Disclaimer: *gasp* I am actually changing it (again)! The old new one bored me so now I'm changing it again … essentially I own nothing (minus anything unfamiliar) that has to do with Valdemar… no suing I have no money!
A/N okay wow this is maybe quite close to the last chap. (Azori by the way)
Haven was certainly an adjustment after months in the woods of the western border. The uprising there had been summarily quelled especially after Malken's defeat. Thus I was back in haven with a formerly red currently gray clad individual at my side.
Despite the relative ease of finishing off Valdemar's enemies we had been away long enough for Cymon and I to get over our shock and awe about what Garth and Savannah had pulled on us.
Upon our return we were greeted with great to do and far too much ceremony. Cymon retreated to his family's set of rooms to share his good news personally and see about arranging his lessons, most of which he had already taken as a bard or learned from observing his family. He finally felt worthy of existence. Savannah had shared with me her concern for him on numerous occasions. Those two had done each other immeasurable good.
The same could be said of Garth and I. The bold stallion had forced me to really take a look at how I behaved around other people and face the causes for my fears. With him around to keep me accountable and moderately kind I was much better off. I even had friends now.
:You're acting broody again Chosen,: Garth poked at me.
:You're being nosy! I was just thinking about how much you've helped me.:
:Of course I've helped you, I am the omniscient grove-born!:
I struck at him playfully.
:Ow, that hurt!:
:How come you didn't dodge it oh all-knowing one?: I teased.
:She got you there,: Savannah chirped helpfully.
The two companions and I were in the companion stable. I was brushing them and waiting for Cymon to show up. He had become one of my closest friends and we often went riding together in the companion's field, when I could slip away from my duties as Queen's Own. Since all was peaceful and no tragedy was looming at present I was able to do just that quite frequently.
"Sorry I'm late," Cymon came in breathlessly. He went straight to Savannah. As we put the companion's tack on, "the weapons master kept me late, again," he explained ruefully. Fighting was one of a very limited number of classes that Cymon actually had to take. He had never quite mastered it as a bard trainee and now he was relearning it as a herald.
"Well, if you ever get it right you'll look fine in your whites."
"Thanks," he replied to my teasing, "It's a shame I don't have them already, they would be a lovely contrast to my bruises."
:Are you okay, my poor little chosen?: Savannah teased in a sickly sweet tone.
"I'll recover, no thanks to you my dear," he replied rubbing her forehead affectionately.
We finished up and left the stable for our ride. I sat comfortably to Garth's steady walk. Savannah pranced coltishly for a few steps to jostle Cymon before settling into her own even pace.
"So how are things with her Majesty recently?" Cymon asked curiously.
"Nothing new. Her only concern is that her daughter makes it through her training as a herald," I responded.
"That's good. So what prompts the concern for the hier?"
"You know how Talia can get …"
"Not really, she isn't really my problem."
"Don't let her hear you say that or she'll go to no ends to prove you wrong."
"Oh, so she's just playing the general pain in the neck?"
"Yes, that girl …" I shook my head ruefully, "At least she is on the right path though. I haven't heard about any run-ins with the guard, drinking, or members of the opposite sex."
"You haven't heard about them?"
"As far as I know there aren't any to hear about. I doubt anybody could survive getting tangled up in something with her."
"Such as crimes?"
"Such as anything. She's absolutely incorrigible."
"Well, I guess that could be good…"
"She proves the worth of both ambassadors and diplomats, to put it bluntly, in her reign we will need a huge supply of each. So practice your heraldic apologies to foreign entities…"
Cymon chuckled, "I can picture it now, she'll get some idea in her head and…"
"And it will mean absolute pandemonium! It's not funny Cye."
"For me it is, Savannah and I are going to ride circuits, we won't be here. You will be the one dealing with her public relations blunders… and everything else."
"May the queen live a long, very long, and prosperous life!" I said with feeling.
"Maybe we will have a similar case as happened when the queen's own was Herald Talia."
"What?"
"The heir at the time, Elspeth, abdicated in favor of her younger half-siblings."
"I could only be so lucky! She'll mellow out I'm sure, and if events stay pretty much the way they are when she does take the throne she will have learned some diplomacy herself."
Cymon grinned, "Well in the meantime she's the only one I can even come close to besting in weaponry, of course that's only by virtue of my bardic calling…"
"How so?" I asked not sure I wanted to hear.
"Well, if I use my vast knowledge of big words and insults on her I can generally get her so worked up she fights worse than a raw beginner," he said with a chuckle, "the weapons master usually goes near apoplectic at the both of us!"
"You find that funny? That man frightens me when he's in a temper!"
"It's much funnier after the fact actually."
"I thought as much, I bet Talia is generally fit to kill you?"
