Vows of Blood and Honor
Sebastian regarded Faith and Asrai with a stern glance that reminded them both more of the king than the queen. "I don't have to tell you that you should retreat at the first sign of trouble." He said finally. "Or that this may be revoked at any time should the threat arise again?"
"Boss, she's just going to rehearsals." Faith pointed out. "I know that theatre like the back of my hand. And there won't be any 'inspiring' outdoor readings either." She cast a pointed look at Asrai.
"It wasn't my idea." Asrai protested. "And it wasn't my fault either." Her mouth set stubbornly.
Sebastian grinned. Last time someone had suggested an excursion to the forest nearby to read the lines in a natural setting. They had thought it would be uplifting. Instead most of the cast had wandered through poison ivy, or been bitten by ants. Asrai and Faith hadn't been among the afflicted mostly because Asrai in her childhood had adored woodcraft as much as she loved acting now. Faith had found the entire episode amusing and enjoyed teasing Asrai about her fellow thespians naïveté.
"Whatever." Faith rolled her eyes. "You're staying in the theatre. That way I can keep an eye on you, and those other idiots too."
Sebastian smothered a smile and nodded. "Mother and Dad don't have any problem with you going back to rehearsals, though I think Mother still doubts whether the play is worth it. I don't like it though, so do me the favor of heeding me, and taking care with yourselves?"
"What's wrong boss?" Faith frowned. "I thought you said she was in the South?"
"She was last seen on a boat going south." Sebastian corrected grimly. "No one has seen her there yet. We can't go on hiding forever, but I'd rather be a little cautious than a lot dead."
Faith nodded her agreement. "We'll keep on a firm schedule, all right babe?" She looked at Asrai. "It will be better if the boss knows where you are all the time. If you don't show up somewhere, he knows to worry."
"That means don't be late to dinner." Sebastian grinned at his sister who was frowning with concern. Kissing her forehead he said quietly. "I know acting is like breathing for you, and how hard this has been. That's why we're lowering our guard a bit."
"You mean your paranoia, don't you?" Asrai smiled darkly.
"It's not paranoia if someone is really out to get you." Sebastian said with a grim smile. "Just be careful both of you."
The two girls nodded and Faith tilted her head consideringly. "Lets go find out if they gave your part away." She teased.
"Thanks Faith, I needed to hear that!" Asrai retorted.
Sebastian shook his head tolerantly as they left the room arguing companionably.
Lorelei looked at her twin and then at Dragon. The two of them were once again on friendly terms, mostly because Andreas had apologized for overreacting and because Dragon really hadn't been that interested in being unfriendly.
Dragon's eyes were an inscrutable onyx as he listened to the news of Loren and how the confinement to the castles walls was at an end. Finally he murmured in his harsh voice. "You say they may go about as they choose Sebastian, that your parents have relaxed the restrictions to simply being careful in their destinations and companions. I hear something else in your voice though."
Lorelei sighed and looked at her older brother. Andreas nodded his agreement with Dragon's assessment and said quietly. "You don't like the idea of Lorelei and I going out and about without our Watchers."
"No, I don't." Sebastian shrugged even though his blue eyes were dark with concern. "But if Mother and Dad say that you may, then who am I to gainsay them?"
"Who indeed?" Dragon echoed with a sarcastic twist. "Are they in danger if they leave?"
Sebastian pushed hand through his curls, rumpling them. "I don't know." He admitted. "Painful as that is to concede." He rolled his eyes. "I don't like the idea, it goes against everything I've learned. Andreas is the Crown Prince, and Lorelei our best Diplomat and a royal Princess. For that alone I would say they should not go out alone. But they are my brother and sister too, and I do not want to lose them." He looked at the three of them. "Until Loren is dead none of us are completely safe. We are not completely safe anyway, because of our birth. If you must go out, do not go alone, that is all I ask. Take Dragon, or myself or one of the Purple Dragons."
