Karigan stretched and groaned as the morning light filtered through her window. She stared at the dust motes as she contemplated moving. Gathering her courage with gritted teeth and a hiss she heaved herself to the side and waited for the pain ripping up her spine to settle. She kept her eyes close and breathed slowly and deeply. After a few seconds the events of the previous night flooded back into her mind and she winced. She would have thrown herself back onto the bed if it was worth it but these days, it wasn't. Instead she stared dully at her bare feet and watched the sun move over the small scales of skin that covered her bones.
She had always been an early riser, which had its benefits post the north disaster since almost all riders were the exact opposite. She slowly moved toward the baths and sighed with delight as the warm lavender water eased over her skin. She soaked until the water was too tepid for her liking and then towelled herself dry. She had forgotten her robe and tied the towel around herself awkwardly. She peered out the door cautiously and cocked her head to listen. Still no sounds. She pushed the door open further and quickly walked to her door, sighing with relief as she slipped inside and locked it behind her.
She dressed in her formal uniform and headed towards the mess, dreading the day that was about to start. What would the king say? What would he do? What would Khodell do? Urgh, why were men so difficult?!
She loosed a huge sigh and pushed the door open into the noisy room. She grabbed a tray and walked to the servers, collecting fruit and tea as she murmured hello to the no nonsense kitchen staff. She found a table in the corner of the room and placed her food down. She picked up the mug and took a sip of hot tea, staring absent-mindedly at the apples in front of her. A shadow crossed them. Fastion loomed over her a moment later and without saying anything, sat down in front of her.
Karigan looked at him from the corner of her eye, suspicious. It hadn't occurred to her but it was likely there was a Weapon in the room at the time of her conversation the night before, and she wasn't very happy to remember that fact. Maybe Fastion knew? He seemed like a gossip.
However he didn't act strangely. He just packed away enough food to feed 3 garrisons as Karigan picked at her fruit, bemused. Eventually she glanced at the time piece in the corner and noted that meetings began in a quarter bell. It would take her almost that long to walk there. With a final sigh, she drained her tea cup and stood to take her tray back to the kitchen staff.
"You comported yourself well last night. Good luck this morning," came the quiet voice in front of her.
Karigan coloured. Oh good. It had been Fastion.
Karigan entered the meeting chamber with trepidation and glanced around. The room was mostly full although the king and a couple of his advisers had not yet appeared. Karigan saw the General in the corner and he smiled at her. She gave him a small smile back before paying far more attention to seating herself than she needed to. She fidgeted under the table as her nerves grew.
Pull yourself together, she told herself sternly. He can't say anything in front of the group. Be professional. With that admonishment, her nervousness lowered slightly and she sat up straighter.
The door to the side was thrown open and the king entered with great energy. The quiet room looked up in surprise at the bustle before hurrying to their feet to pay their respects.
"No, no friends, stay seated," the king announced. "Let us begin."
He sat himself down quickly and smiled around the table. His eyes swept passed Karigan and she felt a pang at being given the same notice as the others. Urgh Karigan, make up your mind, she scolded herself. The king looked expectantly at his General to start proceedings.
Slightly flustered, the General's Chief of Staff outlined the agenda for their final discussions which were to centre on the long term planning of provisions for their joint war or siege endeavour. The whole meeting was hard work. The king, whilst attentive and sharp as always, was clearly in a strange mood and acted in a manner most unusual for him. He spoke over people, changed conversation tracks, and skipped around subjects. Karigan stayed as quiet as possible, which annoyed her. She wanted to join in; after all, her merchanting background combined with her extensive experience on the road might have been quite valuable from a real world perspective. However she sensed she knew the real reason for the king's alteration and that perhaps it was his own coping mechanism. She considered quietly asking permission to leave when a small, inner voice piped up.
Your ideas are important. And we both have to work together or this will end poorly for everyone else. You have a duty to push past this and so does he. You've managed so far, he will just have to figure it out. Karigan held her breath, waiting for the right opening. The Quartermaster, seated on her left, provided an opportunity as he finished speaking and a small lull arose. She cleared her throat and he turned towards her.
