Author's Notes: Sorry for the lengthy delay folks, seems I must have had a 'muse-ectomy' along with the other surgery. I can't promise a chapter a week, but I will try my darndest to keep up a more steady stream of updates on this tale. Thanks and hugs to all you who sent your best wishes and kind reviews for this little story. Without you this wouldn't be possible…
Part Eleven
Passing into Southwest Province was rather like entering some enchanted kingdom from a child's fairy tale. The legend was that many centuries before, when the different provinces were first delineated, the majority of the magical community chose Southwest Province as their own, and used their magic to ensure an especially beautiful and productive land. The mountains were marbled with veins of pure quartz in colors ranging from amber to pink to snow white. The open meadows were rich with wild roses, irises and other wild flowers. Bubbling streams fed crystal pure lakes, and even the towns seemed to be a part of the natural landscape, rather than an intrusion upon it.
Though the province no longer boasted a particular wealth of magical beings amongst its populace, it somehow managed to maintain a magical atmosphere. Here was the only current matriarchal rule; Queen Katherine reigned, and at present had shown no signs of wanting to marry or produce an heir to the throne.
A strong young woman of extraordinary beauty and bearing, she was considered a benevolent, if somewhat strict, ruler; wise beyond her twenty-three seasons. Many a young man had set out to win her heart, but none had ever succeeded. She had a method of determining when a potential suitor's interest was in her position rather than in her person; she had no patience at all for such artifice. Sadly, experience had left her somewhat cynical, and it had been more than two seasons since the last time someone had sought her out for romance.
Her method of determining the honesty of a person's desires was a closely guarded secret; in her private gardens at the castle she had a Firebird of Paradise. This mystical creature was the last remnant of the province's magical past - a legacy left to the royal family from an ancestor blessed with foresight. The bird answered only to the royal family, and granted them insight into the truth regarding any matters they brought to its attention.
The last of its kind in the world, she sat on a clutch of eggs she had laid eight hundred forty two seasons before. The normal gestation period for a Firebird of Paradise was a thousand seasons, and legend had it that whoever ruled the province at the time of the hatching would be especially blessed. That was not the only blessing the Firebird of Paradise held.
Nestled among the green-hued eggs was a Portent Orb.
~*~
"These rocks are fine to look at, but they don't do the horse's hooves any favors," Zackary complained as they stopped once again to tend to a limping animal. This time it was Jason's mount that had a painful stone caught in its shoe.
"Perhaps once we are over this hill we would be well advised to keep to the roads," Will suggested mildly. They'd been traveling cross-country in the hope of saving some time, only to find the frequent problems with their horses made progress even slower.
"Yeah, I guess this wasn't the best plan I've ever had," Jason sighed, lowering the hoof he'd been working on and patting his horse's shoulder comfortingly.
"It was a good idea," Trini put in, giving their leader a warm look.
"Maybe, but that doesn't get us to Southwest Rose Quartz any sooner," the prince declared, remounting and heading onward.
It was late afternoon before they crossed the road again, and in less than an hour they had to stop for the night. Supplies were running low, so their dinner consisted of a simple stew made of the various odds and ends they still had. At least the weather was cooperating with them, and the mild night temperature required only a single blanket each.
Kymberly shifted uncomfortably in her makeshift bed, finally pushing aside the blanket impatiently and standing up. Her companions were all sound asleep, so the young princess quietly made her way to a low boulder still in sight of the camp. Climbing on top, she folded her legs beneath her and contemplated the clear night sky decorated with countless stars.
Absently her hand rose to feel along the silky smooth metal that was daily coming closer to ending her life. She thought of her father, and her heart clenched at the realization of how hard her death would hit him. Since early childhood there had been just the two of them, and while he was the king to the people, to Kymberly he was simply her much-beloved father. He'd always taken the time to make himself available to her, to be an active part in her life. Even as a toddler her small hurts and joys had been his hurts and joys; and it was he who taught her right from wrong and disciplined her on those rare occasions she went astray.