"I think for the few days more it will take Raden to find us appropriate Watchers I can endure the palace, so long as I have Dragon's company." Lorelei said slowly, her younger brother's words causing her more concern than she wanted to admit. "I know that you chafe at the restrictions though." She told Andreas. "My duties keep me busy quite often, perhaps Dragon wouldn't mind accompanying you?"
Dragon grinned. "As if it's a chore to run about with my friend." He chided her. "You know you can ask anything of me. This is the least of what I would do to aid you and your family. You are all my friends as well as my beloved's brothers." His black eyes flicked over Sebastian and Andreas.
The Crown Prince smiled briefly. "Knowing I may go if I wish, eases the need to be gone." He said finally. "Though I may take you up on the offer of company Dragon."
Dragon nodded and regarded Sebastian with an amused gaze. "You know your hardest task may well be convincing Briar to stay inside. This enforced confinement has been driving her to distraction. As is evidenced by her constant practicing and learning the violin from your mother."
Sebastian nodded. "I know. My mother reacts to this situation the same way. You know that Briar was teaching her the harp." He shook his head. "I'm hardly one to talk, I've been studying elven legends until I could recite some of them and the variations on them from memory."
"You are so like Mother its funny." Lorelei teased.
"So are you." He retorted.
"No, I'm like Grandfather, Mother said so." Lorelei tossed her head, amber eyes flashing.
"Oh, and Mother isn't like Grandfather?" Sebastian queried in mock astonishment. "You'd better rethink your insults Lorelei, you're getting sloppy in your old age."
"And you're growing stupid in your diapers." Lorelei shot back.
"All right children that will do." Dragon growled just as Andreas was saying, "Good grief, enough already!" The two friends looked at each other and began laughing as the other two rolled their eyes.
"How do I get myself talked into this?" Sebastian asked as he, Vidan and Briar walked across the bridge from the palace to the city. "I know it's unwise, I know it's dangerous, I even know that it's probably stupid, but I still get talked into letting you leave the palace." The prince looked at Briar and narrowed his eyes.
"Because you know I can take care of myself in a fight, that I'm going crazy all cooped up like a fragile lady, and that with you and my father, I'm the safest I'll ever be, unless we managed to add Dragon to my escort." Briar returned sweetly. "And this way we can take your sister back with us and make sure she and Faith are all right as well."
"And also because you were about ready to scale the walls and cross the bridge yourself." Vidanalas commented from the other side of his daughter.
"I can't deny it." Sebastian shrugged. "I don't like confinement any more than my brother. I simply hide it better."
"Truer words were never spoken." Briar said in her dry humorous tone. "We're only going as far as the Rose. We wait a little bit for Asrai, and then we all five of us walk back together. Nice simple little excursion."
"Famous last words." Her father teased and Briar laughed.
Sebastian shook his head at both of them. "Why do I feel like the one who's over two hundred years old, and the two of you are the children?" He muttered to himself.
Sebastian cursed and thought to himself that the next time his instincts told him something was wrong he would listen. More importantly he would make sure that Briar listened too.
"Cursing won't help you princeling!" The woman cackled. Her eyes gleamed maniacally and Briar's breathing heightened as the daggers edge tightened on her throat.
Sebastian stared at the woman. At first she had resembled an old crone begging on the steps. Briar had stooped to place a few coins in the clay pot before her and the old woman had reached up as if to pat her on the shoulder in thanks. Before Sebastian, Vidan or Briar could react the gnarled hand had shot out to grasp Briar's long braids and twisted viciously, causing the girl to nearly loose her balance. By the time Sebastian had been close enough to prevent harm coming to his lady, the crone had risen, pulling Briar up with her by dint of the dagger's edge at the girls throat. She had backed up the theatre steps slowly putting some distance between herself and the two men.
"Do you have any notion of the death you just purchased for yourself?" He hissed softly, his hands twitching at his sides. He could kill her instantly with a dagger throwing it so that it embedded in her eye and pierced her brain but even if he killed her before she murdered Briar, her death throes might still kill the bard.