"Sir, have you considered engaging the merchant classes for the goods transfer?" she asked. He looked at her with a question in his eyes.
"No Rider, how would that assist?"
Karigan tried to keep her gaze direct.
"Well, each merchant clan has either contracts with local farmers to borrow fleets of transport during the trading season, or their own vehicles. If the Crown could afford it, we could consider borrowing these for high volume transfers after the trading season ends. There are many ways merchants would accept payment for service. Tax credits, for example, are often accepted rather than gold. It would give us the flexibility to move vast stores of supplies to the designated sites quickly. And if timed well, we could even link in with the trade routes before they return home to expedite the process."
The Quartermaster smoothed his face across his mouth and considered.
"Hmmm you make a good point. That would build quite a bit of capacity into our scheduling, which is looking monstrously tight. What say you Sire?"
Karigan turned to see the king watching her. Clearly he had listened to the discussion in one of his rare moments of silence that morning.
"I think it is a wonderful idea," came his quiet reply. "We could use the support and Karigan is right, we don't necessarily need to pay them although that is a reasonable option. We could consider a reduction in taxation next season."
Karigan's eyes lit up as she thought of another idea. She twisted to face him. "Sire, I am sure that would be welcome. But there might be a way that we could relieve the burden on both parties."
"Oh?" the king raised an eyebrow. Karigan's insides twisted.
"Well, Sire, the naming day of the royal heirs is approaching," she said, avoiding his gaze as she finished the sentence.
"Hmmmmm," the king said, stroking his beard. His eyes lit up as he realised what she meant.
"And that way," he continued her train of thought.
"The lower cost than an otherwise befitting gift would be welcome in advance of what is sure to be a poorer trading season," she finished.
"And there would be no burden on treasury," he added.
"And the other advantage for the common folk," she began, to which he nodded emphatically.
"Of course, good point, that will stop the pre-war unemployment dip. Plus the merchants-".
She beamed. "Exactly. Contribution to the war effort without being asked to empty their coffers. Well yet, anyway."
The king winked at her. "Let's call that 5 birds with 1 stone."
Karigan laughed lightly, then stopped when she realised everyone was staring at them.
The king laughed heartily. "Sorry Councillors, Karigan just had the extraordinary idea of using the twins' naming day gifts as a way of wrangling supply service from the merchant clans without causing political upset or costing a single gold coin. In actual fact it should buy us favour since it will most likely be cheaper than the gifts they would have purchased and extend end of season employment for those we will need to transport the goods. I think that is a very tidy idea for shaving off a good 3 weeks on the timeline to deploy our supplies. Well done, Sir Rider!"
The king smiled at her with warmth as the company murmured their support and it was as if their conversation the night before had never happened and they were back North. Except it had happened. She averted her gaze and he turned his attention to the advisor on his right. Khodell beamed at her from across the table and she returned his smile with one of her own.
Karigan continued to chime in and her opinion was definitely sought more than in previous meetings. She finally felt comfortable enough in this strange chamber of men who had always been accepted in each other's presence. The king calmed considerably after their discussion to Karigan's relief. That had been stressful. She felt like everyone must have known instantly what the problem was, although she kept telling herself how unlikely that was.
The meeting was long. They didn't stop for a break as they tried to finish the last of the agenda items before the delegation returned home. She received the odd concerned gaze from the other members, which gave her some comfort but soon she was fidgeting every few seconds, trying to move in a way to stop the burning that was building down her spine. As soon as the official discussion ended, she was the first person outside. She took herself down to the garden as was her want and breathed as slowly as she could, her hands holding her sides as tears streamed down her face. She was concentrating on her exhalation so closely that at first she didn't hear the quiet cough a few meters away. She opened her eyes. It was Lord Khodell, watching her with compassion.
