Summary: See chapter one
Disclaimers: See chapter one
Warnings: See chapter one
A/N: Unfortunately for this chapter, Albel and Neris will not be making an appearance (authoress ducks to avoid barrage of dangerously sharp objects). I know, I know, everyone wants to read about them, but there is a part of the plot that does not revolve around those two, you know. So here it is. I promise they will reappear in chapter eight!
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Chapter Seven: Sisterhood
"How could you have let this happen, Claire? You were supposed to keep her safe!"
"It was her own choice to go, I could not force her to stay at the castle!"
Claire cradled her bandaged arm in her lap as she stared with anguished eyes at her closest friend. This argument with Nel was going absolutely nowhere and a dull ache was beginning to throb in her head. She took a deep breath, wincing at the pain that the simple motion brought. Nel, seeing her discomfort, ignored it in the face of her anger.
"Nel, I know how you feel-" she tried again.
Her green eyes hardened, and her voice cracked like a whip. "How could you know? My sister has been in the hands of Airyglyph for two days, the only family I have left! At this very moment, my sister is suffering, hell; she could even be dead for all I know! And all you can say is 'I know how you feel'? How dare you!"
Claire flinched. "How dare you speak to me like that, Nel? How could you say I do not know how loss feels?" she whispered in a low voice, filled with misery.
Nel stiffened, and her clenched hands slowly relaxed. "Claire…"
Claire Lasbard had been an orphan for many years, and was no stranger to sorrow and heartbreak. As a very young child, she had witnessed the brutal murder of her parents, who were killed before her eyes by bandits coming to the farm where they all lived, to seek money and valuables. After the death of their parents, her older brother and sister cared for her for five years before further tragedy struck. Her sister was raped and murdered, leaving her twin brother grief-stricken enough to commit suicide. So, at the tender age of eleven, Claire had been left alone in the world.
Since no one in her home village had been prepared to care for her, the little girl was taken to an orphanage in Aquios, where a childless couple living in the Royal city had soon adopted her. It was a few months after that, when she met and befriended Nel Zelpher.
"Oh Claire, I-"
"Nel, stop. You don't have to apologize to me. I know you didn't mean what you said," she said softly, rubbing her injured leg. "You have every right to be angry, you know. I should have prevented her from going with me to Airyglyph."
Nel shook her head and knelt beside her best friend. "I-I had no right to say anything like that to you. It's just that…" her voice broke as frustrated tears pooled in her eyes.
"Nel, I blame myself for what happened."
Exhausted, Nel slid to the floor besides Claire's chair and laid her head on her own knees. "I know she's not dead, Claire. I can feel it," she whispered.
Gently, Claire began to stroke Nel's hair and felt the Aquarian spy slowly start to relax under her touch. "I know."
The pair sat in silence for a few peaceful moments before Nel spoke. "Claire, I need to know what happened. Everything."
Her hand stopped for a moment and she hesitated before starting. "After you left for Kirlsa, a messenger arrived from one of my subordinates stationed in Airyglyph. She stated that she had important information vital to the war effort, and was requesting an escort out of the city. Ordinarily, I would have taken Tynave and Farleen with me, but they had already left with you. Neris and Jahin, were unfortunately the highest ranked cadets in my ranks and at first; I refused to let her accompany me."
"Jahin went with you?" Nel interrupted.
"Yes. His stealth skills are excellent and I needed his influence."
"Did you need Neris?" Nel asked, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice.
Claire looked directly at her friend. "No."
"Then why?"
She sighed. "I was traveling through Peterny when the messenger found me, and the message was urgent. Apparently she was afraid of being discovered and captured by enemy soldiers. Neris and Jahin were accompanying me to Aquios at the time, as an escort. I first had to report to Her Majesty and afterward I told Neris that under no circumstances was she to go to Airyglyph with me. Well, you can guess what she did next."
"Did she-? No, surely not!" she exclaimed.
Claire nodded her head, a grim look crossing her pained face. "She appealed to the queen, and after that I had no choice. I could not disobey a direct order from Her Majesty."
