery. Satisfied it was real, she completed her shopping, and walked back to the carriage. Rita almost told Bacchus, but decided to wait for supper – then everyone would know what the message said. As the sun went down, Nina returned as they lit the campfires. Dropping into a seat at the table, she stretched her back and legs. Within minutes, Rita came out with the pot of stew and fresh bread, waiting until everyone ate their fill before bringing the message to Nina. "Two Orleans Knights and a page stopped me in front of Tonno's fruit stand," Rita explained. "It's the royal seal, and it's not a fake. Well, not with two Knights giving it to me, anyway." Nina looked confused by the parchment, then got up to sit next to Bacchus. Rita sat on her other side, and Kaisar looked over their shoulders. Nina broke the seal and unrolled the parchment.
BY HIS MAJESTY'S HAND
TO WILL AND COMMAND TO THE COURT AT THE QUARTER MOONS NEXT
NINA DRAGO, YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUIRED
COMMIT YOURSELF TO THE GATES WITH SUMMONS FOR PRESENTATION
Nina had to blink a few times... this was odd. Her confusion communicated itself to the others, and Kaisar rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Scribes do the work, the King would never write for himself. The wax seal is proof; the red color is found nowhere else, and only the King's personal signet on his own hand is allowed to make the imprint. A forgery is punishable immediately by death. So, Nina... how to you want to respond?" For a brief second, Nina allowed herself to hope... and quickly shut the feeling down. If he knew how she felt now, he would know her plan, and all the heartache would be for nothing. However, she winked at Kaiser, allowed herself a quick dance, then took several breaths to calm herself. When her heartbeat was steady, she sent her last message to Charioce – surprise and curiosity. And with that, she went to her bed and fell asleep without crying for the first time in many nights.
Nina approached the gates of the palace for the first time in a long time. She held the summons in her hand, as requested, and presented it to the guard. He looked back at her, surprised at the change of circumstances and the formality, but she smiled at him and shrugged. Returning her shrug, he handed the summons back and waved her through. Once again, Nina stepped into the palace courtyard and heard the familiar sound of weapons clashing and carts moving over the cobblestones. Servants moved around the wide expanse to different parts of the compound, dressed in royal finery or sturdy cloth, depending on their duties. This time Nina didn't head to the kitchen, as she would have in days past. Now she walked up to the massive stairs leading to the throne room, the main audience chamber. She hesitated, making sure her feelings were locked down, before she climbed the steps and presented her summons to the Knight outside the doors. The Knight nodded to her, and directed her to open the doors for herself. Taking the large brass ring, she pulled slowly, and the door opened exposing the dark room inside. Nina stepped inside, closing the door before turning to face the King. She startled – nobody was in the throne room, not even Charioce. She looked around, wondering if someone was hiding, and listened for footsteps. The only sound was her breathing, and her shoes on the floor. Warily, she strode toward the foot of the throne's dais, to the base of the steps. How very strange... but then Rita's words came back to her: "And if he knows where you are because of this new mind to mind talking you can do, he might use that against you." That's it! He must want her to drop the block. If she did, she would certainly know where to find him as well. Considering her options, and how much she was risking, she yielded a tiny fraction, enough that she could sense a general direction of his presence. Just in case, she thought about confusion-searching, keeping her other emotions tightly in check. She felt a pull toward the right, and followed it as it led her around behind the throne, to a long hallway heading to a great landing with stairs curving left and right. Her sense took her up the right staircase, past murals of battles and portraits of ancestors (she supposed). At the top, she went left down another hallway, lined with statues of strange beasts. At the end was a set of ornate double doors. Here, she could feel it the strongest, but where was she? And how could she just wander here on her own without guards? She was afraid to