"Think you that I care about death?" The woman laughed again. "You murdered my entire family! Everything I ever had in my life is gone, my brother, my mother, my father and even my home is lost to me! Because of this bitch," she gave Briar a vicious shake, "I have nothing left to lose except a life I have no reason to value."
"Loren…" Briar whispered. "I never wanted any of you dead…I only wished to be safe." Her hands were wrapped around the woman's arm and wrist, trying to push the dagger away from her throat but the other female's strength was terrifying.
"Safe!" Loren shrieked. "You tease and try to seduce my brother and then when he finally succumbs to your wiles you reject him and cry rape! And then when he tries to seek justice you murder him! And when my parents want justice you have them humiliated in front of the entire court! I will see that Justice is served!" Her voice was shrill and more than a little mad.
Vidanalas watched helpless to intervene as the madwoman pulled Briar further up the steps. He like Sebastian continued to move forward, closing towards the woman, but for once he could read the prince's expression and it mirrored his own terrible fear that no matter what either of them did it would be too late to save Briar.
"Justice will be…" Loren's voice dwindled oddly and she appeared to be choking. Her grasp on Briar loosened and the dagger no longer pressed against the girls neck. At the slackening of her grip the bard pulled again on the woman's arm and the dagger fell away.
As Briar ran into Sebastian's arms Loren fell forward, as if Briar had been holding her upright. Embedded side by side in her back were two daggers. There was no way to tell which one had reached the madwoman's heart first.
Sebastian looked over Briar's shaking form with eyes unashamedly misty with relief and saw Faith stepping from the shadows outside the entrance to the theatre. He hugged Briar a bit closer, shaking a bit himself and said finally. "Thank you. But don't you think one dagger would have sufficed? Or don't you trust your aim as much as I thought?"
Faith frowned. "I only threw one boss." She walked closer to the body and crouched regarding the second dagger. She absently checked her hidden sheaths as if uncertain. "Yeah only one of them is mine."
"Then who threw the other one?" Vidanalas asked quietly from where he stood beside Sebastian. One hand rested on his daughters dark head, as if only by touching her could he believe she was yet living.
"I did." A very familiar voice said from inside the dark doorway. Vidanalas looked past Faith to see the youngest member of the Obarskyr clan. Asrai wrinkled her nose. "I never thought I'd ever have to use them, but I understand now why it was suggested by someone," She shot a look at Faith, "that I carry them." She moved forward and with an expression of disgust pulled her dagger from the woman's body and cleaned it on the skirt the dead woman wore. "I've…" Asrai paled a bit as she realized the full implications of her actions, "I've never killed anyone before."
"Nope, sorry babe, but it was definitely my dagger that killed her." Faith countered with dark cheer.
Asrai looked at her, at first in disbelief and then in utter indignation. "Excuse me?" she asked Faith not realizing that the watcher was deliberately baiting her, to snap her out of any regret she might feel over throwing the dagger. "As if!" Asrai snapped. "I'm sure I threw my dagger first. I don't even remember seeing you throw yours."
Faith looked at the girl and raised her eyebrows. "If you did see me, then I'd know it was time for me to retire. Nope," she said sticking her tongue out at Asrai, "I taught you everything you know so even if you did get lucky and strike the killing blow, it technically still belongs to me."
Sebastian knowing that the two of them would continue arguing indefinitely interrupted. "Asrai, the last time you and I spoke, you didn't want to have anything to do with throwing daggers."
Asrai grinned and kissed Faith's cheek with a mischievous tug at the Watcher's dark hair. "Someone convinced me it would be fun to learn."
Sebastian smiled slowly at Faith who shrugged and allowed her own slow smile to spread her lips. "What can I say?" She drawled. "I'm corrupting your baby sister." She leaned over to whisper something that only Asrai could hear. "In many ways aren't I babe?"
