Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to
Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving
me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!
I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,
but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this
story to make it more interesting.
I also don't own anything related to Naruto if you see me throw a little of that, too.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Am I a bad person if, in this time of intense seriousness, I can't stop thinking about making love to my fiancée? If so, in my own defense, I blame my mind. It had a will of its own and it wanted to drive me crazy. It kept flashing inappropriate but very artistic visions of the girl in front of me with all of her beauty and none of her clothes.
Cut it out, I scolded myself, this is really not the time for all that. She's white as a ghost, for pete's sake!
Daisy's mood or demeanor hadn't changed at all since we got to our room in the tower and she seemed almost worse when I suggested we talk on the balcony. She'd laid on her side on our enormous bed, so I went over to join her atop the red and gold sheets.
"Alright," I said, getting a leg up on the high frame, "the bed it is."
I waded through the bunched up blankets and Daisy rolled around towards me. Even while distressed, she looked gorgeous. One of her arms was stretched upwards beyond her body and the other was wrapped around her middle. Her long hair looked just as good unkempt and wild like that, splaying around her head and covering her nose and mouth and chin like a mask. I laid down beside her and brushed it away to expose these parts of her, mainly so that I could crane my neck forward and peck at her lips.
"You're like something out of my dreams," I told her in my softest voice.
I could see her face up close now so when her eyes widened beneath dark lashes and the space between her eyebrows tightened, I saw it all. She shut her eyes and breathed in through ruby lips. I touched my first two fingers to her soft, damp mouth and she pursed her lips against my digits.
"I had a bad dream," She spoke, her voice lighter than air.
I ran my hand through her hair and cradled the back of her neck. Moving closer to her, there was a jolt in my lower body when she hooked one of her legs over mine.
What are you trying to do to me, woman?
"Daisy," I whispered, "Do you want to tell me about it?"
She shook her head but spoke anyway. "I've got to. I don't think it was just a dream."
"Talk to me." I said and pulled her by the hip until she was right up under me.
Her hand mimicked mine when she laced her fingers through the hair closest to the nape of my neck and she tucked her head right under my chin. I couldn't say how, but my free hand had moved from her hip to her backside. The fabric of her gold dress felt like silk, like water under my hot fingertips. By the way her body molded so perfectly against mine, I could tell this would be a one-sided conversation.
The hardest part is to listen and to keep my body from disobeying me
"In the dream, you were there," Daisy murmured, her breath warming my skin. "Except it wasn't really you. I think it was him the whole time."
"Who?"
"Bowser," Daisy whispered viciously. "He was pretending to be you so that he could…manipulate me."
I frowned and didn't think I wanted to know the details of that part. If Bowser was using my body and Daisy thought he was me…
"Where were you?" I asked, slipping away from her in relation to my heightening disgust. "In the dream, I mean."
"I think it was his castle."
"In the Badlands?"
Daisy shook her head and said, "No, a new one."
We weren't even touching now because in my head, that location coupled with that disguise implied things I wasn't ready to stomach. I rolled onto my back and tried to get the picture of her curvy, naked body twisted around the Dark King's out of my mind.
"Luigi, are you alright?"
Daisy was half on top of me with her leg between my raised ones and her upper half above my chest. She had her hands on either side of my neck and was supporting her weight on the bed. Her hair fanned out and trickled down towards my chin.
I nodded and said, "I'm alright. Just disturbed."
"Me, too." Daisy nodded, easing her head down against my chest. "I'm not sure what he was trying to accomplish by dragging me into his dream-"
"How could he bring you into his dream?" I frowned.
Daisy shrugged and guessed, "Magic? He said he's friends with a witch. Whoever she is, she's the reason he was able to reach out to me."
"Why would he want to do that?"
Another shrug and, "I don't know. He's obsessed with me."
"Yeah," I grimaced, "That's true. He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"He can't hurt me anymore." Daisy remarked.
"Then what did he do?" I pressed, "What happened?"
Daisy sighed into my shirt and said, "He just tried to intimidate me. Tried coming onto me. I think that's all he wanted to do, just scare me and touch me and-"
"I get it," I interjected, about to be sick. "Please don't paint that picture in my head."
