FIC START!
Edward parked the hovercraft right outside Damcyan castle. He advised Kain and Sakinah to come inside, as he knew the winds would pick up soon and there would be a dust storm. Not knowing much about the desert, both travelers agreed with the king and decided it would be best to wait it out.
Once the trio were inside, Edward demanded that the gates be shut and that until he gave the order, no one was to leave or enter the castle. Kain figured this was for the safety of young ones that knew not the ways of the desert weather and he did not say a word. It was only a few moments later when the Royal Secretary, Harley, approached Edward with a bow and a letter in her hands.
"Your Highness," Harley said, "We have word from Baron and Fabul. Your friends need not worry. Cecil and Yang are both aware of the situation, and according to Yang's letter, Ceodore doesn't really want to leave anyway." She handed it to him and proceeded to introduce herself to Kain and Sakinah. "Excuse me. My name is Harley. I am King Edward's assistant."
Sakinah nodded. "I'm Sakinah. I'm from Troia."
Harley nodded. "His Highness tells me that you are the Skyreader."
She nodded again. "That's right."
The secretary pushed up her glasses. "After being struck with desert fever, you must be tired. We have a guest room for you, if you'll come with me. Dinner is in a few hours."
"How long is the storm supposed to last?" Kain asked. "I would prefer not to wait longer than I absolutely must."
"Storm?" Harley cocked up an eyebrow. "What are you talking about-"
Edward put up his hand as if to take command of the conversation, and that caught her attention.
Harley said not another word. With that, she immediately turned around and left. Her obedience was swift, with no backtalk. She was a woman that valued her position.
The king shook his head, shrugging about the whole situation. "You'll have to forgive me, both of you. I'm worried about you. Especially you, Sakinah."
"Worried?" she repeated it, even though all it did was make her more frustrated. "Why are you worried about me?"
"I once loved someone very much like you, Sakinah. She was dragged into a battle she was not ready for, and when she tried to take a blow meant for me, it cost her the ultimate price." Edward said as he put a hand on Sakinah's shoulder. Tears fell down his face, one after another, as he looked right into her eyes for the very first time. "You are special, but that will not exempt you from any evil that may come your way. I thought I could protect her, and I tried, but she wanted to be heroic and protect me. Kain is but one man, and even if he will look after you with all the viligence in his body, he may not be able to save you." He then looked at Kain. "This is nothing personal against you. I know of your skill with your lance. However, right now the only weapon Sakinah has to her name is her love. And in this world that is not a proper weapon to protect anyone with."
Kain turned away for a moment. He didn't want either of them to see his reaction, but upon hearing that and remembering all about Edward's history during the War of the Crystals, his expression had also turned to one of dread. "You refuse to let us on Mt. Hobs to make way for Fabul because Sakinah is not armed?"
"That is exactly it," Edward said. "Because maybe if Anna could have taken a blow, maybe if she could have fought when Golbez came here, she might be with us now. She took blows meant for me, from angles I did not see until after the battle was over. Kain, you do not want this pain I carry every day of my life. I am doing this to protect you."
Kain didn't want to hear that. It was like Edward was blasting his feelings loud and clear all over the world when he put it like that. He wanted to tell Sakinah eventually about how he felt, not have her find out about it in some roundabout way. But he was right in the fact that she never held a weapon, and Mt. Hobs was a dangerous place full of monsters. And he was more than right about one man not being able to see everywhere a monster could attack from, at that. He let his eyes fixate again on Sakinah before she nodded in agreement.
"It's true that I've never held a weapon before," Sakinah said. "I've never needed to. I've spent most of my life in a castle." She hated being put on the spot like that, and for being the reason why they were being held back, but she understood it well enough. "This may well be a part of what I have to do to find my answers. Do you have an armory, Edward?"
"There is an armory in the castle, yes."
"Then I will find a weapon that I can lift, and I will take up arms if we need it," she said, trying to sound confident. "Though I have spent most of my life in a library, or an observatory. I can't imagine I'll be very strong."
"Not every weapon is about brute strength," Edward said with a laugh. He stepped away from them before snapping his fingers. "But not now. Harley mentioned dinnertime in a few hours. The castle is full of hustle and bustle until that is overwith. We'll have you rest, and when you are fed, I will take you to the armory. Training takes energy."
"She cannot spend years to train the way most of us knights have," Kain said. "We do not have this kind of time."
"If you teach her what took you years to learn, then she will not have to." The king retorted. "So. Harley, take our guests to rest for now."
"Yes, sir!"
Kain crossed his arms. "We don't have time-"
"Don't make me throw you in the dungeons to keep you here," Edward said as he kept walking on to his throne room. "Because if I must, I will. Sakinah will not see monsters until she can at least protect herself in case you cannot. I am doing this for your own good, Kain."