She nodded to him and closed her eyes again, continuing to walk herself through the worst of it. After a few minutes the spasm had eased somewhat, and she sank down with a deep sigh against the frigid granite. The welcome relief when instant cold doused the fire she felt over her mutilated back spread a smile over her face and she beckoned the General, who had waited so patiently for the spasm to end. He looked at the stone bench and after a small hesitation sat down beside her instead.
Karigan turned her face towards his.
"I am sorry, that wasn't very polite. But it is what it is."
He nodded firmly. "Don't apologise."
Karigan raised her eye at him and replied gently, "I doubt you would say the same if we were in your hometown."
He chuckled and ducked his head. "You are probably right. Your way of living here is quite different. And yet…"
Karigan waited for the man beside her to collect his thoughts as sadness crept over her. Perhaps in time this could really have been something. But she would suffocate in Rhovanny, unable to enjoy the comparative freedoms that Sacoridia offered its women, and once surrounded by the ritual of his daily life, she would eventually become a disappointment to him. No, she was a breath of fresh air for him here. At home, she would become someone to constantly defend and correct.
"And yet," she answered in reply. They sat for a time in silence and listened to the sound of crickets buzz rhythmically in the warm summer air.
"I have enjoyed meeting you greatly. You are a wonderful man. I hope your family and your country realise how lucky they are. I will be honoured when the time comes to fight alongside Rhovanny, if I am able," came her quiet words.
He looked at her for a long moment and smiled as he processed the message in her words. "And I you, Lady Rider. It was a great honour to meet such a champion of the King. I hope your family and your country realise how lucky they are."
She smiled shyly as her words were mirrored back to her. The bell sounded to indicate a half candle has passed and the General got to his feet. He turned towards her and held out his hand.
"Shall we?" he asked with a smile.
Karigan considered for a fraction of a second. She had been hoping to call off the afternoon and attend just the dinner instead but reflecting on the events of the night prior and her stamina, perhaps a quick lunch now was a better decision.
She gritted her teeth and gripped his hand. It was warm, strong, comforting and rough with calluses. Closing her eyes she allowed him to pull her up and any romance that moment might have produced was stolen by the pain she kept at bay with a hiss. She realised after a few seconds that instead of letting go she had held his hand tighter. She released his handhold with an apologetic look that he waved away. They turned towards the terrace and he asked her about her family in Corsa.
Between family talk and that of old battlegrounds, Karigan managed to enjoy lunch with the General despite the warm air and lack of shade. He did most of the talking. Truth be told, even if she felt up to it her stories were too incredulous and often too sensitive to be revealed. They were joined on and off by other members of the party and conversation flowed easily. The Rhovan delegates were interested in the life of the Rider corp, which was an unusual military branch for them and Karigan managed to tell a few tales of her own life on the road, and borrowed a few more daring stories from her colleagues. Lunch wrapped up at a reasonable pace and Karigan said her formal goodbyes to all of the delegates that joined them as she lingered in their company, until she felt she needed to rest.
Finally Karigan turned to the General.
"My Lord," she curtseyed to him. "I have truly, truly enjoyed your company." She used as much emphasis as she could and gazed at him with earnest eyes. "Thank you for your wonderful conversation and I hope we meet again one day, in more enjoyable circumstances."
He bowed in return. "Lady Rider, my sincere thanks for your equally enjoyable conversation and your generosity as a host in what must be a busy time." With a slight step towards her and a lowering of his voice, he added, "You are a remarkable woman. Take care."
She blushed and nodded in thanks, her breath slightly more rapid.
Turning, she was surprised to see the King had arrived to partake of the last of the lunch. She had thought he would have been busy with other state affairs and join the delegation only at dinner, as he had on the other days. His gaze was focused on one of the delegates but his body was tense in the way only she could tell and she knew he had been watching them. The annoyance resurged through her body.
However it was a good idea to plead for a night off and after a moment's hesitation she approached him, waiting for his conversation to end with impatience. Her back was getting worse, fast, and she needed to get out. She watched him turn towards her with a slight look of surprise. I'm sure because I approached him voluntarily than because he didn't know where I was, she thought drily.