"Well I had to live it, Luigi!" Daisy's voice spiked as she shot up off me. She gazed down at me and clipped, "Every day. That's what I had to go through. Sorry if it puts you off but it wasn't you he wanted, it's me." Her voice conveyed confusion, frustration, and a bit of fear when she said, "I don't know why, but he wants me."
I sat up and stroked her arms and kissed her forehead, soothing her. She pulled away from me with a sardonic chuckle.
"You know, he couldn't even tell me why." She stated. "Sick jerk doesn't even know why he wants me so bad."
"Lust?" I assumed.
"That's what I said but he…claimed otherwise." Daisy trailed.
I'm guessing there's more to this that she doesn't want to tell, but oh well. I won't press her for details.
Daisy looked up at me and said, "I wish I could have found out more, like where he's hiding or who he's in league with. I just know he's still intent on 'building his empire'. Psycho."
"Building his empire?" I mulled over that and said, "In that case, we might be hearing from him sooner than you think. He's probably gonna' go back to his old ways of terrorizing and conquering lands in the Mushroom World."
"I think you're right." Daisy nodded. "So what do we do?"
"Touch bases with our allies, for one." I listed. "And we should probably send scouts out to the Badlands in case he's returned there."
"I doubt it," Daisy remarked, "In the dream he was in a new palace, a bigger, even gaudier one if you can believe it."
"Do you think it exists?" I smirked at her comment.
She shook her head and said, "I have no idea where he could be. He kept a tight zip on that, but he went on and on about…other stuff."
"Like what?" I pried in spite of resolving not to pry. I just couldn't help it.
Daisy's shoulders jumped nonchalantly and she said, "Just the usual nonsensical, bull crap rhetoric he thinks is gonna'…I don't know, sway me to the Dark side or something."
"Well I'm glad you can joke about one of my deepest fears."
Did I say that out loud?
Daisy tilted her head and held the side of my face, asking gently, "What? Luigi, are you serious?"
Yeah, I was, but I just shrugged. I had nightmares of my own occasionally and in some of them Bowser had won. He'd turned the girl I love against me and made her out to be something far darker and crueler, though no less astoundingly beautiful, than she really was. I had dreams, horrible dreams, of the two of them slaughtering me together, ruling together, fitting together like the most fearsome power couple any world had ever seen. And now, I wondered if those dreams hadn't been sent to me by the old king himself.
"It's nothing," I stated.
Daisy shifted closer to me and wrapped her arms round my neck. "Luigi," She said, "I love you, okay? That's never gonna' change. And no matter how much Bowser deludes himself, I will NEVER debase myself by choosing him over you or anyone else, no matter what. I will never let him win. My heart, my soul, my body belongs to you, boyfriend."
"Fiance." I corrected, grinning when she rolled her eyes to high heaven.
"Here we go again, Professor Luigi." She teased, then bent her head down and kissed me.
I pulled her into my lap and she smirked, kissing below my ear. Near it she said, "Let's not talk about that viper anymore. I wanna' spend time with my man."
"As you wish, Princess."
There was a rumor going around Arid City that seemed to solidify everyone's thoughts on the mysterious relatives of the Kingdom's Champion. The latest news had gotten around and everybody was under the impression that Roy had taken the heat for the true criminal, his brother MJ. They still treated Roy like a god and, were he to ever leave the palace, MJ would have noticed the brewing hostility some of the citizens held towards him. That also extended towards Larry, but only by default. It wasn't as if the people had even seen the blue-haired child, save for the day he arrived. But maybe because of his mind being preoccupied with the slaver conspiracy and Eriana's welfare, Roy didn't really understand why his brother was so antsy, especially this morning. He was surprised to see MJ down at breakfast in the dining hall, but he soon found out his brother just wanted to talk. And eat, too, but mostly talk.
"I don't get it." Roy murmured, swallowing a bite of his meal. "Why would they kick you out? You didn't do nothin'."
Larry, who was sitting beside MJ, made a face at his older brother. He was still in the dark about the events that transpired only two weeks ago and was aggravated with his older brothers' refusal to let him in on the big secret. He, like MJ, stayed holed up in the palace, but it was hardly by choice, not his choice.