Nel swore and clenched her fists in anger. "How could she knowingly put herself in danger like that? How could the queen give such an order, knowing how I felt?"
"Suffice to say, she is blood to you. If it had been you in her place Nel, you would have done the exact same thing. Of course, I also had suspicions that in some way, she was desperate for the chance to prove herself. You've protected her from battle, ever since she enrolled in the Academy of Runology. And I suppose she feels that she has to live up to a very high name."
"That is still no reason to get yourself killed!"
"As for Her Majesty, I believe she had some reservations about Neris going to Airyglyph, but the urgency of the message prompted her to make a quick decision."
"She sent a cadet behind enemy lines, Claire. Not the kind of decision you make lightly!"
"She had no reason to doubt Neris's capabilities. She ranked top of her class in weapon combat, and her runology skills, though not fully developed, were satisfactory enough for battle. Besides, Jahin and I would be with her. Her Majesty obviously thought that would be protection enough."
"Then why," Nel asked coldly, "Is Neris still in Airyglyph?"
Claire cringed visibly. "There were…unforeseen complications."
Nel took a deep breath, fighting to keep her calm. "What do you mean, 'complications'?"
"We were betrayed, Nel."
"Betrayed?"
Claire nodded, her haunted eyes staring into space. "When we arrived in Airyglyph, I went ahead alone to confirm the spy, leaving Jahin and Neris to hide themselves in the city. I had some suspicions, which is why I instructed them to keep their distance until we were prepared to leave. I only wish I had been wrong, Nel. The next thing I knew, the house where she was lodging was surrounded by soldiers and I was trapped."
"But Neris was still hiding-"
"When we saw the soldiers, my lady, we had to go back. We could not escape and leave the Lady Claire in Airyglyph," a male voice said softly from the doorway.
Nel looked up, disgust creeping over her features. "Jahin."
He did not look surprised at the curt greeting, instead returning it with more courtesy and a bow. "Lady Nel. I am glad to see you have returned safely from your journey."
The young man entering the room could not be described as anything less than stunningly beautiful. Dark violet eyes were almost shyly hidden by a curtain of ebony hair that cascaded down his back in soft waves, tied back into a sleek ponytail. His complexion was remarkably clear, and had remained so throughout his youth, although a light scar was etched across his pointed nose. He had the lanky elegance and regality of a jungle cat, that earned him the admiration of nearly the entire female population of Aquaria.
He was her sister's closest friend, her greatest confidant.
And in that moment, Nel hated him.
"Once we had received our orders from lady Claire," he began, closing the door with a soft click behind him, "Neris and I separated in the streets to appear less conspicuous. She remained in the street and I went to keep watch on the rooftop opposite of the meeting place. When the soldiers arrived, I lost sight of Neris and I was going to go find her when I saw Claire being attacked by the soldiers. Then I…" his voice trailed off, and he shrugged.
"By that time I had realized what the informant had done, it was too late. I was hopelessly outnumbered and my arm," Claire said, gesturing to her bandaged limb, "Was already broken by then. I could have used runology, but in such a small and confined space, it would have been disastrous. Then Jahin appeared."
"I was barely able to get Lady Claire outside alive, but then more Black Brigade soldiers arrived and it seemed like we were never going to escape without being captured or killed," he continued.
"And that was when Neris came," Nel said, bile rising in her throat.
Jahin nodded his head, even making the simple gesture look graceful. "Yes. She saw that we were in no condition to defend ourselves, especially Lady Claire, and she told us to go. Leave her."
"Jahin refused of course," Claire said quickly, when she saw the expression on her friends face. "But I was on the verge of unconsciousness and when he tried to stop her, she cast an invisibility spell and used her energy to transport us outside of the city walls. I don't think she had the strength to transport herself as well as us."
"So she sacrificed herself," Nel said quietly, more to herself than the others.
"For me, for Lady Claire. She understood the importance of saving one of the Crimson Blades, as do I."
