A Meeting Of Houses
Act XII – The Blood of a Hero

Jaelawyn Noble [ Jaelawyn@attbi.com ]

Disclaimer: Love 'em, dun own 'em.
Series: A Meeting Of Houses
Warnings: Serious Angst
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Lerant/Keladry, Shinko/Roald, Neal/Yuki, various
Archive:
Feedback: 'm a whore for it.
Note: Do not hurt me. This is the way this fic will be. I have no say in this, it's the characters that write the tale, and I only put down in ink what they tell me to do. Also, I am terribly sorry about the long wait. I just was too obsessed with Lord of the Rings. Sorry about that. Anyway, if this goes slow, I have about… let's see… 4 different series going on. There's this, Take My Light, Just Can't Get Enough, and Question of Life and Death. So, yea. Then there's the million other one shot stories I've been doing. So, please. Don't get wicked mad if I'm churning parts out so slowly. I've got writing, work, and school. I'm doing the best I can. Again, I have not read LADY KNIGHT. Won't be doing that for a while, if ever.

~

Thom was sitting in the courtyard when Lerant found him. It was the next day, the morning bright and sunny. Thom's mood was not. His soul was a churning, aching mess. He wanted nothing more than to murder himself and save Aishina the trouble. Fuck that, save the whole world the trouble.

The young solider stood behind the mage. "About what happened…" Lerant begun.

"You won't remember," Thom said, voice flat as he looked at the top of the trees.

"What do you mean?" Lerant asked, stepping away from the tall mage.

"You and Kel will never be the perfect couple," Thom said slowly. "You're too different from each other. She cares about her sword and a task. You care about life and proving yourself. You may both be outcasts in society, but you are not for each other. She will die in battle, before the next year is out. You may or may not die before her, it all depends upon the Stars and the Gods." Thom looked up at Lerant with hazel eyes that were almost all pupil. "Be careful for your children. You don't want them hurt."

"How…?" Rage and fear ran across Lerant's face.

Thom stood and in his hand, a crystal glowed. "I'm sorry Lerant. But I cannot allow you to remember what happened between us. If you do, you will drag me into a hell worse than that created by those who think themselves better than others. You'll drag me into the fiery mountains and caves of hell that I am still trying to escape from."

"Thom—"

"Why do you look so shocked? So surprised? I'm just another notch in your belt, another whore you fucked," Thom growled, eyes tiny slits in his face, hazel eyes flashing a deep, dangerous and bright purple, almost as if his Gift was leaking out through his eyes, just like his hands were glowing slightly. "You, Lerant, are just like all the rest. Like every other person in this world! You use us, tear us into shreds, enjoying the pain you cause, and then you toss us away when we no longer amuse you. I may be the first, but I won't be the last," he hissed, eyes glowing even more.

Lerant backed away in fear, eyes wide, hands in front of him, trying to keep the mage back. "No…" he whispered. "That's not true…"

"Yes it is," Thom said in a nasty voice. "You'll do it to your family, to Keladry, to your children. You take, you use, and you abuse." Suddenly his face went blank, a bored expression appearing in the stead of the mage's wrath, the purple fire vanishing without a trace. "Some people don't deserve to live, Lerant, yet they live on anyway. Maybe you happen to be one of those lucky few. Hm…how utterly depressing."

"Stop…" Lerant whispered, eyes closed in pain.

Thom shook his head and bent over the fallen man, touching a glowing fingertip to Lerant's temple. "Last night you were angry with Keladry and went straight to sleep. When you woke up, you came to find me to find out about the Scanrans. You never saw me yesterday, not even during meals. You do not remember anything I told you about my past or me. I am as mysterious to you as the universe it to mortals."

Lerant's eyes rolled up in his head, knees buckling under him as Thom turned away in a swirl of black and violet robes, a twisted look of pain on his fair face.

~

"I'm not talking to you," Kel said as she and Lerant went about readying their horses for travel.

Lerant sighed. This was going to be a very long journey if they didn't even bother speaking to each other. True, he did know why she was so mad. She had spent most of her life fighting to be kept down by men. And he had betrayed her, and her trust. To have done that probably shattered everything they had ever built together. In a very strange way, they were both back to square one.