He picked at his food and glanced across the table at the girl who was doing the same. She had her eyes on the food that she wasn't eating and only even moved to push her sleek curls behind her ear from where they kept slipping.
I wonder what her problem is, Larry thought. He snickered and mused, then again, if I was Roy's girlfriend I wouldn't be too happy, either.
That thought caused him to look from the girl at Roy's right to the girl at Roy's right. She didn't look much cheerier, but she did look thoughtful. She was eating, contrary to a few others at the long table, taking small, measured bites. She glanced at Eriana with great concern.
"That's just it," MJ was saying, pushing aside his plate. "They think I did do something. And they're mad that I didn't get punished."
"That's stupid." Roy scoffed, breaking his bread in half. "If they should be mad at anyone, it should be me. I'm the one who got off scot-free."
"Got off what scot-free?" Larry asked, and wasn't surprised when his answer was a glare from both his older brothers.
MJ was done eating and slouched back in his chair, looking disconcerted. His scowl distorted the shape of the scar over his eye and Ariadne glanced at him briefly before turning to Roy.
"What's the matter with Eriana?" She solicited in her soft, airy voice.
Roy glanced over at the girl in question and shrugged, stuffing a piece of bread in his mouth. Ariadne pursed her lips, not satisfied with that answer.
She wrung the fabric of her white dress' hem and said, "Maybe you should talk to her, Rex. I think she's still afraid."
"…I know." Roy said quietly, dropping the rest of his bread back onto his plate.
He ran buttery fingers through his hair and Ariadne grimaced at the sight.
"But what am I supposed to tell her?" Roy continued obliviously. "I don't have nothin' to say. I fucked up."
He'd risen his voice and both Larry and Eriana looked over at him. The former's curiosity about the situation soared to new heights as the latter touched Roy's leg under the table.
"Don't blame yourself." Eriana told him, "It could have been a lot worse."
"Hn." MJ huffed, "Considering how I got thrown in jail, I don't see-"
"You got put in jail?" Larry exclaimed. "For what?"
"Nice one, Bigmouth." Roy scowled. He glanced at Larry and said, "Get him out of here."
MJ didn't look sorry but he stood and hoisted Larry up by the shoulders. The boy protested loudly, firing off a million questions back to back. Roy heard them all and dropped his head in his hands with his elbows on the table, another thing that made Ariadne lament his poor breeding.
Eriana smoothed her hand over Roy's hair and she stood. Coming over to him, she sat on the arm of his chair and massaged his shoulders soothingly. The bracelets she wore clinked and jingled as she worked. By the way her eyes and thoughts darted, it was more for her own benefit than his; it was something to do with her hands, at least. Not that Roy didn't appreciate it. He'd thought at first they were unwelcome and a hindrance, Eriana's frequent touches. But at this point he'd begun to rely on them. Ariadne noticed this and wished to comfort Roy but knew she'd never be as physically bold as the darker-skinned girl.
So instead she said hopefully, "Eriana's right, Rex. The situation could have been worse. Your name's been cleared. Your brothers are not…well-liked at the moment, but they're safe."
Roy closed his eyes and rolled his neck and Eriana stopped moving but let her hands stay on his body. He held himself erect in his seat and let his legs split open, then started to tap one of his feet.
"Who don't like 'em?" He asked, eyes narrowed and head tilted in thought. "My brothers; who don't like 'em?"
"A lot of the people." Eriana told him.
She leaned down and put her hand on his knee, staying his leg. He breathed in through his nose and Ariadne ignored her hammering heart and stood gracefully. She straightened her white skirts and came over to stand at Roy's right. He glanced up at her but didn't realize how much unction it'd taken for the girl to get out of her comfort zone and do that. She didn't feel quite so confident as to lay a hand on him, so she tugged at her fingers and cast Eriana a glance.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
Eriana shrugged and said, "I guess. I'm alive. For now."
Roy looked up to the left and was met with the sight of the girl's flat midriff where her navel piercings glinted in the natural light of the dining hall. Her purple shirt and matching tight pants left it bare. He locked eyes with the girl and frowned.
