Vows of Blood and Honor
Andreas laughed as Darew nearly got past his guard. He knew he wasn't concentrating on swordplay as much as he could but being out in the open air put him in an exhilarated mood. Though a bit chilly and damp outdoors before the gates of the palace he definitely preferred it to the exercise room.
Darew hadn't really liked the idea of being so exposed but Andreas had convinced him that it would do them both good. Affectionately he smiled. In his years as Andreas' watcher Darew had learned that it rarely did any good to argue with the Crown Prince, especially when it came to the young man's preference to avoid the confinement of castle walls.
The watcher narrowed his eyes as he looked over the prince's shoulder. A dark figure watched them from the top of the water arena. Even as Darew blinked suspiciously the man raised changed positions. Quickly the watcher moved, circling the prince and as Andreas, confused by his watcher's distracted manner turned to face him, Darew was thrown into the prince's arms.
Andreas cried out in pain and shock as fire lanced his shoulder. He looked down at his own wound seeing blood pump out of his body in response to the wound. As he studied his wound, he felt Darew leaning heavily against him. Looking away from his own body, Andreas raised his head to look at Darew as his hands reached out to support the watcher.
A strangled cry pierced the air. Andreas did not realize it but it was his own voice that cried out in anguish now as he saw that Darew had been shot close to his heart. The arrow had been so fast and sharp it had gone through the watcher and into Andreas' shoulder. It had been meant to kill him, the prince realized. Instead, his friend, his protector was now dying.
"No…" Andreas cried out angrily as Darew's full weight brought both men down to the ground. Andreas knew he was watching his friend dying. He wept as he held Darew in his arms. "No," Andreas uttered seeing the bolt obscenely sticking out of his friend's body. "Not for me …" The young Prince said faintly.
"Andreas." Darew whispered as he looked up at his Prince. He carefully framed his words, visibly struggling against the pain and the darkness rising in his eyes. "My king," Darew uttered reaching out to touch Andreas face gently with his own blood covered hand. Darew's head and hand dropped then as if with that gentle reminder that he had been doing his job for his future king, Darew could now let go.
Andreas did not need to see his friend's body go still. The lessening of the weight upon his own arms told him Darew was gone. His friend was dead and Andreas was elsewhere.
Even now, as shouts sounded out in the air around him and guards rushed from the palace, Andreas mind raced back to the past, to a place by the sea, and a girl he once knew.
Her gentle hand reached out to him as he looked at her with tear strained eyes. Touching his cheek, she told him, "My Andreas . . .
Andreas didn't see the guards surrounding him, protecting him from any further attempts. The prince didn't hear a Purple Dragon trying to separate the dead watcher and the Prince, "Sir, you have to let him go. You have to let him go sir."
"You have to let go …. You have to let go and go on with your life."
Andreas kept repeating that scene with that girl from long ago in his own mind ignoring all around him. Initial attempts by the guards to get Darew's body free failed. The young Prince simply clung tightly to his friend oblivious to the present. He hardly noticed the blood that still pulsed from his shoulder until it darkened his eyes and pulled him into a painful sleep. Only then could the guards pull Darew's body free, away from his charge, his Prince.
Briar hurried towards the palace, scarcely noticing the beauty of the city around her as she did normally. Her quick nervous pace saved her life for when she heard the ring of steel she pulled her blades from their sheaths and turned to fight automatically.
To her shock she didn't face a pair of street thieves, though such were rare in Aeliara, there being a dearth of handy alleys. Two large, agile men were holding wicked curved daggers and seemed to have every intention of killing her. Being no fool and feeling she had nothing to prove Briar opened her mouth with every intention of using her bards lungs to screech bloody murder. Literally.
She was saved doing harm to her larynx and her ears by a friendly voice. "Well Lady Rose, we meet again." The nondescript man in grey was the same fellow who had rescued her from an attacker more than a year ago.
"Your timing is impeccable." Briar quipped as he put his back to her and they began to fight off her attackers. "Have you thought of going onstage?"
Her sense of humor or possibly her skill with her rapier earned an approving grin from her new companion. "I'm too plain for that my lady." The man returned. "And my work this past year or so has been very rewarding and enjoyable." He grunted as his sword struck home and pierced the heart of the villain he fought.
"Well whatever it is, if you begin to dislike it, come to me, and I'll gladly see if I can enlist the aid of friends to find you something more agreeable." Briar's tone and breathing didn't even pause as she slashed the tip of her blade across her attackers throat.
"Now that is doubtful my lady." Her new friend grinned and bowed. "I am Kelso."
"Rosaleen Dhu." The bard curtsied. "I thought you said the last time we met that you worked in the palace kitchens." She queried.
