Sacrifices: Innocence Shattered

Hello my friend, we meet again
It's been awhile, where should we begin?
Feels like forever
Within my heart are memories
Of a perfect love that you gave to me
Oh, I remember

Excerpt from Creed, "My Sacrifice"

Imoen. After everything that's happened, the one person I love more than anything has deserted me. Not that I can condemn her for it.

'You didn't know that Imoen was your sister?' Irenicus's cold laughter had filled the laboratory, 'Ah, but you did expect something sweeter perhaps? The return of a lover instead of a sister?'

Liam glanced to where his beautiful lover, no sister, lay sleeping. He quickly turned away, but the image of her once blissful smile and laughing sapphire eyes lingered in his mind. Damn you, Jaheira. You and Khalid both knew. So did the rest of the Harpers.

'And you had relations with Imoen...' Liam had killed Dermin for that. He had not understood the venom in the words then, but it made sense now. Everything was callously clear. Jaheira and Khalid's whispered arguments, the way the two Harper's had taken the news of the relationship, the way they had reacted the first and every night the couple spent together...

Liam sank to the ground, his Shadow Dragon Armour made a soft, hissing sound as he hit the cold stone floor. After... losing Imoen he had raised the astounding sum of gold demanded by the Shadowmaster. In doing so, he had denounced the Order of the Radiant Heart. Those fools had dictated to him that he was not to obtain help from the thieves. They had told him to forget Imoen.

Instead, the angry paladin had dismissed both Keldorn and Anomen from his service. Or rather, he had tried. Liam smirked, the two stubborn knights had stayed by his side, only wincing at the services Linvail had required.

They were no longer knights now. After hearing of the their continued assistance to the rogue paladin, the Order had stripped them of knighthood behind their backs. They had not even confronted the pair about the matter. Neither was particularly upset with the loss anymore, not after that display of the Order's cowardice.

The trio were not considered fugitives, although it had been... 'suggested' that they were not to go near the Heart's guild. Liam gave his god a silent prayer of thanks. Torm had not dismissed Keldorn, nor had Helm relinquished Anomen from his priesthood. The gods knew that rescuing Imoen was more important than keeping the Order's image in pristine condition. That the life of an innocent woman took prevalence over politics.

But now he was inside Spellhold, recovering from the loss of his soul and lover. Liam sighed and picked up Carsomyr from where he had dropped it beside him. With the small light the fire made, Liam was able to see Imoen's reflection in the Torm-blessed blade. He needed to scream, to shout... to kill before he went mad.

Damn you, Jaheira. You must have known, Gorion must have told you. You knew all this time, and said nothing. A few strangled cries reached his throat. This was not supposed to happen. It was going to be just the two of them, the paladin and mage, travelling to wherever the wind took them.

Liam heard footsteps approach him and instinctively grasped the hilt of Carsomyr. It was Jaheira. The paladin gripped the sword tighter.

The druid sat down beside him. "Liam..."

"Don't, Jaheira."

"And what would you have me say; that I am sorry? You must know that I am not. Gorion entrusted us... entrusted me with the knowledge. I swore that I would never tell..."

"Oh, of course. Yes, I forgot. And, more obviously, you couldn't have said, 'children, this is a bad idea,' then promptly follow it up with some ridiculous nature metaphor. I suppose that would entail breaking your little oath as well."

"Liam, hush. We must not wake the others. Imoen needs her rest."

The paladin's eyes grew dark with fury, but he complied.

"You would never have listened to me. Do not fool yourself into believing otherwise." Jaheira continued. "Tell me, what have you lost?"

"Besides my lover, my best friend, my sister? Nothing. Nothing at all."

"Tell me, Liam, does your god still answer your prayers, does Torm not still bestow his blessings upon you?"

Liam threw up his hands in despair. Torm's presence had never faltered throughout his travels, and Jaheira knew it well.

The druid lay a tentative hand on the paladin's encased shoulder. Both knew that there would be no absolution or resolution.

As she got up to leave, Jaheira whispered, "Give her time. Not only does she have her mistreatment to contend with, but the added shock of her heritage has done nothing to help her. She needs to heal. I doubt that even Torm knows what is in your future, but Imoen will always be there. Of that, I am certain."

Liam waited for the older woman to depart, before shedding a single tear. I am sorry, Imoen, for everything I have done. But I will make Irenicus pay for his part.