Author's notes: Very brief note this time, although big thanks to everyone as always. But, come on. You guys all knew this chapter was coming, right? I'm nothing if not predictable. This chapter and the next one were actually my favourite to write, I probably had too much fun writing them.


Kiss: Violence. Red. 'Say ahh'.

It had been a slaughter. The rebels had never stood a chance, the advantage they may have had in numbers meaning nothing when armed only with short blades and crude shields. The citadel soldiers were well trained and ordered, their efficiency as brutal as it was effective. The battle had still lasted almost two days, regardless, and heavy damage and casualties had seemingly been inflicted everywhere. The streets were lined with bodies that had long since stopped being distinguishable as rebels, soldiers or civilians, and started to simply be dead, the stench of decay already rising in the heat.

And it had been a slaughter, but it had been a well planned one. Kai-stern thought that perhaps the rebels had known that they were sure to lose even before the surprise attack had began, and that was why instead of using their only advantage and striking as one, they had attacked various parts of the citadel – both within and without – simultaneously.

The rebels strongest fighters had been planted inside the walls of the city, possibly posing for months or even years as locals. They had been the ones to attack the main palace, and Kai-stern had found himself having to help defend a regime he despised against rebels whose ideals he shared, even if he hated their means.

It was their blood that stained his sword.

He wondered whose sword was stained with his.

The wound was not serious; at least, it was not serious enough that Kai-stern could not push past the pain as he stalked quickly towards the main chambers of the palace. He could not hold a sword now even if his own life depended on it, the gash that started at his right shoulder before curling into his chest made merely holding anything remotely heavy a very difficult prospect. He'd had it bandaged quickly, after bonelessly collapsing into a chair in the main palace hospice once the hundred or so rebels that had survived surrendered. He'd foolishly believing himself to have some time – however brief – to allow his exhausted and aching body to recover even slightly.

In the ten minutes that it had taken to apply simple, makeshift bandages, King Alferia had officially announced that the remaining rebels were to be executed at sunset.

Kai-stern ignored the guards who greeted him at the main door of the throne room, choosing instead to brush straight pass them despite their protests and thinly veiled threats.

"Ah, Officer Kai-stern," King Alferia greeted, his voice dripping with swarm. "I thought you were being attended to by one of our fine doctors?" The King was drenched in jewels and exotic silks, so different to the blood that stained his soldiers and streets. Of course, King Alferia had only witnessed the fighting from the highest window in the palace, safely guarded. Kai-stern was sure he must look an utter mess in comparison; his clothes tattered and decorated in blood, exhaustion threatening to take over his usually warm features. Dirt and grime seemed to cling to everything, his skin, hair and clothes gaining no discrimination.

"I am here to discuss the status of the prisoners." Kai-stern played the diplomatic game well, one of the reasons why he was so good at his job. He knew when to smile pleasantly and how to make suggestions in such a way that it made the other person believed that the idea had in fact been their own, and Kai-stern knew exactly what boundaries he could and couldn't push with individual rulers.

But what made Kai-stern brilliant at his job instead of merely good, was how he knew exactly when to smash those boundaries completely.

"They are not of your concern," was the airy response, although there was a hint of a threat in the King's words.

"I am making it my concern." Kai-stern's own reply was cold and firm, his eyes narrowing in seriousness.

"Do not overstep your bounds, human." The King drifted down from his throne until he was standing in front of Kai-stern, the anger in his eyes contradicting his neutral, bemused tone. "You have no authority here."

"Perhaps not regarding the prisoners," and it was not as though Kai-stern was allowing Alferia the advantage in any form, and merely a stating of truth. "But your city depends on Draqueen for trade with the cities to the west, as well as protection against some of the larger cities to the north. Draqueen has never supported the execution of prisoners, especially without a trial, and if you were to take that route then you would be breaking all ties with Draqueen as a result." Anger flared briefly in Kai-stern's eyes. "And I do have the authority to make that happen."

It was far from being an empty threat, and they both knew it. Away from Draqueen, decisions that had to be made during an emergency or crisis fell solely on Kai-stern's shoulders, and while he may have to justify them later or even possibly see them overturned, only a fool would dare believe that he was bluffing.

And King Alferia was many things, but he was not a fool. What was at stake was far more important than a pompous execution to show off his power. While the King lost his façade of composure, his anger rising clearly to the surface, Kai-stern remained cold and aloof, hard eyes easily staring down King Alferia's more laden gaze.