"A small falsehood my lady." Kelso tugged his cap back on his thinning hair. "I'm one of Sebastian's watchers. He requested that I be assigned to you. I'm right glad of it my lady. To guard Sebastian's beloved is a great honor."
Briar smiled and shook her head. She was no longer surprised at the precautions Sebastian took over her and couldn't be angry even at the potential invasion of privacy. Sebastian seemed to have a small army of men and women who worked in his own little division of Raden's network. They appeared to specialize in Court problems. "This is the second attempt on my life. We had better tell Sebastian of it."
Kelso nodded. "He was at the library for the morning, but he should be on his way home now. We'll be able to reach him right quick, my lady."
"Good." Briar grinned. "Kelso?"
"Yes my lady?" The man was deferential even while his eyes never stopped scanning for trouble through the mist.
"My friends call me Briar."
In the study, Jenny kept slowly walking about the room, studying the surroundings, keeping her senses sharp as she had been taught years before by her instructors. Her head snapped to the window as outside, she heard something faint. A shadow across one of the curtains confirmed her fears and Jenny already had a weapon in hand as she moved back towards the room containing Lorelei and Dragon.
In the other room, Dragon was regarding Lorelei with a combination of anger and amusement. "You're actually jealous of that little twit?" He asked incredulously.
Lorelei didn't get a chance as several events happened within the matter of seconds.
The door to the study flew open, Jenny racing through shouted, "Get down."
Years of companionship had taught Lorelei to obey Jenny. She was already moving to obey, Dragon as well when the glass shattered behind them.
Two men came barreling through the broken aperture. Dragon pushed Lorelei to the ground shielding her from the shards.
Jenny closed to engage the two men having been free of the blast of glass from the attacker's entrance. In another moment Dragon had his sword out and was moving up to help the watcher.
Dragon gave a shout of rage as he thrust his sword into the belly of the man before him. Smoothly pulling it free the warrior turned and saw Jenny had already finished off the man before her and was moving towards Lorelei who still huddled on the floor.
Even as Dragon felt satisfaction form on his face from having defended his Princess, the expression quickly changed to horror. The door to the room swung open revealing a man leveling a crossbow at Lorelei. Dragon cried out "No," but knew even as he moved, he would not reach his Princess in time to keep the bolt from her flesh.
Yet, Jenny could. Seeing the man in the doorway, Jenny dove, her body moving downward to stand between her Princess and the bolt which hurtled through the air to strike the watcher in the back. Landing on the floor with a thump, the only sound Jenny made at having been wounded was to let out a soft hiss of air.
Dragon advanced with grim purpose seeking to obliterate the man in the doorway. He never got the chance.
With calm calculation, as the man reloaded his weapon, Lorelei reached into her clothing to pull free a weapon. As the man brought his crossbow up again to aim at Dragon or Lorelei, his eyes widened and he felt his knees go weak. Raising a hand, he became aware of a dagger in his throat.
Lorelei had flicked her hand and embedded the weapon in her attacker's throat. She saw the man with the crossbow collapse, obviously dead. Seeing a shadow over her, Lorelei looked up at Dragon. Her expression was one of satisfied relief that he was unharmed. Dragon was very well aware that his own face revealed similar sentiments.
"Jenny." Lorelei murmured and moved to kneel at the lady's side. "You'll be all right sweetheart." She stroked her friends soft cheek realizing how pale she looked.
Jenny coughed, foamy blood coming out as she croaked out, "Lorelei, I'm pretty certain I'm dying." Jenny pointed out with a gasp and tried to smile as she always did. Her sweet voice, always so smooth and matter of fact, was rough with pain, and sounded as if she could barely breath. "You be good, stop tormenting your Dragon." She choked out. "He loves you."
Lorelei smiled tearfully. "I'll be good. She promised taking the girls hand.
"Not too good." Jenny joked. "I love you the way you are." She looked up at Dragon and took a painful breath. The man looked over Jenny's back to where the bolt had landed and the expression on his face told Lorelei and Jenny that the latter's diagnosis was correct. "If we get a healer now-" Dragon said not wanting to give up hope.
"Dragon," Jenny said, her eyes shifting to him. "I.. can't . .." She looked away not wanting Lorelei to hear this but knowing that it had to be said so they would understand. "I can't feel my legs," The watcher told the couple.
Dragon bit his lip as Lorelei cried out. The watcher's words told Dragon that the bolt had struck Jenny's spine. Even if a healer could get here in time, the girl would be paralyzed for the rest of her life. And that was not a life Dragon could envision Jenny wanting to live. As matters stood by the time a healer arrived, Jenny would be dead.