"Your Majesty, I wonder if I might request your pardon and forgo tonight's ceremony? I feel after the day's efforts so far, and the other obligations I am still required to discharge, that I might not be quite up to the challenge."
Karigan phrased it as delicately as she could, well aware that everyone in earshot knew of her disability. She unconsciously squirmed with barely concealed discomfort as another spasm threatened imminently.
The king smiled at her with distress at the corners of his eyes and compassion in the shape of his lips. "Of course Rider, I very much appreciate that we were unable to break this morning in order to complete our agenda and that will have certain repercussions for you. I see that you have farewelled our delegates, so I grant you permission to finish your work and rest."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," she replied with a tiny sigh of relief as she nodded. She turned and flashed General Khodell one final smile before stiffly walking up the stairs and into the corridor, letting go of all pretence as soon as she was out of their line of sight to head straight to the mending wing.
"Ben!" she called out sharply as the spasm began ripping its way through her side and up her spine. She held onto a wall, desperate to keep herself upright, and groaned. Three in such a short period. This wasn't good. Her thoughts dissolved at that point into a haze of pain and she panted against the doorway she clutched.
Ben popped his head out, saw who called for him and instantly pointed towards the closest free room as he walked quickly towards her. She stumbled inside through blurred vision, mewing with the effort. Sweat dripped down her face as she started to cry. Her nose was snotty and warm salt water dripped down her cheeks as the heat in her spine built to a crescendo. A warm hand grasped her right shoulder before another arm snaked around to her left. She let Ben guide her towards the menders bench in the middle of the room. She leaned her bottom on the edge and wiggled back slightly, holding his strong forearms with shaking hands that held her steadily in place. With practiced ease they performed their routine; she raised her arms as far as the spasm would allow and he removed her shirt as gently as he could, tucking her pony tail under her ear just before the neck hole caught the end. He dropped the shirt to the ground and walked behind her, undoing the buttons that held her breast band together under her left armpit. Another one of mistress Tarla's excellent ideas for dressing the mutilated.
Karigan experienced a moment of relief as the irritating fabric dropped away and a small amount of pressure lifted. She breathed out slowly. Then came the moment she had been eager for, when Ben ran his glowing green hands slowly up and down her bare spine until the micro muscle damage she had inflicted had been repaired to its former glory. His cool, calm magic knit the muscles together and eased her pain considerably. She felt it in her mind, as if the inside of her head was bathed in cool, clear stream water on a hot summer's day, or she sat under a tree to drink a refreshingly icy mint and orange drink. It was so calming, so soothing. She sighed loudly and slowly with contentment once he finished before he came around to face her and gently help her redress. She gazed at him with slightly dreamy, unfocused eyes as he clipped the breast band with practiced ease and shifted it up slightly to where it sat best. He watched her eyes with concern before finishing her dressing.
"You went too far this time," he chided softly. She blinked herself back to reality and considered his words.
"Hey!" she scoffed. "I asked the king for the night off tonight. I thought that was a pretty impressive effort."
Ben rolled his eyes but they looked worried. "I am trying to make progress on the deeper wounds but it is not as simple when these bouts of inflammation keep appearing. You need to take it easy, Karigan."
Her eyes grew wide with incredulity. "Have you met the king?!"
He cocked his head as if in thought, then sheepishly answered, "I guess you have a point."
A surge of affection encompassed Karigan and she impulsively gave Ben a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Ben," she said softly and her expression grew serious. "I really wouldn't be here without you."
He coloured and replied, "anytime," before hurrying out with embarrassment. She smiled at the thought that he could dress her breasts without a second thought, but a compliment; he would run a mile. She patted her hair in place and then moved off the bench and quietly exited into the corridor that led out of the castle. She walked slowly back to Riders barracks where she bathed in her lavender oil bath as long as she could. She barely made it down the corridor before she fell into her bed, nestling the blankets around both herself and Ghost Kitty, and falling into a deep, dreamless sleep that lasted all the through the afternoon, the silvery moonlit night and right until the sun rose.