She knew her life had been sheltered - danger was something she'd read about, not experienced. Even that fateful morning when she'd snuck out of their castle, she hadn't been in search of danger, or even excitement. She'd just wanted to be 'normal', if only for a few hours. To walk amongst the people as one of them, not as their future queen. She'd even justified it to herself, claiming it would make her a more effective ruler if she knew what life was like for the lower castes.
Then Skullavich had grabbed her and things could never be the same again.
Her gaze turned to the five mounds of bedding arranged around the fire, and a glaze of tears turned her vision misty. She had wanted to mingle with 'normal' people - well, she sure got her wish. Granted, Jason was a prince, but the others were all lower castes than she was. By the antiquated rules they all lived by, only Trini would be a suitable friend for Kym once they completed their quest. Tomas and Zackary could possibly be acquaintances - of the most casual sort, of course. But Will... There was no way she would ever be able to acknowledge knowing someone of Will's station in life. And the thought galled her. Almost as much as the realization that, no matter how deeply she found herself falling in love with Tomas, a romance between a princess and a General Caste member would never be permitted.
Unless... A slow smile spread across Kymberly's face as she realized that there were indeed options open to her.
Effectively distracted from her thoughts of death, and buoyed by the plan fermenting in her mind, she yawned hugely, suddenly aware of how sleepy she still was. The young royal carefully climbed down from her perch and made her stealthy way back to bed, more determined than ever to succeed in this quest. She had far too much to lose.
~*~
Southwest Rose Quartz was busy with mid-day activity when the six travelers entered the town limits. Tying their weary horses to convenient hitching posts in the town square, they stood together to plan their strategy.
"All I remember is that the Orb is supposed to be in this town, not specifically where within it," Trini reported with a frown. "I suppose we should split up and see if we can get an idea of where it might be."
Her suggestion was met with approval, and the six teens separated after agreeing to regroup back there in two hours.
~*~
Tomas was growing frustrated, as his queries met with nothing more helpful than a blank stare. It was his nature to be straightforward in his questions, rather than approaching the subject by a more circuitous route, and that alone led to some people being intimidated by the young man. He was unaware that he had picked up a shadow until a heavy hand landed on his shoulder as he watched a young man scurry away after declining to answer Tomas's question.
The irritated young man whirled around to find himself face to face with an older man dressed in a uniform emblazoned with what appeared to be a royal crest. The guardsman glared sternly at the younger man.
"What do you think you're doing, questioning people like that?" he demanded. "We have laws against harassing the citizens."
"I'm not 'harassing' the citizens, I'm simply trying to get some information," Tomas replied evenly, even though anger still sparked in his dark eyes. A glance around had shown that more guards had materialized around his general vicinity.
"Judging by peoples' reactions, they don't care for the questions," the guard countered.
"That's not my problem. It's important that I find what I seek, a matter of life and death, even. If I startled a few people in the process, that's just too bad."
"Matter of life and death, huh? What would you be needing to know that is a matter of life and death?"
"I'm looking for the Portent Orb that is rumored to be in this town," Tomas declared boldly.
The reaction of the guard was not exactly what he'd hoped for; the man drew his weapon as he signaled for his fellow guardsmen to back him up and prevent Tomas's escape.
"That is a very dangerous question to be asking," the older man ground out as another guard bound Tomas's hands. "The Queen will determine exactly how dangerous it was. Bring him!"
Tomas looked around anxiously, hoping to see one of his companions, but the town was large and there was no sign of any potential help. Resigned to his fate, he marched along quietly enough, though he kept a diligent lookout for any possibility of escape. He was led directly to the elegant castle that rested beyond a thick stand of trees, which provided a measure of privacy while not seeming as isolating as a wall would be.
His captors took him directly to a large room dominated by a large table surrounded by high-backed chairs. At the far end of the room stood a white-draped throne, located between two high arched windows. The guardsmen suddenly straightened to attention, bowing their heads as a young woman entered from a side door. The two men flanking Tomas pushed him to a kneeling position.
"Why has this man been brought before me?" Queen Katherine asked, looking at the kneeling young man curiously.