open the doors, but her feeling compelled her to enter. Poking her head inside, she was blinded by the sunlight coming through a roof of glass! Ignoring the wall she maintained, she gazed in delight at the large colorful blooms and plants rioting throughout. She could smell the multitudes of flowers, and she ran her hands through the foliage springing from the ground and hanging like hair from the trees. She spun around with her arms flung wide, feeling the wetness in the air cling to her skin, and for a second she forgot about Charioce, and Bahamut, and all the cares in the world. As she stopped, she saw him. Charioce stood no more than a few feet away, looking at her as though he saw through his own eyes. Nina realized that she never rebuilt the block, and Charioce felt her exuberance in full. Gathering herself, she took a few breaths and sent greetings-question. When he didn't respond, she tried again, certain without a doubt that their bond was intact. Again, Charioce did not respond, standing still as a statue in front of her. Hesitantly she moved closer, touching only his hand, and repeated herself. Striking quickly, Charioce took hold of her hand and yanked her against him, his arm going around her back. For a moment neither moved; Nina wasn't sure what just happened, and shock-confusion poured through their linked. When she calmed down, she tried to back out of his embrace, but he wouldn't let her go. And he didn't tell her why or speak to her at all. She knew, right then, the only way she would get her answers was opening herself to him fully, letting him back in again. It was a game he was playing, and she knew just how skillful his strategies were. This time, though, the stakes were too high, and she was no longer afraid of her feelings or losing him if he could not accept her love. Right now, she was putting her hand over his in Dromos all over again, daring him to defy her right to be at his side. She opened herself as he wanted, but this time she followed the bond with him all the way back to that hard core of his soul. Instead of touching with a delicate thread, she became a battering ram against his will, throwing mountains of love-trust-anger at the iron core of his resolve. Though neither of them moved a muscle or disturbed a single leaf, the room shook with their battle. The Dragon's wings battered the King's armor; the sword deflected the burst of flames. Nina gave no ground, and Charioce offered no surrender. But the Dragon knew that the King's resolve had already faltered before when faced with her love, and Nina threw that memory of his words at him, and the salt of her tears, and the taste of her kiss. The Dragon saw a miniscule crack appear in the King's armor from that taste of truth, and with a roar of victory she dove straight for the opening. The Dragon pierced the King's armor like Jeanne's lance, and blinding light poured from the massive breach. Nina and Charioce broke apart, falling to the ground, still locked in their psychic battle. The Dragon tore at the armor relentlessly until it was gone; all that was left existed as a mere mote of light pulsing with fear and sorrow and rage, the soul of a child living in poverty, a child whose mother died leaving him, a young man ruling amidst those he hated. Nina knew instinctively this drove him to those unconscionable acts, to lie and deceive, as he had been cast off and deceived. Laid bare, Chris hid from the Dragon, terrified and defiant and ready to kill. But Nina wasn't only a Dragon. She was the child of a human mother who loved her, and she understood human fears and needs. She wanted Charioce to tell her who he was; but now he was not even her Chris, he was a lost soul in incredible pain. Breathing a ring of fire around him, she was warmth from a hearth, and the arms of a lover. She pulled him to her, so that he could feel all her love and strength, offering it freely. He grew stronger from the fire, and his armor grew back piece by piece. When the King stood again in front of the Dragon, the new armor glowed as coals from a forge, with new carvings of dragons twining on the breastplate, and splashes of red in the sash and cape. The new King held his bare hand out to the Dragon, touching the nose softly, replaying the vulnerable scene from their shared past. At that touch, the Dragon reformed into Nina, naked and shining from inside, smiling, her face reflected in this armor made of two; she was a part of him, now and forever. And with that memory, she woke up on the floor of the palace solarium.