"What you mean by that, yo?"
I know, Roy thought, she thinks the slavers will come back for her.
"We're safe, Eriana." Ariadne stated, though she didn't sound so sure.
Eriana shook her head and stated grimly, "We're not safe. We may as well be dead people walking."
Roy rolled his eyes and said, "Eri…"
"I'm serious!" The girl's voice peaked. "They'll come for us. They've seen our faces."
Not that it matters, Eriana thought. The king's niece, Arid City's Champion, and the Academy's Princess; we're all pretty infamous. If they want to come for us it's not like we can just blend in.
"The only slaver who's seen our face is dead." Roy told her.
Eriana shook her head again and Roy waited for an explanation. It came from Ariadne.
"The two from the Justice Hall," She said slowly, "Eriana said they knew her."
"They were slavers?" Roy asked, "But they were law enforcement…"
The king's, and Eriana's, words came back to him and he slammed his fists down against the table angrily. Eriana flinched but immediately rubbed up and down his arms, consoling him.
"You mean to tell me that red-eyed bastard hurt you, too?" Roy asked, rounding on her.
Eriana said, "You can't go hunt them down."
"Why not?" Roy sneered, "They deserve it! Damn hypocrites, trying to arrest my brother and they're the ones who ougta' be locked up!"
Ariadne implored, "Rex, please calm down."
"You're shouting," Eriana added, squeezing the caps of his shoulders.
He settled down but it wasn't easy.
Nicky Carrow, he recalled, the one who kept giving me those looks. He has beef with me and I don't know why; it's not just because I killed that other guy.
"Rex," Eriana began gently, "there's so many who hurt me. You couldn't possibly find and deal with them all."
"Watch me." Roy growled.
"Don't you see, Rex?" Eriana contested, "This is what caused that mess in the first place. You can't just get mad and fly off the handle every time you see a slaver. You're going to get us all killed!"
"They wouldn't kill us," Ariadne stated. "Would they?"
"You doubt it?" Eriana challenged. "They're already mad because Rex killed Jack. He and Nicky were friends. They're going to come for us. It's only a matter of time."
"So let them come already!" Roy yelled, standing irately. "I ain't scared!"
The girls shared a look of anxiety and Eriana clung to Roy's arm.
"I should have never told you any of this." She said.
"Well you have, Eri, and I can't unhear it so what are we gonna' do?" Roy said tersely, whirling around to face her.
She had no answer for him.
Ariadne looked down and back up and said, "We should do like your brothers and remain in the palace."
"I ain't hidin' from nobody," Roy scowled defiantly.
"Rex, you have to understand," Ariadne started. "You got away with a slap on the wrist this time but if you were to do something rash from here on out, my uncle may not be so forgiving." Roy's scowl softened and Ariadne stepped closer, saying, "He likes you, Rex. He really likes you. But you can't push your luck."
Roy grew silent and when he did speak, it was quietly.
"You know he called off our engagement."
Ariadne said patiently, "Of course, Rex; I was there."
Eriana glanced between them. She, too, had heard that but after hearing about Roy receiving no punishment, she didn't place much faith in the king's lasting disappointment.
Ariadne glanced over her shoulder and said, "He told me I should keep my distance from you two but…you're my friends."
Eriana smiled and unlatched herself from Roy's arm to go embrace the other girl. She took Ariadne's hands with a weak smile and gave them a squeeze.
"We should definitely stick together." Eriana acceded, looking to Roy.
He was in his own little world of mounting hatred and bitterness. He glanced over at the two and saw two more people he had to look out for. First his brothers and sister, now them. He came over to them and kissed the top of their heads in turn.
"Eri, Ari," He began with conviction, "If I ever-"
"Rex?"
It was his retainer.
The man fanned himself in another of his suits and waved at him from the dining hall's entrance. Roy gave the girls a lingering glance before striding over towards him.
"What's up?"
"You're wanted by His Majesty and his advisers." The friendly man answered.
"For what?" Roy asked, "Is it another meeting?"
"I believe so." His retainer responded, nodding and dabbing himself with a silk napkin.