"Your Highness, he was found questioning people about a Portent Orb," the head guardsman replied. "It has been a standing order to the legion that anyone found asking such questions be brought before the ruler."
"I am aware of the regulations," Katherine replied dryly. She turned her attention to Tomas. "Who are you and why do you seek the Orb?"
The young hero stood, meeting the queen's eyes boldly, trying to get a feeling for her. He appreciated her forthright approach, and something in those sapphire eyes indicated she would not stand for anything but the full truth. Hoping he was reading her right, he made his decision.
"My name is Tomas. You have perhaps heard that King Caplyn's daughter was kidnapped?" he asked. At her nod he continued. "The magician who kidnapped her, Skullovich, placed the Collar of Garrotidus around her neck. The only way to free her is by using the Key of Intregrity, which is in a monolith near Seraph Mountain. And, the only way to get the key is to have the six Portent Orbs. We ... my companions and I ... have been seeking out the Orbs, in order to save Princess Kymberly's life. We are rapidly running out of time, or I might have been subtler in my queries. Is there a Portent Orb within this city or nearby?" he asked at last, daring greatly in his fear for Kym.
"You expect me to simply believe your tale? I am hardly that gullible. What proof do you offer?"
"In an hour I am to meet my companions back at the town square where we left our horses. Princess Kymberly is traveling with us."
"The town square near The Cloak and Tiger Inn?" the head guardsman asked.
"Yes."
"Very well, Tomas. These guards shall go to the square and bring your companions to join us. If all is as you have told, I will see what I can do to assist you, as a courtesy from one royal family to another. If I find you have lied to me, you will spend the next six months in hard labor as a lesson not to lie to a queen. Is that understood?" she asked icily.
"Understood, Your Highness. I am not lying. Please, tell them Tomas said it was all right," he instructed the head guardsman. "You're looking for Jason, son of King Olscott, and four others."
"Jason is with you as well? Hmmm ... you choose your traveling companions well. You will remain here with a guard until your companions are found," Katherine decreed before sweeping from the room.
Slightly over an hour later Tomas was roused from his contemplation of the floor tiles by the sound of numerous footsteps approaching. Looking up anxiously, he was relieved to see Jason, Zackary, Trini, and - especially - Kymberly approaching, surrounded by the legion of guards. Will was nowhere to be seen.
"Tomas, what is going on?" Jason demanded as soon as he was close enough.
The taller teen sighed slightly, a rueful smile quirking the corners of his mouth as he met Jason's expected confrontation head on.
"I got caught asking about the Orb and brought before the queen. Seems there's some sort of law against mentioning it. Anyway, I decided to tell her the truth about our quest; it seemed to be the most logical thing to do under the circumstances. I hardly think she's on a par with the Black Knight. You guys are the proof of my story," Tomas explained.
"And if you misjudged, we could all end up in the dungeon," Jason ground out.
"Fortunately for you, he didn't misjudge," a softly accented voice interjected from the side as the young queen entered the room.
"Prince Jason, I assume. You match the pictures that have been published, though they don't quite do you justice. Your reputation precedes you," Katherine commented, reaching out to shake the prince's hand. "And Princess Kymberly, I don't know if you remember, but I met you about ten years ago, when your father visited my parents."
"I do indeed remember. You gave me a porcelain figure of a milkmaid, which I still have in my chambers," Kymberly replied with a warm smile. "You were very kind to a small child."
Katherine returned the smile, remembering the vivacious youngster who'd shadowed her for three days all those years ago. She turned to the other two. "And you are?"
"Trini, niece of King Hauward." The warrior priestess figured it would be sensible to mention her own royal connections in this particular situation.
"Zackary."
Katherine nodded genially at their introductions, then turned to Tomas. "You said you have five companions."
Before Tomas could comment, the head guardsman spoke up, disdain clear in his voice.
"They are traveling with an Outcaste. We are holding him at the Guard Tower, pending your orders," the man reported.