Asrai lost all thoughts of having potentially killed something as she flushed beat red her mind taking on the many implications that Faith's teasing might mean.
Briar turned in Sebastian's arms. "I'm all for that myself." She inserted her comment with a still shaking voice. "Can we go home now please?"
Dragon smiled as he finished his closing to the letter. There was a slightly festive and grimly satisfied air about the palace these days. He and Briar as well as her family had yet to return to their separate apartments. His smile grew wider as he considered the fact that with a little luck soon they both might dwell there permanently. He believed Sebastian intended to propose to Briar soon. Dragon also hoped that soon he would be able to ask Lorelei to wed, he already possessed the ring.
The door to the morning room opened and he looked up to see the Lady Katharine entering. "Good morning my lady." He rose and began gathering his parchment into a neat stack, and cleaning his pens in preparation for departure.
"What leaving already?" Katharine pouted slightly as she moved towards him, her hips twitching and her slow walk reminding him as always of a kittenish predator.
"I have business elsewhere." Dragon explained politely while continuing to gather his things.
"Oh, business, pooh!" She tossed her head slightly. "You've been greatly occupied of late, with all sorts of business. I've scarce seen you and I thought we were friends."
"Really?" Dragon threw a curious glance in her direction. "I hadn't thought the connection we had qualified for friendship." Though his rasping voice was mild in tone, he didn't seem overly interested in her reply.
Lorelei paused outside the door and took a deep breath restraining her urge to charge in and demand that Katharine leave Dragon alone. Folding her hands to keep from clenching them she waited.
"Well of course we're friends silly!" Katharine replied. She was very close to Dragon now, close enough to lay a hand on his arm caressingly. "I enjoy your company, and I thought you enjoyed mine?" Her voice was sweet and had a purring seductive quality to it, the innuendo beneath her words enhancing that.
Dragon looked down at her with hard eyes. "I do not call folk friend lightly Lady Katharine." He moved slightly away, enough that her body could not brush against his. "I had not thought our connection close enough to be defined as friendship."
Katharine smiled sweetly and gazed up at him with large soft eyes. "I would like to be closer to you," she said softly. "Don't you want to be closer to me? We could enjoy each other."
Dragon took another step away, breaking her contact with him and folded his arms forbiddingly. "No, I do not wish to become closer to you." He said bluntly. "I do not wish to be rude but I do not want you in my bed."
"Why not?" Katharine stamped her tiny foot. "I know you can't be sleeping with Princess Lorelei, the whole court talks of how she is still chaste, despite your avowed love for her."
"Because I am in love with her." Dragon said patiently, as if explaining something to a child. "You are a lovely woman, but I do not love you and so I do not wish to bed you."
"I don't understand." Katharine said in frustration. "How can you not want to sleep with me, if you're not sleeping with her?" Her mouth pursed thoughtfully. "Or are you sleeping with her and keeping it a secret?"
Dragon raised his eyes heavenward. This was such a child in so many ways, she wanted her way, and he didn't want to be unkind, even if she was being rude. "No, I am not sleeping with the princess." He said quietly.
"Why not?" Katharine asked again. "I mean, she loves you, and you love her. Why don't you just marry her?" She rolled her eyes. "That's part of why I was so interested in you, because you hadn't. I thought maybe we could enjoy each other."
Dragon groaned. "I don't know why I'm bothering to try and explain." He sighed. "Probably because you're not as terrible as you're acting and you're not screeching like a banshee when you don't get your way, like many of the court 'ladies'." Katharine stood tapping her foot. "I want Lorelei to be sure of herself." He said simply.
Katharine looked at him in disbelief. "You what?" Her expression was priceless.
"I love her." Dragon said gently. "I will love her for the rest of my life. It is very important that she be certain of her love for me. Before we marry. Before she becomes mine in every way, I want her to be sure I'm not just something she's decided she wants just for the sake of seeing if she can get it."
"I think you're insane." Katharine told him bluntly. "Any fool with half a brain could see she's tail over top in love with you."