Nel glared angrily at him, and he stared unblinkingly back at her. "So you left her there to die, is that so?"
"You think I had a choice?" he replied coolly, returning her glare coldly. "It was her life or Lady Claire's and Neris was the one who made the decision. She knew I lacked the energy to use runology."
Claire, recognizing the signs of an impending explosion from Nel, hastily intervened. "Nel, I need to-"
Nel stirred next to her and frowned, looking at her pale face and trembling hands. "Rest, I know."
Claire pulled her close and gave her as tight a hug as she could. "Try not to be so hard on him, Nel," she whispered into her friend's ear, "It was not his fault. I'm sure he's hurting just as much as you."
"Get some sleep, Claire. I'll tell the doctor to stop by again, on my way to the audience chamber," she said, pointedly ignoring her.
Her reply was gentle, but her words firmly told Claire that she was clearly not ready to forgive the young man. Claire sighed and shook her head ruefully. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked reproachfully.
A faint smile flashed across Nel's face and she gave her friend a chaste kiss affectionately on her forehead. "I promise I won't bite."
"Like I believe that," Claire replied jokingly. "It's more your bark I'm worried about."
Nel smiled, but as soon as she did, she felt like a criminal. What right did she have to smile and joke when her sister was helpless in enemy hands? "I'll come back this afternoon," she told Claire as she was leaving, "After you've rested, all right?"
Claire nodded in reply, her eyes already drifting shut. Nel jerked her head irritably in the direction of the door and Jahin raised a brow, but by now moving towards the door of his own accord. He showed no sign of awkwardness at witnessing the tender moment between the two soldiers and his face was an expressionless mask.
Now, leaning against the wall, he stared with frozen violet eyes at the floor. There was complete silence in the castle corridor. Nel regarded the striking young cadet with mixed emotions: a combination of hatred and disgust.
"You unbelievable bastard." Her voice was filled with a deadly fury, all directed at him but he showed no reaction. "How could you do that to her?"
"You seemed quite ready to accept what happened in front of Claire-"
"You just left her!" she snapped. "Did you even think of going back once you'd gotten Claire to safety?"
Something flickered in his eyes. "Listen to yourself, Nel. That would have been a suicide mission without support, and Her Majesty cannot spare soldiers to rescue a cadet, at the expense of other innocent lives."
Her green eyes narrowed and before she knew what she was doing, her hand had lashed out. "Is that all she ever meant to you? Do you care so little for her that you won't even consider risking yourself!"
Her handprint burned red on his cheek and rage flared on his normally calm face. "How can you stand there and accuse me like that?"
"How can I?" Nel asked, her voice shaking. "You told her you cared for her and now you-"
His fist slammed past her face and hit the wall behind her, effectively pinning her in place. "Have you lost all rationality?"
Nel looked startled and she started pushing him away from her but he slammed her back against the wall. "Let me go," she hissed.
Jahin leaned closer to her, so close she could feel his warm breath on her skin. "You listen to me, Nel. What happened was what she wanted, and I was powerless to stop it. You think I left her there willingly? It killed me to leave her there alone, but she forced me to go. Neris gave me no choice!"
"You had a choice, you could have stayed!"
"Have you forgotten who we are? We are soldiers, Nel and sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the greater good! She knew what the consequences would have been if we had allowed a Crimson Blade to be captured!"
"But she is my sister…"
"And I love her!"
She hung slack against the wall, staring at him with suspicion and doubt written on her face.
"If you set me alight and then ripped out my heart with your bare hands right here, right now, it would not be a tenth of what I felt when I realized what she had done! Do you have any idea of what it felt like to watch her fighting before my eyes and know I could do nothing to help her!"
"I would rather have stayed," she whispered. "Than to leave her to face Airyglyph alone."
"Then you and Neris would both have died," he said harshly, "And her sacrifice would be meaningless. You would have stolen all dignity from her death."
"Dignity! Is there dignity in dying like a miserable dog in enemy hands? Enduring torture, humiliation and rape? And for what? To be a hero, a martyr? You tell me Jahin, is that what she would have wanted?"