"An Outcaste?" Katherine demanded, turning a puzzled look at Tomas and his friends. "You let an Outcaste join you?"
"He's my friend," Jason declared firmly, daring the queen to contradict him.
"He's a friend to all of us," Kymberly interjected, lifting her chin in an unconsciously defiant manner.
"I see," the queen murmured, though it was obvious to them all that she didn't see at all. She seemed to consider the situation, then dismissed it from her mind.
"He will stay where he is for now," she decided with a gesture to the guards. "Be sure he is given water, and not mistreated. You may go."
As the guards filed out, Queen Katherine gestured to a corner of the large table, indicating they should be seated. A tray of assorted breads, meats and cheeses had been placed on the table, along with a few decanters of wine and ale.
"Please, help yourselves to some refreshments, while we discuss your problem," the queen invited.
As they settled in with their plates full of the savory repast, Katherine turned toward Kym, who was seated to her left. "So, that is the Collar of Garrotidus? Amazingly beautiful for something so deadly."
"Its beauty is what enticed me to place it around my neck myself," the young princess commented mournfully, her eyes firmly on her plate of food. "I was so easily fooled."
Tomas reached out a comforting hand, laying it gently on Kymberly's forearm. "You had no way of knowing the danger," he noted soothingly. "This is not your fault."
"Indeed. I checked with my advisors while I was awaiting your arrival. Seems the Collar has been used before, and in fact will work only if the wearer is tricked into placing it on himself."
"Did your advisors confirm how to remove the Collar?" Jason wanted to know.
"Yes. The Key of Integrity, hidden near Seraph Mountain, needs the Orbs. Yes, they confirmed what Tomas had told me," Queen Katherine answered shortly.
"So, will you - can you - help us?" Tomas's hold on Kymberly's arm tightened as renewed hope surged through him.
The young royal looked around at the others, her gaze lingering longest on Kymberly. What must it be like, to feel your death approaching every day? And what comfort it had to be that four ... five ... others were willing to risk all to foil that death. She couldn't help but wonder if there were five people in all her kingdom who would risk this much to save her. The answer to that question was something she didn't want to examine too closely. Almost physically wrenching herself from her thoughts, she forced herself to answer Tomas.
"I know where the Orb is, but I'm not sure how you can retrieve it." She held up her hand in a futile attempt to squelch their burgeoning optimism. "It is amongst the eggs of the Firebird of Paradise, and she guards it just as jealously as she does the eggs. You cannot harm the Firebird, nor even a single egg, I cannot allow it. She is my family's legacy, and we are sworn to protect her; besides, I'm not even certain she can be killed."
"She can, but to do so would be tragic," Trini interjected, looking serene as always. "I didn't even know such creatures still existed. Your family is indeed blessed."
"Yes, we are. There is one other thing I must insist on before we take this any further; you cannot tell anyone of what you see or where you see it. She has remained here in secrecy for generations, and to keep her safe she must remain our secret; at least until her eggs hatch. Can you agree to this?"
"You have our word, we will tell no one," Jason replied, amongst soft murmurs of agreement from the others.
At this Katherine rose gracefully to her feet, indicating the others should follow. "I'll take you to her nest."
The Firebird of Paradise was sleeping when they soundlessly approached her nest, so they had a chance to study the situation thoroughly. The bird roughly resembled a swan; if a swan were to grow to the size of a draft horse, that is. Her multihued plumage was tipped with gold, so she shone even in the imperfect light of the garden. The feathers were mingled shades of green, gold, rust and deep blue, with no discernible pattern, except for on her head, where it was pure gold. The nest was deep, made from assorted sticks, dried-out vegetation and long-since dried mud. With her sleeping on top, they could not see the eggs or the Orb.
"What do you think, Trini? Any ideas as to how to proceed?" Jason asked as Zackary and Tomas continued to circle the nest.
"I'm sorry, but I've never heard anything specific, just rumors of her existence," the warrior priestess said regretfully. "What would you suggest, Your Highness? Could you simply request she give you the Orb?" she asked, turning to Queen Katherine.