As they rode back to Corus, Lerant noticed that Kel was strangely silent. She was silent a lot, but now…now it was icy, accusing. Lerant wished that he could undo what he had done, but he didn't know how to, didn't know if he wanted to. He, himself, was still absolutely livid with her for thinking that she was the one to go and cure the world of its ills. She should leave it to the men, the ones who knew what they were doing.

His hands gripped the reins hard, causing his mount to fidget a bit while he glanced at Keladry out of the corner of his eye. But in that one moment, he felt his heart melt. She was his betrothed. She was the one woman who could make him feel more than just someone who rose above his or her rank. Someone who actually cared about his well being, besides those of his family. It wouldn't be right to stay mad at her. But as that though crossed his mind, Lerant hardened his heart. If Keladry wanted to play this game, dammit, he would not give in!

~

Alanna clutched at her chest, trying to catch her breath as she kept coughing, unable to stop the wracking coughs shaking her frail frame. Jesa ran into the room, hair messed and escaping from the hair bonnet she slept in, her warm robes flying open as the thin nightgown accentuated every curve and dip in her body.

"M'lady?" she gasped, hands kneading the side of the bed as she watched Alanna fearfully. "M'lady, try to breathe, try to calm down!"

Alanna couldn't. She just kept coughing, black spots dancing in front of her eyes, throat closing shut. She grabbed Jesa's shoulder, tears falling from her eyes. She was terrified; what was happening to her? Alanna gasped for breath once, twice, and collapsed once more into a fit of coughing, this time coughing up blood. Jesa's eyes were wide in fear. She cried for one of the night servants who came running in before Jesa yelled at him to go for Duke Baird.

One of Alanna's hands moved to her throat as she gasped for breath while she coughed blood up, the coppery tang flooding her mouth.

The coughing stopped, only it didn't help. Alanna kept gasping, unable to breathe. Duke Baird came in, one hand bracing Alanna's back as he called for his assistant to go and grab some herbs for a strong tea to calm the lungs. All the while, he tried to soothe Alanna, rubbing his hand over her back. She coughed again, once…twice…thrice blood trickling out of the side of her mouth before her vision swam and she fell into the darkness of unconsciousness.

~

Alanna stayed in the Healing Hall for a good two and a half weeks, her weakened lungs and body making her temper snap even more readily. The attacks came more than once, often shaking her thin frame hand enough that she broke two ribs from the sheer force of the cough. Duke Baird was worried, having never seen this sickness before, though he had his suspicions it was a close relative of the Sweating Sickness. The cough was the same, as was the slight fever, the hallucinations, and the quick weight loss.

The idea, though, was absurd. Duke Roger was dead, body destroyed by the Gate of Idramm, the sword that killed him still stuck fast in the middle of the now broken Gate, in the darkness of the catacombs.

But dark thoughts of the past were not suited during the Harvest Festivals before the Royal Wedding. In a few short weeks Roald would wed Shinko, and would be united to both land, Jewel, and each other. The entire palace was in a state of Chaos, servants running around, cleaning and polishing, opening and airing rooms that would be quickly occupied by visiting nobility and royalty.

~

"We should go together, you know," Lerant drawled from the doorway. "Keep up the idea that we're still betrothed."

Kel snorted.

"Are you wearing a dress?"

"No."

"You should. It's a wedding, after all."

Kel's eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me what to do, Eldorne?"

Lerant looked disgusted. "Why should I bother? You won't listen to me. You're a warrior after all."

"Don't you dare mock me!" Kel snapped angrily. "You are not above me, and I am most certainly not below you."

Lerant snorted, "You are a woman. That makes you below me."

Kel grabbed the nearest object at hand and threw it at Lerant with all her strength, missing him by feet. With a disgusted look, Lerant stalked out of the room.

The next few hours saw them on opposite sides of the Temple, both prickly with tempers simmering close to the top of the pot. Even through the wedding feast, when they were sat together, the two would not talk and would not face each other.

It was quite obvious how much of a lover's spat was going on. What it was over, though, no one knew. Cleon, though, was quite happy with this rift and he took it as his chance to talk to Kel. For his effort, Cleon got a black eye and a bloodied nose. Kel, obviously, was still quite angry with him, for all she said as she stalked off was, "Men!"