Dragon smiled. "Yes." He inclined his head. "But first loves often fade or burn out quickly. I wish her to be certain that her love is for life. Because mine is." He looked up and stilled as he saw Lorelei in the doorway.
"Lady Katharine, would you mind excusing us?" Lorelei said softly. "I need to discuss something with Dragon."
Katharine nodded. "I think that's probably a good idea. Make sure everyone knows he's not on the market." She advised. "I'm not the only one who's interested." She threw a faintly pitying glance at Dragon and shrugged as she left the room.
"You know." Lorelei began and then looked at the door and shut it thoughtfully. She turned the key in the lock and placed it on the table between them. "I think that there is some basic misunderstanding here."
Dragon regarded her and a slow smile spread over his face. "And that is?"
"You seem to think that I'm unsure of a few things." Lorelei folded her arms and regarded him with narrowed eyes. "From what I just heard, you seem to think there's some doubt as to how long my love for you will last."
"I do not doubt your love for me." Dragon said quietly, his macabre voice gentle.
"Oh don't patronize me!" Lorelei snapped. "I heard you. You seem to think that this is just a calf love, or a silly girl's adoration, and it will die off eventually." She placed her hands on the table and leaned on them glaring up at him. "Let me make something perfectly clear. I'm an adult. I have been one for years, regardless of your much vaunted opinion. I am a woman, or would be, no thanks to you. I'm sure of very little in my life except two things. My family, and my love for you."
"I just didn't want you to change your mind after we were married." Dragon said quietly. "I wanted to give you plenty of time, so that if you started to think better of my courtship you would be able to say so."
"I'm not going to change my mind!" Lorelei burst out nearly hopping up and down in her agitation. "I love you. I'm going to love you forever! I can't help it. I don't always like it, especially when it first began I was so unhappy, but I don't have a choice. You are the other half of me."
"Are you certain?" Dragon frowned faintly. "I don't want you to marry me and then ten years down the road wonder what you have missed by not marrying a courtier."
"I don't want a courtier." Lorelei shot back. "I want you!" She folded her arms again. "And you're talking an awful lot about marriage for a man who hasn't even bothered to propose." She sniped at him.
"I was waiting on that for you to be certain as well." Dragon admitted. "Though I must admit to some preparation, in case I grew too impatient to make you mine."
"Well we both know you don't have to ask Daddy's permission since you asked to court me. Everyone is expecting that we marry eventually." Lorelei said huffily. "So unless you are preparing to bolt because you've decided against it, I don't see what preparations you needed to make."
"Actually." Dragon smiled slowly, his eyes lighting and his macabre voice tender. "There was one that took me a lot of time." He reached into his belt pouch and pulled something out, holding it in his hand. "Give me your hand." Lorelei extended her hand surprised to see that her fingers were trembling. "I had to choose something that had a chance of equaling your beauty." He carefully slipped the ring onto Lorelei's left ring finger. "Will you marry me, my Lorelei?" He asked in a gentle whisper.
Lorelei stared. Somehow Dragon had managed to choose a ring that suited her perfectly while proclaiming her his own. Set in white gold, a canary diamond cut in a marquis shone on her hand. The band of the ring was truly unique. Somehow Dragon had convinced the jeweler to carve the image of a beautiful woman sitting on a rock in a river. On the other side of the diamond a dragon stood on his hind legs wings curved behind him.
"Why the woman?" She asked wonderingly. "She's beautiful, but what does it mean?"
Dragon's smile widened. "You do not know then? Why I call you always, my siren?" He touched her hair, and his knuckles brushed over her cheek. "Your name is from an old elven legend. The Lorelei sat in the middle of the river and was so lovely, combing her hair, that no one could resist trying to reach her." He put his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her head so she looked up at him. "You have not given me an answer, my Lorelei." He reminded her gently.
"Yes." She breathed. "Oh yes, Dragon I'll marry you."
TBC