"That wouldn't work. I can tell her of problems or decisions I am facing, and I get a 'feeling' from her that helps me make decisions, but we don't communicate in the more traditional sense. Besides, my advisors told me the legend of the Portent Orbs, and simply asking for one would not work. According to the legends, they must be earned," she explained.
"Earned?" Zackary interjected with a note of doubt. "Somehow I just can't see the Black Knight 'earning' his Orb."
"He might not have," Katherine countered. "I wasn't clear enough; you can possess them without earning them, but their power will never be available in that case. In order for them to be of any use, they must be earned by acts of courage, sacrifice, talent, cunning, skill, or the like. So, if I were to ask - and receive - the Orb from her, you would have it, but it would be of no use to you in obtaining the Key. I'm sorry, but that is how it must be." Katherine looked sincerely regretful as she told them this.
"Looking back at how we've gotten them so far, I can see how this has worked," Tomas concurred. "So, now we need to figure out how to do this."
"Remember, you cannot harm her," Katherine warned.
"We won't, you have our guarantee on that."
"Then, I shall leave you to your own devices," the queen decided. "In the interest of my future relationship with her, I think it best I not be here while you get the Orb. I'd hate for her to believe I'd betrayed her." With that she turned and departed, leaving the other five to contemplate what they'd learned.
"Trini, what else do you know of the Firebird of Paradise? What danger does she present?" Jason asked as they stood in a tight group to the side of the nest.
"According to the legends I'd read, she can 'breathe' fire, her feathers are razor sharp, as are her talons and her beak. She can disembowel a person with one swipe of either wing or foot. Legend has it she could bite off a man's arm or leg, and if she were to grab them with her beak in mid-body it would be fatal. She is impervious to traditional weapons aimed at her body; the only area of vulnerability is the soft area in her lower beak. For all that, she is not aggressive; she will only defend herself and her young. She may or may not be vulnerable to potions, that was never very clear."
"Well, since we don't want to kill her, we need to trick her. Perhaps a couple of us could try to distract her, draw her from the nest, while the others grab the Orb?" Tomas suggested.
"It's worth a try. At any rate, we need to do it soon, she's waking up," Jason concurred, watching as the magnificent beast stirred. "Trini and I will do the distracting, the rest of you see if you can get the Orb."
With a nod of agreement, Tomas led Zackary and Kymberly into a convenient hiding spot among the lush foliage while Trini and Jason approached the waking bird.
"Any ideas of how to distract her?" Jason wanted to know.
"If she's like other birds, she won't like anyone taking even a small piece of her nest. So..."
"So we grab a piece and see if she'll follow us. Not very complicated, but it should work. We just need to be sure to stay out of her range," Jason concluded.
Jason stepped closer to the nest, moving in as non-aggressive a manner as he could, until he was close enough to grab a good-sized piece of wood and wrench it free of the nest. Whirling he waved the stick at the Firebird, even as he raced away with Trini. With a cry of anger, the bird lunged from her nest and after the two teens, moving with unexpected speed. Realizing they were in mortal danger way too quickly, Jason dropped the stick with a shouted warning, hoping Tomas and the others had not gotten too close to the nest to retreat safely. This sort of plan was never going to work - by the Gods, but she could move!
Jason and Trini stopped when they heard the Firebird grab up the abandoned stick, and they turned to check on the others' safety. Zackary and Kymberly were nowhere to be seen, but Tomas was frantically scrambling from the edge of the nest, desperately trying to free his foot from where it was stuck in the lattice-like surface. Unable to do anything but watch in horror, they saw the enraged bird lash out a deadly wing, just as Tomas's foot came free. His tumble down the outer edge of the nest saved his life, even as the tip of the wing sliced deeply into his upper left arm. They heard Kym's scream as Tomas scrambled away to safety and the Firebird settled back on her eggs with a disgruntled sort of cooing noise.
Staying clear of the nest, Jason and Trini worked their way to where their friends waited with Zackary trying to staunch the flow of blood from Tomas's arm.