The familiar ache of old wounds rippled across her back and she shuddered, but kept her smoking gaze locked on his. "How long do you think it will last, Jahin, the torture? Before she breaks? Or will they let Glyphian brutes violate her tills she begs for death? Is that the fate you will leave the woman you claim to love to?"
"You think that has not haunted me, Nel? Every minute, I'm reminded of the fact that I abandoned the only woman I ever loved to agony and torment, and I've lost count of how many times in the past two days I've wanted to kill myself for it!"
Nel looked surprised at the tears in his eyes but she glared at him anyway. "Then why are you still in Aquios?"
A bitter smile twisted his mouth. "Because if I do go, Her Majesty will have me imprisoned or banished as a traitor. I have been ordered not to return to Airyglyph and to go against those orders would be to commit treason. The queen could have me executed!"
"Impossible! Her Majesty would never give such an order!"
"She can, and she has. Why else would I still be here?"
Nel bit her lip and clenched one hand into a fist. "She would not do that to me," she replied firmly and Jahin snorted.
"Just because of your position? It is because you are a Crimson Blade, Nel, that Her Majesty will prevent you from going to Airyglyph. Aquaria has need of you, and you must think of the people you have sworn to protect. Where do you think your subordinates would be if you got yourself captured in a foolish rescue attempt? Their need far outweighs your own. Their lives, their families, are at stake here and Neris would not want you to make that kind of sacrifice, even for her sake."
Bowing her head in defeat, a few tears fell onto the floor. "I know. But I cannot bear not knowing if she is alive or not…"
Unexpectedly, Jahin enfolded her in his arms and she stiffened at the unfamiliar gesture from him. "We would know if she was dead," he said simply.
For a few moments, Nel was glad to be able to draw comfort from him but resisted the urge to fully relax into his embrace, reminding herself of what he was truly like. Or what she thought he was like.
In her opinion, Jahin was a narcissistic, pretentious and emotionless jerk that did not deserve half the attention he got only because of his devastatingly good looks, matched by his reputation as a womanizer. She could not understand why her sister devoted so much of her time in someone Nel considered worthless.
Had Neris seen something in him that Nel had not?
Well, what did it matter at a time like this? Nel had more important matters on her mind than pondering his flawed character; she had to plan how to rescue her sister.
She pulled away from him, somewhat reluctantly. "I have to speak to Her Majesty. There must be something I can do or say to change her mind."
There was a shadow of a smile on his face and he gently brushed her cheek with his thumb. She looked so much like Neris, that he felt a painful wrench of loss in his heart. But she was not.
Jahin drew back, his expression smoothing into a blank mask again. "Then may the grace of Apris be with you in your task, Lady Nel. You will need it to dissuade the queen," he said, his voice already distant.
Nel nodded, folding her arms across her chest in a businesslike manner. "I should go," she said, but remained standing in the same place. The affectionate gesture of contact had felt alien to her, knowing it was from such an unlikely source. Especially from a man she openly disliked.
"Then go."
She looked at him for a second longer before walking away, her shoulders slumped in fatigue and a mixture of emotion swirling inside her.
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"Lady Nel, we understand your loss, but what you ask for cannot be done."
Nel, bent on one knee before the throne, was on the verge of begging. "Your Majesty, please. All I request is that I be released from my duties to travel to Airyglyph."
The queen, seated on her throne, was the picture of regality as she gazed down pityingly at the obviously distraught soldier. "To go into Airyglyph alone would be suicide. As your queen, I cannot allow you to give your life to a hopeless cause."
"Your Majesty, I cannot leave her to die alone in a prison!"
An austere man stepped forward, his hands clasped lightly together in front of him. "With all due respect, Lady Nel, your sister will not be forgotten. She sacrificed herself for a noble cause, and will be revered as such."
"I think we both know better than that Lasselle. Heroes are forgotten, buried so deep, their names are blown away in the dust. And she is not dead yet, so do not speak as if her funeral had already passed!" she snapped, jumping to her feet.