Roy groaned and his retainer chuckled. He knew the teenager used to act the same way when he had to escort Roy to his lessons. The only thing he was excited about was training. But he hadn't had any lessons in weeks and his training time was all the time of late. His retainer had missed him.
"What's the meeting about?" Roy asked as they walked.
He had to slow himself down in order to let the older, slower man lead. His retainer looked back at him and shrugged, but Roy caught a hint of discomfort about the man and it wasn't from the brisk walk or the heat.
"What is it about?" he asked again.
"Roy!" MJ called.
Roy tried to glare an answer out of his retainer as his younger brother jogged up to him.
"Where are you going?" MJ asked.
Roy said, "That's what I'm tryin' to figure out."
"I'm not at liberty to discuss the…subject of the meeting," Roy's retainer lied.
MJ wondered, why did he look at me when he said that?
Roy said, "You can't discuss it with me? Bullshit. I'm the one going to the meeting."
"Yes but your brother-"
"He's going too." Roy spoke with finality.
He was already mad about the slavers and the implication of anyone disliking his siblings only fueled the fire that was his ripening temper. He strode ahead of his retainer, having deduced which room the meeting would be the closer they got to its location. He missed the bewildered look MJ sent him.
I don't want to go to some meeting when clearly these people don't like me, he thought. This is like the other kingdom all over again.
"Roy," He tried to get his brother's attention.
"Come on, MJ." Roy said, clapping a hand on his brother's back and entering the open doorway ahead of them.
MJ frowned thinking, man what is Roy getting me into?
As soon as they walked in, the people present in the room began to murmur amongst themselves. They were all over the age of sixty easily and were dressed in archaic burgundy robes and symbolic headpieces. They were seated at a strange table made of heavy stone that was shaped like an 'L'. The king sat at the head of the 'L' and he looked troubled.
"What's this about?" Roy asked as if he already knew.
The king strained a smile and stretched his arm towards the seats on his left along the straight side of the 'L'.
"Please," King Reginald entreated, "have a seat, Rex."
"What about my brother? Can he have a seat, too?" Roy challenged.
The King said, "Of course he can," but the advisers all started buzzing discontentedly.
Roy glanced at MJ and the two went to take their seats. MJ was forced to sit between his tense older brother and an old adviser that seemed almost afraid of the seventeen-year-old. He tried to shoot the older man a small smile but the man just turned his head as if he hadn't seen it.
Fine, then, MJ huffed, so much for trying to be friendly. He was sick of being judged for his looks. This was hardly the first time he was treated coldly because he looked bigger and brawnier than normal; he didn't have Roy's leaned, chiseled physique and handsome looks and it was really getting on his nerves, moreso than usual. He moved to stand.
"Roy, I'm gonna' go-"
"No MJ, stay." Roy said, yanking him back down into his seat.
Great, MJ thought, rolling his eyes.
Roy addressed everyone when he said, "Do you have a problem with my brother or something?"
"He is the problem." One of the advisers stated.
"WHAT?" Roy bellowed. He flushed indignantly and stood, saying, "You're the problem! All of you! Sitting there, old as fucking dust, judging my brother for something he didn't even do."
MJ pulled on Roy's wrist but his brother remained standing, shaking.
He told them, "It was me who did all those things so get mad at me!"
"Rex, please-" King Reginald started.
"Your brother is a menace," Another adviser said viciously. "A vandal. A murderer. Arid Kingdom doesn't need the likes of him around."
Roy stalked over to him with narrowed eyes and the older man swallowed nervously. They'd never seen Roy this upset. His skin was so hot the heat radiated from his very skin. His breaths came in short and choppy and his jaw was set. He got right in the bearded face of the man who'd spoken against his brother.
"Rex," King Reginald warned.
Roy said in a low voice, "You know, I agree with you, old man. Arid Kingdom doesn't need people like that around. So why don't you get off my brother's back, get off your cranky old ass and do something about the FUCKING SLAVERS running around!"
"Rex!" King Reginald barked, standing.
The advisers fell into a tizzy, speaking in furious tones. Some of them gave Roy strong looks but this only made him laugh.