"He's going to need a healer," the jester reported. "This cut goes nearly to the bone."
"Just tie it up, I'll be fine," Tomas ground out, looking toward the nesting bird with a determined frown. "We don't have time for this; we need to get that Orb!"
"You bleeding to death will not exactly help," Kymberly pointed out sensibly.
"It'll be fine for now, Kym. I'll have it looked at later."
Sighing at the stubbornness of men in general, and this one man in particular, the young princess turned her attention toward the Firebird of Paradise. The nesting mother had settled back down and the soft sound of her cooing and warbling to her offspring drifted through the garden.
Kymberly listened intently, losing herself in the gentle tones the massive bird created, letting the music speak to her. Tears filled her eyes and she turned to the others to find them watching her with expressions of worried puzzlement.
"What's wrong?" Trini asked.
"Can't you hear that?" Kymberly wondered, looking puzzled herself.
"What? The bird? Well, yeah ... but what of it?" Zackary replied.
"You can't hear her pain?" As she recognized their continued confusion, she tried to elaborate. "She's so lonely ... she knows she's the last. The last of her kind, at least until her children arrive. She's been alone for centuries, never moving, never leaving ... bound by duty and love to this one small place. Her whole existence is this patch of garden and her eggs, and every day is exactly the same as the one before. Imagine spending thousands upon thousands of days with no one to talk to, no one to understand, no one to hear you. Nothing but duty and a distant hope to sustain you." Kymberly seemed to almost slip into a trance-like state, and she wrapped her arms protectively around herself, swaying to and fro.
"Kym?" Tomas barely whispered. "Are you okay?"
The young woman didn't answer, but instead turned and walked back toward the nesting Firebird of Paradise. Once in front of the mystical beast, Kymberly started singing, causing the bird to pause in surprise, watching the petite figure in front of her intently.
She didn't sing with words, but with sounds only; for all that it had a hauntingly sad sound to it. The Firebird listened quietly for a time, then began to sing with Kymberly, and the music began to sound a little less sorrowful. The human and avian voices mingled and merged, a verbal dance of astonishing intricacy; now soft and solemn - then lilting and joyful.
Gradually the bird's voiced trailed off, and Kymberly sang alone again, with both her human and non-human audience listening intently. Even Jason, who had no musical ability at all, understood that Kym was telling a story with music alone. But this was more than music, more than a story; this was a glimpse into a young woman's heart and soul. Her hopes and fears were laid bare in those clear tones; her courage and kindness shone in the pure notes. If Tomas hadn't already fallen in love with her before, he would have then. As for Jason, the feelings he'd been denying surged anew, bringing fresh pain and regret.
The Firebird listened intently, and when at last the princess's voice faded with a soft sob, the golden head lowered to the young woman's level and the deadly beak brushed a tear-stained cheek with a gentle caress.
Kymberly's small hand reached up to stroke the polished side of that beak, while her soft brown eyes locked with the bird's obsidian orbs. For a long moment no one dared breathe, then the Firebird of Paradise rose to her feet and reached down to pluck the Portent Orb from the nest. She extended it toward Kymberly, who held out her trembling hands to receive the gift, which promptly glowed a soft pink in her grasp.
"Thank you," she breathed out, tears again filling her eyes.
The Firebird cooed an answer to the young woman, then settled back on her nest, seeming to dismiss all the humans from her attention. They took the hint and headed toward the exit without a word.
Once safely back inside the castle, the others turned to Kymberly with undisguised admiration.
"How did you know what to do?" Zackary asked in awe.
"I don't know, it's not something I can explain. It's just ... the music. It spoke to me, I understood what she needed, what she wanted. And it's weird, but I was kind of lost in the music, at least while I was talking to her. I knew what she was saying, and I knew how to speak to her. Music IS a language, you know. It doesn't need words to work, just understanding. One of my music teachers said it was the language of the heart; I guess she was right. Anyway, it worked."
"I'm glad." Katherine had joined them in the great hall of the palace.
"Thank you for giving us the chance," Kymberly said, reaching out to impetuously hug the queen. "You didn't have to."