"Lady Nel, remember yourself!" Aquaria said sharply. The rebuke stung and Nel sank back down on one knee.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. But I cannot live with myself for knowing that there was a chance to save her!"
Lasselle opened his mouth but the queen shot him a warning glance and he closed it again. "Lasselle, leave us."
"But, Highness…!"
"I wish to address the Lady Nel in private. Do you question that, Lasselle?"
"O-Of course not, Your Majesty. I meant no offence," he said quickly, casting a resentful glance in Nel's direction. "I will return to duty once Lady Nel has taken her leave of you."
Aquaria dismissed him with a curt nod and he left the room, resisting the urge to slam the door.
Nel's face was the picture of misery and a few solitary tears dripped onto the floor. She looked up when she heard the approach of soft footsteps to see her queen kneeling opposite her.
"Your Majesty, you should not-" she protested.
"Hush, Nel. Sit down."
Nel obeyed, and the two women sat at the same eye level. "Nel, no other is more sympathetic to your plight than I. You must understand that I cannot permit you and Neris to die at the hands of the enemy."
"She is the only family I have left. I promised my father that I would always protect her…"
"Your family is here Nel. All the people of Aquaria, all the soldiers under your command, look to you for guidance and hope. And think of what will happen to them if you are executed in Airyglyph. I know of the promise that you made to Nevelle, but you have done your best to keep her safe over the years. Since she came of age, she has made her own decisions, chosen her own path. You cannot dictate which direction the path winds."
"I know that Highness. But I also know that if I were captive in Airyglyph, she would come back for me, even if it were hopeless. And I would do the same for her."
"Then you know what the penalty is for going. I assume Jahin would undoubtedly have told you by now."
Nel nodded and the queen smiled sadly. "You will go against the commands of your queen?"
Her voice trembled when she replied. "If that is what I must do to save my sister, then so be it."
Aquaria saw the determination on her face and laid a hand on the scarlet head. "I knew that you would go the moment you stepped into my chambers. Go, with the blessing of Apris, but without the blessing of your queen. The consequences of your actions will stand, if Aquarian soldiers catch you at the border. You will be detained without question, and returned to Aquios."
"I understand, Your Majesty."
The queen rose, but Nel remained on the floor, her head bowed respectfully.
"May the Grace of Apris be with you, Lady Nel."
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Back in her room, Nel hastily threw the essential supplies that she needed into a small lightweight bag that she intended to carry with her to Airyglyph. Ordinarily, she did not carry supplies on missions, normally relying on her subordinates for food and shelter in the various towns and villages. But to avoid capture, she had to travel cross-country and through mountain regions. And supplies were not going to be readily available.
"I'm going with you."
Nel whirled around, her lips twisted in a snarl when she saw Jahin standing in the doorway, a traveling bag thrown over his shoulder. "No."
"Then I'll just follow you. Or I'll hand you over to the castle guards, or if you prefer, the guards at the borders."
"I said, no. And I meant every word."
"So did I, when I said I was going with you. Lady Nel, you can't stop me."
She unsheathed her dagger in the blink of an eye. "Is this persuasion enough?" she growled.
He eyed the dagger in her hand with no fear. "Wound me if you must, but I will still find a way to get to Airyglyph with you."
Reluctantly, she sheathed her dagger. "You're a fool. You would risk being branded a traitor, executed like a common criminal?"
"For her, yes."
Nel regarded the young man with something close to grudging respect, but not quite. "Come with me if you must. But if you get in my way…" she threatened, "Aquaria's mercy will not be enough to protect you from my blades."
"I understand. I am willing to give to give my life for hers."
She gave him a grim smile. "Oh, we shall see, Jahin, we shall see."
Nel turned away from him and stepped to the window, gazing down on her beloved Royal City.
Neris, just hold on a little longer. I'm coming for you, she thought, her heart aching in her chest.
"We leave at nightfall."
To be continued…