The obligatory Annexation Party was well underway.
The Advortonian delegation was entered into their fifth consecutive friendly sparring match with the Freedonian guardsmen. The representatives from Burdley had already passed out on the floor after their collective twenty-seventh pint of ale. The Merchant Princess of Tredony was halfway into her second hour of nonstop dancing while Minstrel Rhianwen played her lute. A couple of guys from Crafthole were taking turns telling dirty jokes and giggling quietly to themselves in the corner farthest from the people from Tredony. Aarbyville's Pirate King, looking extremely sulky, was talking in hushed tones to Royal Adviser Greta, who seemed to think whatever he had to say was very entertaining, because she laughed and then walked off to find Build Master Krispin so she could entrap him into an unwanted public display of affection.
Also covered under the title heading for this party was the discovery of the Philosopher's Stone and how to make it. That the knowledge had been knocked from Amie's head almost immediately upon completion of the object did not seem to in any way dampen any spirits. Everyone was just excited to know that the Philosopher's Stone existed, or had existed, or could exist. They weren't wizards, it didn't make a lot of different to them which tense was used. The people of Freedonia were particularly pleased that it had been their wizard and blacksmith who'd found the key to making it.
Smith Everett had arrived at the party, but almost immediately retreated to the parlor with Krispin, where the two had been playing cards ever since. Nobody offered this information to Greta as she roamed the reception hall in search of her lost love interest.
Adora the under-spy was at the party but briefly, just long enough to pilfer some gold from the Pirate King of Aarbyville before she slipped out. She did not come back, but of course nobody missed her, or if they did they were too polite to say so. It's very rude to announce the arrival and departure of the kingdom's spy, and the king's son Jeffrey had begun telling everyone about proper behavior recently, and threatened to tell his father if he caught anyone being impolite.
The music was briefly interrupted by Bloodletter Iunia, who entered the room, went directly to Rhianwen (who had recently given birth to her second daughter, a dark haired baby she had named Rihanna) and slapped her face. Bizarrely, a look of delight appeared on Rhianwen's face, and she laid aside her lute in favor of a mighty brawl, which she seemed inexplicably thrilled to lose.
There was a further lull as Rhianwen went around the room apologizing to everyone she had provoked recently (including Magus Amie), explaining that a brawl had been exactly what she wanted, but she was done now and wouldn't be mean to them anymore.
To everyone's surprise, Amie led the response, not only accepting the apology and extending her forgiveness, but going on to say that she understood how something could become an obsession. She continued by saying that sometimes people had to do things that seemed cruel or foolhardy to accomplish something great. She concluded by encouraging Rhianwen in her pursuit of bettering her playwright skills through experience. After that, of course everyone else also had to accept Rhianwen's apology, or risk looking like worse people than the notoriously bad tempered wizard.
Amie noted that it felt good not only to forgive, but inspire others to do the same. It didn't even bother her that the reason she was an inspiration now was because of who she'd been not long ago, and who she was still believed by many to be. The way the people of Freedonia viewed her would change in time, if she gave them reason to. She had all the time in the world, she was a wizard.
Conspicuously absent from the scene was Captain Steven Westmoreland. His absence was all the more glaring when Lord Spaulding announced that the Knight of Freedonia was being promoted to the level of Commander for his actions in Aarbyville, and being given an appropriate pay increase. Steven's absence from the party did not in any way stop the congratulations ceremony which followed, where everyone cheered and toasted and then went back to whatever they'd been doing beforehand. Freedonia had dealt with absent heroes before, and they knew how to cope with it.
After the congratulations had died down, Rupert came and found Amie.
Sidling up, he quietly asked her, "Where's Steven?"
"Why are you asking me?" Amie replied, taking a sip of ale and frowning at the fact that it just wasn't the same as cider before she added, "I'm not his keeper."
"No," Rupert conceded before countering, "But you are his best friend."
Amie twitched in surprise and stared at Rupert, "Me? What about you?"
Rupert shook his head, sounding surprisingly sober considering how long the party had been rolling, "I've never understood him like you do. And I've never been as good at looking out for him as you are," Rupert paused thoughtfully, "He ever tell you about the time a witch tried to kill him?"
"He mentioned it briefly once," Amie recalled.
"Well, he tried to warn us," Rupert said, then shook his head, "But nobody listened. None of us heard him ask for help. We never imagined he might need any, even those few of us that believed there was any witch to begin with. But it's different with you. You understand him in ways none of the rest of us ever could," he considered for a moment, "Or at least in ways none of us have ever bothered to."