He spoke with scathing humor, "Oh, that's right! Some of you fuckers are in cahoots with them, aren't you?"
"Rex that is enough!" King Reginald proclaimed. "Outside. Right now!"
Roy opened his mouth but the king cut him off and shot his arm towards the door. Roy frowned but obeyed the king. He shoved his chair out of the way and jerked the heavy wooden door open so hard it banged against the castle wall and made everyone jump. Everyone except King Reginald, who followed calmly in the boy's angry wake. He righted the chair that Roy knocked over on the way and touched MJ's shoulder comfortingly.
Once outside the room, King Reginald shut the doors and sighed. Roy was still upset but the king wasn't mad at him for it.
He said softly, "Rex, I know why you're upset."
"MJ was right!" Roy blurted. "He said they were gonna' kick him out, but I didn't think it was true. That's what this is about, ain't it?"
King Reginald knew there was no use lying to the boy so he nodded sadly and watched Roy scoff disgustedly and shake his head. His face was screwed up as if he'd eaten something sour and he looked to be at his temper's limit. Next would come the physical manifestation, much worse than his earlier verbal one.
I don't want that to happen, King Reginald frowned.
He said, "Rex-"
"Why didn't you do anything?" Roy asked. "You're the king. If you say MJ can stay, they'll have to listen."
"Yes, but remember what I said before," The King implored, "If I do that, there may be unpleasant consequences."
Roy thought for a moment, then predicted, "People would try and hurt my brother."
"Precisely." The King nodded.
Roy was silent.
King Reginald said, "I suggest you send your brothers on their way. They won't be safe here anymore. Can you see the logic in that?"
Roy was still silent.
"Rex?"
"MJ!" Roy shouted, calling for his brother.
MJ came soon, not wanting to be in the company of the advisers any longer. He saw his brother and the king looking no less grim than they had before and he felt a bit of dread knot inside him.
"What's going on?" MJ asked.
Roy said to the king in a controlled voice, "You're right. My brothers ain't safe here. They should definitely leave."
King Reginald smiled faintly but MJ felt like he'd been sucker punched. He stood there gaping at his brother, then shut his mouth and stuffed down the hurt and pain he was feeling.
Whatever, he thought, I should have seen this coming. Roy's got it good here. They love him. Of course he would stay. He doesn't care about me or Larry or where we're gonna' go or how we're gonna' make it. Whatever.
MJ glared at his feet and muttered, "Right then. I guess I'll go pack."
"Wait for me, MJ." Roy stopped him, saying resolutely, "I'm coming, too."
"What?"
"What?"
Both males present in the hall couldn't understand what they'd just heard, but the king recovered faster, for MJ had to deal with the rush of relief and guilt that swelled in his gut in equal measures.
"Rex, don't be hasty now-"
"No," Roy snapped. He said, "You and those old geezers, you dropped this ul…ultimatum on me and I ain't gonna' take it!"
"Rex, wait!" The King pleaded but the boy was stomping back into the meeting room.
The advisers took in a collective breath when he flung open the door again and he locked eyes with each of them, growing more and more enraged.
He told them, "If my brothers ain't good enough for you, then neither am I. If they go, I go. End of story."
"Rex, won't you-"
"There's your fuckin' ultimatum. Let's go, MJ."
I knew something was wrong when I saw them all grouped together like that. And their whispered conversations ceased as soon as I got close to them. I'd been through life long enough to tell what that meant; there was a rumor or something going around and I was at the heart of it. That much was only confirmed with their looks that said I didn't rank too high on their favorite people list.
Whatever, the feeling's kinda' mutual, I thought. Instead of finishing what I started with Daisy, I've gotta' come out here and make time for a bunch of people who apparently don't even want to do this.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and walked the rest of the way down the sloping hillside to where the military barracks were. The whole time I wished to be back in the tower with Daisy, exploring her sloping backside.
Well you're here now so be here, I told myself.
The troops were gathered in the center of the cabins, near the mess hall, and I felt about a thousand eyes on me.
Nah, just two hundred if my math is right.
"What's wrong?" I asked, because there was no point in beating around the bush.