"If I wanted to be able to live with myself, then, yes, I DID have to," she replied. "May I see the Orb?"
"Of course." Kymberly laid the sphere in the waiting hands.
"It's beautiful. I knew it was there, but I'd never seen it," Katherine explained, handing it back reluctantly. Her gaze wandered over the others, and she gasped when she saw Tomas's blood-soaked shirt.
"You're injured! Come, I'll take you to the healer," she declared, indicating they were to follow her.
The royal healer was a wizened old woman with gnarled, gentle hands, who bade Tomas sit on her low table while she gathered the needed supplies. Leaving Tomas in her capable hands, Katherine bade the others follow her to the dining hall, where another repast was spread out.
Grateful to relax at last, they sat around one of the smaller tables that were scattered about the large hall. Jason couldn't help but comment about something that was puzzling him.
"Your Highness, I've never before met a queen who is willing to dine with her guests as casually as you do. You've shown us around yourself, rather than delegate it to your servants, as most royals would. I have to say, it's surprising, but very pleasant."
"From early childhood I was groomed to be queen, since my parents knew they would not have another child. I was cosseted and protected and kept separate from everyone else. So, I was lonely and often bored beyond words. When my parents died, my grief nearly killed me, and I had no friends to turn to for comfort; just servants. I knew the rules and regulations and routines of how the kingdom was run, but not the whys and the hows. And I wanted to know. So, as much as possible, I do for myself; I ask questions, I seek my own answers. My advisors have learned that I want information, not opinions, from them. It suits my desires to tend to some things myself, and that included making the decisions regarding you and your quest. I refuse to be a mindless figurehead, as some of my father's court obviously expected me to be," she smiled - albeit a wintry smile with a wealth of steel behind it.
"It sounds like you will be a worthy queen to your people," Kymberly declared. "I can only hope I can do half as well, should the necessity arise."
"If it comes to that, and you need any assistance, you may always call on me," Katherine replied with a warmer look. Just then Tomas joined them, a fresh white bandage wrapped firmly around his bicep.
"Hey, hey, looks like you're all patched up!" Zackary greeted him with a big grin. "Will you have a new scar suitable for impressing all the ladies?"
"Well, I'll have a scar at any rate," Tomas noted dryly, bringing a plate of food over and joining the others.
"Thank you for the services of your healer, and ... well ... for all you've done for us." Tomas took the queen's hand in his and kissed it gallantly as he stood over her chair. "There is no way we could ever repay you."
Matching blooms of pink sprang onto the young royal's cheek at the unexpected gesture, and an unfamiliar fluttering of her heart made her slow to answer.
"You ... you're quite welcome," she stammered out at last.
Kymberly's expression darkened a little at the byplay between the two, and she pushed the empty chair next to hers out with a significant frown at Tommy. Zackary noted her reaction and just barely managed to stifle his chuckle and hid his grin in a napkin as Tomas took the proffered seat.
Deciding a change of subject might be in order, Trini turned to their hostess.
"Would it be acceptable if I put together a plate for our friend being held at the Guard Tower? I'm sure he may be hungry by now."
A slight frown wrinkled the royal brow at that request, but Katherine's innate kindness won out over convention. "Of course."
Though the day was rapidly waning, Jason knew they needed to get moving, so he stood as well. "We should be moving on, Your Highness. Tomas was right, though, we cannot thank you enough for all you have done."
"It wasn't that much, really. It's not like I owned the Orb, I was just a party to guarding it until its true owner arrived. I understand you cannot delay, but please, consider that you have an open invitation to visit any time. Any of you, or all of you. I wish you good luck in your quest," Katherine said with dignity. In that moment the others could see the strong woman she was well on her way to becoming; given a few seasons of experience and seasoning and she would be a force to be reckoned with.
Katherine called a guard to escort the group to the Guard Tower, where the travelers could find their horses and companion. Less than a half hour later they were reunited with Will - who was thankfully unharmed, if quite hungry - and were on their way to the next province.
TBC