Amie blinked, remembering the moment on the ship when Steven had asked for help. It had not struck her as terribly significant, but now she wondered if it was. She also wondered if Steven had actually asked for help aloud, or if it had been the telepathic link that allowed her to hear him. How many times since they'd met had he asked for help without actually saying the words? She figured that first request for help during the tournament didn't count, because Lord Spaulding had ordered that.
However many times it had been, Amie knew from experience that often people didn't hear you, even when you screamed. They didn't care, or weren't listening, or didn't understand. Amie knew that because Steven had been the only one who'd ever heard her when she'd apologized after being nasty. And she had often been at her worst with him. Yet still he'd heard her. He'd understood her. He'd been her friend when she didn't deserve it, even though she hadn't realized herself that she'd needed one.
"I don't know how or why," Rupert continued, unaware of the moment of reflection Amie was experiencing, "But you always seem to know what he needs. You always hear him."
"Has he said that?" Amie asked.
Rupert smiled, "You'd be surprised the things he's said about you. All good," he tilted his head slightly and smiled crookedly, self-correcting, "Well, mostly."
Realizing that she knew where Steven was, and why he wasn't here, Amie handed Rupert her glass, "Here. Take care of that for me, will you?"
Rupert was already tossing it back as Amie turned and hurried from the reception hall. Of course Steven wasn't here. The man had been possessed by a demon, but whatever he'd done, or even thought of doing, still haunted him, as if he'd done it all on his own. He felt guilty. And alone. And undeserving. Amie knew the feelings all too well.
Shortly, Amie arrived outside Steven's room. She took a breath, adjusted her mask, and stepped inside without knocking. She found Steven lying on his bed, reading. He looked up in surprise.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't expect company."
Amie smiled and gestured to the door, "You know, you really should remember to lock that thing."
"So I've been told," Steven replied, returning the smile.
But the smile didn't reach his eyes, and Amie knew she'd been right. Steven was in here by himself, throwing his own kind of dismal party. A depressing guilt-ridden party. Back when they'd first met, Steven had come and found Amie when she was having a pity party for herself. This was a different kind of party, but it was just as lonely and unpleasant.
"You know that party is for you too," Amie said.
Steven's smile faded, and he looked down, as if he were pretending to resume reading his book, "What I did in Aarbyville is no cause for celebration."
"Lord Spaulding would use his own execution as an excuse to throw a party," Amie pointed out, "Besides, you have a way of making the best out of the worst."
Steven looked over his book at her, but seemed not to have quite taken her meaning.
"I should know," Amie said, tapping her staff lightly on the floor, "I was one of the worst."
Steven shook his head, laying his book aside and sitting up, "You were never that bad."
"I tried to Curse you."
"And I hired mercenaries to ransack Aarbyville," Steven replied flatly.
The telepathic link was gone, but Amie could read the pain in Steven's eyes. She didn't know exactly what he'd done, or thought about doing, or felt while he was doing it. She didn't care either. She knew it hadn't been him, however much he felt like it had been. But Amie realized that saying so wouldn't make Steven feel any better. Besides, he already knew that in his head. His heart would only accept that truth in time.
Amie smiled gently, "I believe it was you who once told me that we can't change what we've done. That's no longer up to us. And even those of us who look into the future can only see its possibilities, and make guesses about what will cause events to come to pass. All we can really do is choose who we're going to be and what we're going to do right now, today."
Steven was silent, but Amie could see the words have their effect on him as he pondered them. Steven was a thoughtful sort. It might take him awhile, but he'd figure it out. They had time for that. In fact, they had all the time in the world.
Finally, Steven quietly said, "The past has passed. We can only move forward."
He met her gaze then, and she saw the change in his dark eyes. He hadn't stopped feeling guilty, but he'd taken the first step towards understanding and accepting the truth.
"So," Amie said, changing the subject, "You got any of those potatoes left? I've got a couple of fish we could put with them. Some seafood stew would really hit the spot right now, I think."
Surprise and bafflement mingled in Steven's gaze as he looked at her. The puzzlement didn't leave his expression when he smiled again, but this time the smile reached his eyes nonetheless.
Amie smiled back as he said, "Yeah, I think I still have a few potatoes."
Not surprisingly, he did still have a few potatoes left. Working her natural talents, Amie concocted a delicious stew, which they shared at the table Steven had recently purchased. They ate mostly in silence. Nothing needed to be said. At least, not until they were finished.
"Thank you, Magus Amie."
"Any time, Commander Steven."