Nina's eyes opened slowly. Her head spun, and she could barely stand up. After a few moments, she remembered where she was, and who she was with. Quickly, she searched and found Charioce laying next to her, unconscious and breathing. She put her head to his chest, comforted to hear a strong heart beat. Sitting down, she moved his head into her lap, and stroked his hair, replaying what she could remember in her mind. It wasn't very clear at all, just a strong sense that they fought each other but there wasn't a scratch on either of them. Testing the bond, she could still feel him, but the feeling was different, as though someone or something new had appeared. She felt him stir, and watched him slowly open his eyes. Nina gasped – the empty lifeless gray was gone, replaced with a deep, inky black in both eyes. And something else, like a flash of hidden magic, there and gone again. She waited for him to move or say something... instead, he brought his hand to her face, his thumb brushing away the tear she didn't realize was slowly moving down her cheek. Nina smiled through the tears, happy that least he wasn't dead or hurt. Charioce responded with a teasing, easy smile. Slowly, the smile faded as his eyes widened, his lips parting slightly in astonishment. Nina felt shock-surprise in their bond, and quickly took his face in both of her hands, her face reddening with worry, thinking he was hurt and she hadn't seen it. Now Charioce brought both of his hands to her face, looking straight into Nina's eyes... and in that moment she realized HE SAW HER AGAIN. Now her own eyes registered the shock, then her whole body filled with joy and love, and she clapped her hands at the amazing miracle they had received. Charioce sat up slowly, unwilling to take his eyes from hers, unsure if his sight was truly restored. Nina was still exuberant, almost dancing in place, and finally threw her arms around his neck. For the first time ever, she heard Charioce laugh! She pulled back, startled, and bathed in the wondrous sight of his beautiful smile. Then she hesitated; she felt a rushing sensation like swimming in a clear, cold lake under a crystal blue sky. Her whole body tingled, her skin flushed, and a thrill ran up her spine. Charioce scrambled to her side, watching the changes roll over her body, calling her name as if evoking a protective spell against whatever was happening. He stood, pulling her to her feet with him, embracing her tightly to his body. In a flash she was boneless, hanging limply in his arms and unconscious, as though she had transformed from the Dragon once more. With speed and determination, Charioce left the solarium with Nina in his arms, striding toward his room in the tower. Entering his room, he rushed to his bed, laying her on his pillows, then securing and locking his doors to bar anyone from entering. He sat next to her on the bed, watching helplessly, and held her hand as she moaned and shivered.
What is the price you will pay for his sight, Dragon?
Nina heard the voice calling her from the nameless, colorless void. At first she thought she was back in the emptiness of Bahamut, but this was warm, like sunshine. She looked around, and didn't see that woman again, or the source of the voice she heard? She tried covering herself up in her nakedness, but the relentless question came for her again.
What is the price you will pay for his sight?
What does that mean, she wondered. In seconds she was surrounded by a blue aura, and a shapeless form drifted toward her through the... whatever it was. Choose, girl. Choose, Dragon. And Nina saw that she could regain her voice, but she would never transform into a dragon again. And she realized that Granny and Bacchus were right, the magic wanted balance from her, as payment for what she wanted for him. She loved Chris – surely, his true heart had returned to her – and would do anything for him, but now she realized she wanted to be a partner, not a pawn. And when he defied her and their love, which he would do because he was still Charioce the King, she had to stand for herself and what was right. With a nod of courage and assurance, she chose. And the Magic released her.
She woke to feel her hand in his, his black eyes focused on her face. The blackness swirled like hidden ponds deep in sunless caves, and she lost herself for a moment, mesmerized. Then, almost too low to hear... "Nina." She came back to herself, and put her other hand to his face. Searching within and without, that glorious string tied between her heart and his vibrated with all the love and happiness she had saved up through those long days and nights without him.
Charioce still couldn't believe what had happened. It was almost not real, touching her face and seeing what he felt... His nightmare, his personal torment, his punishment for his hubris – cleaned away by the onslaught of a young woman's passion and defiance. He felt the change deep inside himself, a heavy weight lifted yet another "person" taking its place. What had she done to him? Dimly he thought he remembered fighting a dragon, hearing his armor break like glass, and feeling like he was drowning in water then breathing in fire. When he woke up from the dream, his sight had returned and she turned white then fainted. Now, looking at him, he had no doubts of her love. "Nina... what did you do?" She shrugged, and sent magic-don't worry back to him. His skeptical nature came forward, but even he had to admit there was no other explanation. And Nina never lied to him. But what had magic done to both of them? Sensing his thoughts, Nina imagined weighted scales, and Dromos, and his eyes. She sat up slowly, and took his face in her hands again, then placed light kisses on his eyelids. He met her eyes, and saw no regret or worry... but he realized she would never tell him what she had done. And even now, she did not speak words. Nina saw the discontent across his face, so she did she knew would convince him. Rising slowly from the bed, and taking his hand, she led him to the balcony, throwing open the doors and raising her arms, waiting for him to lead her in the dance. Pulling her close, tipping her chin up, Chris kissed his Nina and began to waltz in the sun with his Dragon.
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