All my troops were dressed for training in their white t-shirts and black pants, but none of them looked inclined to move. Even as I stood before them now, they didn't line up like they usually did every day. They just stood there in varying degrees of agitation.
On the left side there was the curly-haired Adonis that was Troy, stooping near the ground with his arms folded across his lap. He looked up at me and shook his head, then looked to the side. Towards the center of the group were purple-haired Portia and little Lise-Marie. The two of them looked about ready to snap something in half. Portia's hair was up in a rough ponytail and she had her hip cocked to the side with her hand resting on it while Lise-Marie's hair was all over the place. It bushed out around her head and enshrouded her entire brown-skinned body like a cloak. She had her arms folded tightly and just looked pissed off. Then, to the right, there was the mute girl Deanna and the boy whose name I'd forgotten, the one who reminded me of Daisy's cousin. The two of them looked quietly disappointed. Everyone else was cloistered behind these familiar faces.
"Is anybody gonna' tell me what's wrong?" I asked again.
"You should know, Your Majesty."
"Maybe," I said to Portia. "But I don't. So could you catch me up to speed on why everybody suddenly hates me?"
"We don't hate you," Lise-Marie sighed, dropping her arms.
"Unless it's true." Portia filled in, asking, "Is it?"
"I don't know what's being asked here." I spoke dully. "What am I being accused of again?"
Troy stood and told me, "We heard about your engagement to the princess. Congratulations, by the way."
"Thanks-"
"But now that you're gonna' be a prince," Troy continued, "You won't need us anymore."
"What?" I asked. "Why would you think that?"
He said dismally, "I heard the Council's gonna' assign you some troops, better ones, real ones."
I had to look over my shoulder and back at him before I asked, "What do you mean real ones? Aren't you real soldiers? Zair told me you all went through basic training with him-"
"Yeah, but none of us passed." Troy cut in, looking dejected. He kicked at a rock and watched it scuttle over the dry ground.
"I passed," Portia smirked.
"Yeah but none of us were let into the national military." Troy shot her down.
She didn't argue with that.
I guess I could understand their frustration, I thought. If the Council does trust me more now that I'm gonna' marry Daisy and I do accept 'better' troops, that would mean basically spitting on their hard work and efforts…do they really think I'd do that?
"I don't get it." I stated. "Why do you think I'd just trade you out for some troops that I don't even know?"
"Because they're better?" Troy huffed, folding his arms insecurely. He looked strikingly similar to a pouting child when he added, "They're older, more experienced. Official. Unlike us amateurs-"
"Speak for yourself." Lise hissed icily at him.
I said, "I'm not taking on a whole new slew of soldiers when I've got perfectly fine ones right here-"
"But we're not perfectly fine!" Troy snapped.
"Oh boy." Portia blinked long and cut her eyes towards the sky. "Here we go." She hid a smirk.
"Look around you, man!" Troy gestured to the throng of other soldiers. "Can't you see there's something wrong with us? With all of us?"
"Not me." Portia smirked openly now.
Troy narrowed honey-colored eyes at her and spat, "Stop acting so perfect, Portia. You're in the same boat as the rest of us!"
"And what boat is that?" I blinked. "What are you going on about?"
It was Lise-Marie who answered me, breathing evenly in her t-shirt and black shorts. She swept her hair behind her shoulders and took a seat elegantly on her ridiculously long locks.
"What he isn't intelligent enough to explain is," She began, earning an unseen glare from the bronze-skinned young man, "we were all turned away from serving in the military because of our…conditions."
"What conditions?" I asked, then guessed half-jokingly, "You mean your hair?"
"My hair is only the result of the cancer that plagues me." She spoke curtly. "It grows uncontrollably and if I don't keep cutting it, I could die."
"What?"
"It's complicated," She claimed, obviously not wanting to talk about it.
I argued, "I don't see why that would keep you out of the military."
"Me neither," She agreed, "But Chai's entry examiners are very…thorough. They have a specific idea of what makes an eligible soldier. So if you don't meet their criteria, you don't get to join."
I said, "Well that explains a lot."