"The trials will take place here." It was a last attempt to maintain some form of control, but Alferia had already lost where it truly mattered.

"As long as Chief Judge Forona is in charge of the case." Kai-stern had discovered on his earlier visit that the government itself in Sandi wasn't inherently bad or corrupt, and that they simply did not have the authority or clout to change anything drastically. Here, the royalty still ruled, even though they were supposed to only have a 'supervising' role. Forona was stern and unforgiving in his bluntness, but Kai-stern had found him to have a dedication to justice that was missing amongst those above him.

"I suppose that Draqueen will have a representative here will the trials take place?" Alferia said with bitter humor. Kai-stern's lips curled up slightly into a dark smile.

"Naturally."

Once he was curtly dismissed Kai-stern sought out Forona, stopping briefly at his room to quickly change clothes. He winced as he examined his wound before slipping into a clean shirt and roughly washing the blood and grime from his hands and face, mentally promising himself a nice, long soak when this was all over.

It was dawn before he finally left Forona's office, a basic outline for the trial drawn up and agreed on. It was late afternoon by the time he had visited the prisoners and made sure that they were being treated in a decent enough manner, the injured being seen to be healers and food being brought. He allowed them nothing more, for while he understood their desperation for change, the rebels had killed all who fell between them and their target, including innocent civilians.

Everyone was guilty, but only the rebels were to stand trial. Kai-stern could only make sure they received one that was as balanced as possible.

Four days without sleep, two of which had been spent fighting desperately against those he was now trying to save, had worn on Kai-stern. Away from the responsibility of his position for just a moment, he sagged slightly against the wall of the empty corridor he was passing through, letting out a deep sigh. There was still so much that had to be done, so much that Kai-stern would have to fight and bargain over. Sometime in the next few hours he would have to get his injury seen to, the wound had started to bleed again and stitches were required, if the dull ache that flowed down the entire length of his arm and right side was any indication.

"You look like hell warmed over."

Kai-stern's eyes flickered open in surprise at the words, but a warm – albeit tired – smile quickly followed.

"Tetheus! When did you get here?" Kai-stern pushed himself abruptly away from the wall.

"Several hours ago. You are a very difficult man to track down, Kai-stern." A ghost of a smile played at the corner of Tetheus lips. Dark eyes examined Kai-stern quickly, and the hint of a smile turned into a frown. "You're injured." Trust Tetheus to be able to tell without Kai-stern having said a word, and the wound completely hidden beneath his tunic. But war was Tetheus' area of expertise as much as diplomacy was Kai-stern's, and it made sense that Tetheus would be able to tell when someone was injured or hurt just from a slight strain in their body language or movement.

"I know." Tetheus didn't seem all that amused by Kai-stern's self-depicting remark. "I'm planning on getting it looked at-"

"Now." Tetheus finished for him, leaving no room for argument.

"Now," Kai-stern agreed obediently. Now that Tetheus – and surely an array of guards and military personnel were here, the chances of something going terribly wrong if Kai-stern just happened to hesitate or look away for a moment was significantly lessoned. Kai-stern allowed Tetheus to gently nudge him in the direction of the hospice, a steadying hand never leaving the small of Kai-stern's back. In a way, Tetheus was too good at reading body language, Kai-stern thought with just a touch of wryness.

But it was very, very nice to see a familiar face.

The doctor was not there when they arrived, quite possibly helping deal with the injured soldiers in the barracks. Tetheus sat Kai-stern down in one the chairs regardless, and ordered him to strip off his shirt.

"We came as soon as the messenger brought word that the citadel had been attacked," Tetheus said as he gently unwrapped Kai-stern's bandages, inspecting the wound and marred skin carefully as he did. "It was … unexpected. Lord Lykouleon was rather taken back, as the intelligence in this area had suggested nothing like this. Alfeegi was also rather distraught." It was said gelidly, but it brought the desired response as Kai-stern's gaze flickered quickly away from the scene outside the far window, where various members of the Draqueen military had gathered.

"Oh?"

"Yes. It was quite amusing to hear him attempt to justify why an accountant was desperately needed in a city that was being attacked by rebels. I will have to stitch your wound," Tetheus said as he stood up and examined the various draws and cupboards, before returning with a bowl of water and a needle and thread. Kai-stern was finding it difficult to focus on his injury, what with his heart beating so heavily in his chest. "He will be very annoyed when he discovers that you were injured, I believe he ordered you to return in good health."