The mage became aware of Jenny's hand over his own. "Take care of her." She whispered, her voice losing strength. "Get her out of here. Safely…away…" She closed her eyes and Lorelei thought she had died but she opened them and looked up at the princess. "What are you waiting for?" She reprimanded the princess, with a gasp. "Go!" Her voice had no strength to shout but her green eyes glared feverishly up at the princess.
Lorelei looked up at Dragon and uttered a tiny choked cry, the tears streaming down her cheeks unchecked now. "I don't want to leave her alone." She cried, "Not at least until..."
Dragon and Jenny exchanged looks. Jenny communicated something silently to the man hoping he understood, that he realized what she intended to do and that she did not want Lorelei to see the act. With a grim nod, Dragon gave her a signal that he did. His hand came down onto Lorelei's arm as he rose, forcing Lorelei to rise as well. When the princess resisted he lifted her struggling and forced her to look him in the eye. "She wants you safe!" He rasped out intensely. "You can't stay with her. It will take her too long to die! We have to get away in case there are other attackers nearby!"
The blunt truth of his words reached Lorelei as pleading never would have and she stopped struggling and nodded. She went to bend down for one final kiss but Jenny glared back at her. "Go!"
The shock of two people she loved being so adamant spurned Lorelei forward, Dragon by her side, not allowing her to turn and look back.
Dragon did not have to look back to know what was happening. Even as Lorelei and Dragon exited the room, Jenny' s hand reached for a dagger nearby. Bringing it to her chest, Jenny plunged it into chest, choosing a quick rush to embrace death rather than fading slowly and painfully as her lungs filled with blood.
Sebastian strode cheerfully through the mist towards the bridge. He'd indulged himself with a morning of studying various elven legends. Through the efforts of his father and maternal grandfather the library of Aeliara had quite a collection. He had found nothing regarding the ring Briar wore but he had run across something similar in a pendant.
The prince was happily occupied with mentally choosing another birthday gift for Briar when something stiffened the fine hair at the nape of his neck. He'd learned long ago to trust the excellent instincts his mother had bequeathed him and thus was more than prepared for the two dark figures who appeared out of the slowly clearing mist.
The daggers he'd silently palmed left his hands and reappeared embedded in the Adams-apples of the two men. As they fell Sebastian bent and retrieved his daggers, cleaning them on their clothing and then casually examining the bodies. A frown creased his brow and he rose thoughtfully. They had no personal belongings whatsoever. Nothing that could identify them once they were dead or caught.
The prince strode purposefully down the street, taking the most direct route to Briar's apartments. He hadn't gotten more than a few yards when he saw two familiar figures hurrying towards him. Briar and Kelso. Something was very, very wrong, Sebastian realized.
Sebastian cast a grim look around the room. His entire family was accounted for except Asrai. He had hurried Briar and Kelso into the palace and turned to tell a troop of guards to fetch Dragon and Lorelei when the two of them had come running across the bridge. From the blood on his sisters gown and Jenny's absence Sebastian hadn't needed an explanation.
His mother and father were still with his older brother. Andreas had lost a great deal of blood and priests from all three of the city's great temples were with him. In his parents place Sebastian had demonstrated a talent for issuing orders that had surprised even Dragon. The second prince and spare heir, as second sons were humorously called, would make a tolerable king if his brother ever died without an heir.
As if hearing Dragon's thoughts Sebastian snapped at him. "My brother is going to be just fine. Do you hear me? And it will be he who will be wearing the crown not I!" Pushing a hand through his already rumpled unruly curls he sighed realizing how unsuitable his response had been. "I'm sorry Dragon. I'm a bit on edge."
He turned as a footman entered. "The Purple Dragons have gone to retrieve Briar's family?" He asked. The man nodded but murmured something that made Sebastian's face darken ominously. "What do you mean you have lost my baby sister?" He growled out.
Lorelei looked up from where she had her face buried in Dragon's shoulder. "What?" She whispered. "Asrai is missing?" Her face was terrible to see, grieving and wrathful both.
"No!" The servant protested. "Lithfelt said he lost track of her this morning, but he knew she had rehearsal at the Rose one hour after noon." He explained hoping to put them at ease. "I've dispatched a messenger to tell Lady Faith to bring Her Highness home, immediately, with all discretion." The footman looked at Sebastian. "I hope I did right your Highness." He said anxiously. "If His Majesties majordomo could lose her, I thought anyone tracking her movements would also. Sending a troop of guards to fetch the princess would draw attention and I didn't want to place her in danger. Lady Faith is devoted to Princess Asrai, surely we can count on her?" The man was clearly worried he'd made the wrong decision but he'd been so certain at the time.
"Thank you." Sebastian breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief. "You are right. If anyone can bring Asrai back safely and discretely its Faith."
TBC