I thought about how all the soldiers I'd seen looked nothing like my troops. They all seemed to have the same washed out look in their eyes, rigid bodies, and soulless auras. My troops were young, diverse, vibrant, full of personality and energy. But, upon closer inspection, I could understand how their diversity wouldn't fit the army's status quo.
"Wait a minute," I said, glancing around, "Some of you seem…that is…"
Good thing I caught myself, for I surely would've offended them if I would have said some of them seemed normal compared to the others. I didn't know how to word what I wanted to say, so I singled out one of the regular-looking troops.
"Troy," I called, "What's wrong with you?"
"Are you kidding?" Portia snorted. "He's an ass."
"You're no better!" He shot back.
Portia told me, "He's got a bad heart. Faints like a lady if he pushes himself too hard-"
"That's none of your business!" Troy spoke, flushed red with anger and embarrassment.
The girl went on to tell me, "Little Deanna here's a bit obvious, hm? She's red as a cherry and can't speak a word. And that one over there's deaf, she's blind, he has respiratory problems, he's tall as a giant, her nerves are bad; make her twitch, you see, and-"
"Portia," I stopped her as she pointed and described her fellow troops. I said with a small smile, "How 'bout you tell me what's wrong with you. Why didn't you get in?"
Portia was a lovely girl, a bit tomboyish, but undoubtedly pretty. It was clear to see when she lowered her eyes to me and reached up to take down her ponytail and her thick, violet hair came tumbling down with unnatural allure. Her tresses covered half her face so that a sole, obsidian eye locked onto mine. Her mouth curved in a slow smirk and she spoke as if she were holding back a flood of emotion.
"There is nothing wrong with me. The examiners were practically begging me to join."
"Then why didn't you?" I asked, swallowing because the girl was downright unnerving.
Her tone was short and sweet when she said, "Well now, you'll have to ask my father about that. He's the one that held me back."
"And for good reason," Troy muttered, "You're too temperamental."
She turned to him and asked with a taunting smile, "Oh, do I scare you Troy?"
He scoffed.
I looked around the disconsolate lot of troops and wondered why Zair didn't tell me all this up front. I had no idea they were all disabled in their own way.
But he was serious when he told me they were just as qualified as any other soldier, I remembered. Is this why he said that? He must have known.
"I'm not trading you for anyone else." I spoke quietly. "You've put up with me and accepted me, with all my faults, so if I can be a Commander, you can be…wait a minute…Zair said he chose all of you personally to be with me. How is that?"
"He's one of the examiners," Portia stated with a slice of bitterness added to her matter-of-fact tone.
Lise nodded and said, "He made us a deal. We couldn't join the army, but we could join your unit."
"So let me get this straight," I said, "The only reason you're here is because this is the only way you can serve?"
Shrugs and 'pretty much's' and like sentiments filled the air.
I said, "That's really messed up. This is a dangerous thing, going against the Dark King. You could die. We could all get killed!"
"Um, no shit," Portia smirked. "We know that. It's kinda' in the job description."
"You shouldn't have to risk your lives just to be able to serve your country." I insisted, then realized how that sounded.
"We'd be risking our lives in any other division." Troy pointed out what I was thinking.
I said, "But this is a lot more dangerous. We're gonna' be facing the Dark King directly. I can't…I've gotta' talk to Zair and the Council. Maybe I could get them to integrate you all into the regular military-"
"Why?" Lise-Marie asked, her voice sharp. "They've made it clear we're not good enough for them."
"So you don't want to join now?" I asked, "But I thought-"
"Yeah, we did want to join," Troy said, "But then General Zair came along and offered us something better."
"Better? This is better?" I huffed in disbelief.
Lise-Marie nodded reluctantly and said, "Even if we did join up, they wouldn't want us there. Here we don't have to be ashamed of who we are and the things about us we cannot control."
"If you have no objections," Troy told me sort of feebly, "We wanna' stick by you."
"So will you lead us or ditch us, Commander?" Portia asked with a raised violet brow.
I said, "I'm not ditching you. Now come on. We've blown enough time talking, let's train."
I've gotta' have a talk with Zair but it won't be about my adventures.
A/N: Thank you for reading, as usual :)
~DymondGold~