"When have I ever been known to follow any of Alfeegi's orders?" Kai-stern said lightly, wincing slightly as Tetheus washed his wound. Tetheus snorted at his reply. "I'm sure he'll manage to survive, somehow."

"You, on the other hand …" Tetheus didn't even look up from where he was slowly starting to stitch together Kai-stern's injury, and anyone else might have possibly missed the way that Tetheus had just made a joke. Tetheus, who often acting so formal and firm, also happened to possess a dark sense of humor that lingered just beneath the surface, although few ever saw it. The demon was nowhere near as cold or emotionless as some people thought him to be, all the emotions and nuances were there, if one only cared to look deep enough.

He was a good friend, as well as being a dedicated and unparalleled military officer. While Kai-stern never forgot the latter, he occasionally forgot the first.

Even though Tetheus was being gentle and continued to talk in a soft, comforting monotone about how Alfeegi had been driving everyone up the wall these last 10 months, most likely because Kai-stern wasn't there for him to take his anger out on, Tetheus could only slightly dull the pain of having stitches put in. When the demon was finally finished, Kai-stern was covered in a thin sheen of sweat and his breaths held a slightly ragged edge.

This was why he was more a fan of the healing magic that the elves had perfected. Less pain, more time spent unconscious.

His room was not far from the hospice, and Tetheus did not seem to mind all that much that Kai-stern leaned on him slightly as they made their way there. The corridors remained empty on their trek back, much to Kai-stern's relief, and when they finally reached his room Kai-stern dropped instantly onto his bed and flopped backwards, groaning melodramatically.

"Next time I go travelling anywhere, remind me to pack an Elf or two."

"You'll have to find one in the next two days, then." Tetheus said as he sat down calmly in a chair across from the bed. "I'm sending you home."

"You're doing what?" With a small groan, Kai-stern pushed himself up onto his elbows, surprised.

"Your wound has gotten slightly infected; you need some rest and a chance to properly recuperate. And not only from the wound, Kai-stern." Tetheus continued when it looked as though Kai-stern was going to protest – which he had intended to do. "You've been travelling now for almost a year, I know how much that takes out of a person. I also know, Kai-stern, the effect that taking part in a battle such as this has on a person." Tetheus' expression didn't flicker or change, but it didn't have to. Sometimes, Tetheus was the easiest to read out of all of them. "From what I have heard and from what I have seen, the battle was very … vicious."

"A prolonged slaughter. Neither side showed even the slightest hint of mercy."

"Yet you put yourself in a potentially dangerous position in an attempt to save those who were part of it." Ah. So Tetheus had heard of his argument with the King.

"I believe in a fair trial, Tetheus." It came out almost as a sigh. "And as a representative of Draqueen, I also must reflect our Kingdom's policies, which have never supported mass execution."

"The King could have easily have said you were killed in battle, or that your injury had ended up being surprisingly fatal."

"And you could have been killed in any of the numerous battles you've fought in." This was a conversation that they would never have been able to have with the likes of Ruwalk and Alfeegi, who never realized quite how constantly dangerous Tetheus' and Kai-stern's work was. "There is no difference between the battles I fight and the ones that you do, Tetheus. I just usually fight mine with words." Tetheus snorted.

"Considering what happened when you try using a sword, your tongue might be the safer option."

Kai-stern had to smile slightly at that – he was hardly in a situation to argue otherwise, although the fact he hadn't been killed worked in his favor.

"I would prefer to stay and watch over the trial." Kai-stern returned to the topic at hand.

"I know. But I have everything under control, Kai-stern. Rest, and then go home. Get better. Then perhaps, you can come back and help out – but only then." For just a moment, Tetheus' features softened. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

And he did. Kai-stern knew that. He'd worked often enough in the past with Tetheus when things had gone wrong in some foreign land to know how the other worked.

"Rest first, right?" Kai-stern waved a hand towards the door. "Then you better leave me to it, I find your company far too fascinating to consider falling asleep while you're still here." Tetheus ignored the slight jab, simply nodding and rising to leave. "Tetheus? Thanks." That brought the smallest of smiles in response.

"Sleep, Kai-stern."