"Yup, thus I tend to avoid her in the halls…"
It was my turn to laugh. Trying to avoid the heir when she wanted to find you was extremely hard.
"That girl grew up prowling these halls," I chuckled.
"So did I; I can generally stay out of her path when I want to."
"That's lucky for you; maybe I should hang out with you more often. She doesn't always take kindly to my advice…"
Cymon laughed.
:Where are we going?: Savannah asked breaking in.
Cymon shrugged and glanced over at me, I shrugged back, "Maybe the grove?"
"Fine with me," Cymon agreed, "I can regale you all with music!"
"You brought your harp?"
"No, I'll just sing without accompaniment."
"If you want to," I agreed.
"You know, this is not like what I always dreamed being a herald would be like," Cymon confessed.
"It isn't?" I asked startled by the comment. He had hated me for years because he wanted this and now he didn't? It didn't make sense.
He laughed at my expression, "It's better I mean," he explained quickly, "It's a family I never thought I could be a part of. I always envied that in my parents. Even when one of them was out on circuit they weren't alone, they had friends as close as family in each of the other heralds…"
"Yeah," I agreed wistfully, "It really is. After… my family died I thought I could never feel that safe or loved again. But now…"
:Alright you crazy kids, how about a race to the grove?: Garth interrupted.
"Are these two conspiring against us or what? Just when our conversation gets good…" Cymon grumped.
"We're going to win…" I called as I let Garth have his head. Savannah leapt after us in chase. It was a near thing, but we won.
"There, now maybe the white ponies will let us talk?" Cymon suggested jovially.
I smiled, "I doubt it; the white ponies of Valdemar are notorious for meddling!"
Cymon grinned back, "Yeah, did anyone ever tell you how my parents ended up married?"
"Yes, Asia and Ralph right?"
"Yup, so Savannah is at least a second generation meddler… and Garth being grove-born is definitely one of the top ones in the land!"
:Well if that's the way you two heralds feel about us then we'll just leave you to walk your own heraldic rears back to the stables,: Savannah suggested.
"You would to," Cymon complained glumly.
"How about that song Cye?" I asked not caring to test the companions' resolve to leave without us.
"Okay, the song," Cymon acquiesced sheepishly, "I guess I shouldn't provoke those two huh?"
"Yeah," I agreed, "Now hurry up and sing already!"
"Yes ma'am," Cymon said bowing extravagantly before launching into a round of singing that lasted most of the afternoon.
A/N okay I know that its getting old… and that my next move is extremely corny, but it makes me happy so this next bit is an optional add on… if you like the traditional happy ending then this is that… if you want something else as the author of this fic I give you the reader official permission to make up your own official ending… even if that entails all of my characters dying simultaneously of a freakishly weird disease, the heir going psycho and attacking Cye and Azi, a giant happy birthday party where the guest of honor is Sparky the happy giraffe, a change of the national language of Valdemar to charades signals, or anything else… but here is the one I'm putting in writing as a bonus section to chapter 7… good things come to he who reads my longwinded diatribes… (maybe) lets go for a super change of pace to Savannah POV)
Garth and I exchanged chuckles as our chosen sat together in the grove.
"You know, I've been meaning to ask you something Azori," Cymon said nervously twiddling his thumbs. I nearly burst with anticipation of his question… I nearly burst with pride just thinking about my chosen. Seeing Cymon happy after all these years was an unimaginable treat. It had been so hard to overlook him when he was younger, but now things were the way they were supposed to be and all was well.
"What?" Azori asked looking unsure as to whether she really wanted to know.
Cymon took a deep breath, I sent him wordless encouragement, I had promised not to directly meddle in this having learned from my mother and father's mistakes.
"Okay, Azi, would you marry me?"
Azori stared at him in numb shock for a moment. I willed her to say yes. She had admired him from a distance as a trainee I hoped that the old attraction was still there, for Cymon's sake.
"Um… did you just ask me what I think you just asked me?"
"Yes," Cymon managed to say. He looked about ready to die of nerves.
:Calm down Savannah,: Garth nudged me gently, :We agreed, no interfering.:
:I know, but look at them… it's so obvious...:
:To us, just watch,:
I took the advice for lack of anything better to do.
"Yes," Azori was saying as I turned my attention back to them.
"You will?" Cymon repeated looking flabbergasted.
"Yes…"
"Good."
"So what do we do now?"
"Um… go back?"
"Sounds good to me."
Then it seemed to hit home, "I have to tell my family!" Cymon cried jovially.
"and there's so much planning to do…"
:Shall we trot the happy couple back home?: Garth volunteered.
:Or perhaps canter them there?: I added.
"Sure," the two agreed climbing onto our backs.
A/N okay, that would be my ending sorry if you hated it… but I warned you at the last a/n. And that concludes this story! If you'd like another one review and ask me for it.