Chapter 3
"Would you hold still? You are worse than Alexander." Alexis fastened the last button on Jenos' surcoat.
"And why am I wearing this again?" Jenos asked as he glanced towards his freshly-polished plate armor by the wall.
"You might be a whirl of blades on the battle field but in the parlors of society you would be a bull in a china shop. At least in the breeches, surcoat and chain mail you will look presentable, and still be armored."
"I'm not used to this, remember? I'd be plenty comfortable in my plate."
"My toes are not comfortable with you in your combat boots while we dance. Besides, I'm only Lady Idanian one month a year and I plan to make the best of it. As for if I am comfortable in these society outfits, I have never heard you complain about how I look, have I."
He wrapped his arms around her. "No I haven't, and if I remember correctly, it was one of those outfits that caused Alexander to be here."
"You haven't forgiven me for that, have you," she teased.
"Appearing after eleven months of being gone, and then to be handed a two month old son by your wife that you didn't know about was a bit disconcerting."
"And you doubted for an instant he wasn't yours?"
"Nope, because no other man would have a hellcat like you." He stepped away from her swat and laughed. He ended up catching her, and holding her tight, and quickly found himself leaning down and kissing her. They might have been an 'old married couple' but they didn't act like it.
"Momma!" The two of them stopped, startled at hearing the young voice next to them.
"Speak of the little devil," Jenos said aside, then looked down at his son. "All dressed?"
"I need help with my boot laces." Alexander whined.
"That's easy to fix." Jenos picked him up and sat him on their bed.
"I'll meet you two gentlemen downstairs." Alexis smiled at the two of them as she left the room.
As Jenos helped him with his boots, Alexander asked him a simple question: "Da, what were you doing with momma?" He looked at his father with the most innocent of faces.
Jenos was not the only person feeling uncomfortable that evening. Shortly after Jenos and his youngest son headed downstairs, a pleading voice chimed in. "What is keeping those girls?" Daniel grumbled.
"Daniel, quit whining, you will get your dinner soon enough," someone commented.
As if to answer him, Alexis came down the stairs followed by the other girls. "Wow…" seemed to be the only statement that any of the men could utter.
Each of the girls were met at the bottom of the stairs by their escorts. Each of the couples were together, regarding one another's fancy attire. Young Alexander was serving as Tirai Osdarin's escort, and he did his best to act accordingly. He might have only been six, but if he had taken anything from his father it was how to charm the ladies. Besides, if anyone could keep the boy out of trouble it was the woman that kept his father in line all those years.
Tirai Idanian was on the arm of William, Mudge's son, for the dance. They worked together everyday, and Tirai thought that she might be able to keep Will out of trouble, maybe... he was Mudge's son, after all.
Irina was on Artorus' arm. Like Will and Tirai, they had known each other since they were babies, and should anything happen Artorus could protect her honor.
Danielle was met by her suitor, a young man who had been working at the pub on occasion for a while. It was hoped that he would ask for her hand that year.
"Do we look so terrible that you cannot say anything?" Tirai Osdarin joked at the men.
Jenos regarded his old friend, considering several sarcastic remarks, but in the end decided against starting trouble and instead threw his charm into full effect. "Not at all, my dear. We're simply at a loss for speech because the scribes and scholars have yet to find a word to truly convey the stunning beauty that we men have been graced with this evening." He flashed a predatory smile at the collective group. "I spend most of my year fighting epic battles across the cosmos, yet tonight you ladies have made every star in the heavens pale and wither with your radiance."
It took all of Aleron's control to not roll his eyes at his friends comments. "While I may not be as eloquently spoken as Jenos, you all look beautiful tonight, especially you my ladies." He kissed his daughter on the cheek then took his wife's arm.
"Easy there, Guardian Idanian," his wife stated as she stood up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Talk like that will have me stealing you away before we even arrive. We mustn't keep our guests waiting." Alexis smiled at all of them.
They finally ended up at the Blade and Flute Pub late that night. Tirai had long since taken Alexander back to the inn and put him to bed, but returned to the pub with the others to stay and celebrate the return of the guardians.
The place was full of soldiers of rank, sons of Cardinals and Bishops, as well as the daughters and wives of the well to do city members. If his Eminence himself had been there, all the power players of the city would have been under one roof. Rosalyn and Alexis had stepped up to the stage and were playing for those that would like to dance. The rest of the Guardians and their companions moved to mingle with the growing crowd of socialites, knowing that it would be dishonorable to turn down a dance.
Artorus stood by the bar, nursing a flagon of mead and watching the crowd mingle. He chuckled lightly as his father's friend Jenos tossed a roguish grin to a trio of young women who had been eyeballing him for the past few dances. The attention the elder Warblade drew, without even trying, still managed to floor the young man who desired to follow in Jenos' line of work. He also found it rather interesting that although he knew for a fact that the Guardians had been gone nearly two decades, they still retained the youthful image and vigor that they held when they went forth to defeat the God of Madness. While Artorus felt quite confident with his weapon skills, he knew he was nowhere near reaching the prestige or celebrity status of any of the guardians. As such, he found himself simply content to watch the elder in action as yet another young woman approached him.
Gathering up every bit of courage within her, Belinda Carmine straightened her blouse and cinched her corset up slightly. Seconds after her friend Kasey had nudged her ahead, she nervously stepped forward and approached Guardian Jenos Idanian. "Guardian Idanian," she asked the man as her dusty blonde curls bobbed about, "would you do me the honor of a dance?"
Jenos turned and looked to his latest young suitor, musing slightly at how quickly his younger self would have turned the social event into a rousing string of gorgeous conquests. Instead, he simply gave the attractive young woman one of his signature smiles and accepted the soft yellow silk-gloved hand that she offered him. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his wife playing her music - she didn't meet his gaze, but he was certain that she'd have words to say to him later in the evening. "I couldn't help but notice your friend over there nudging you to come over here. I'm not that embarrassing to be seen with, am I?"
The young woman couldn't stop herself from blushing. "Oh! No sir, far from it Guardian Idanian. We're just not accustomed to being in the presence of such an amazing..." she started, looking downward from his face to take in his perfectly toned chest. "...specimen of man."
Jenos gave her a subdued laugh, relishing the chance to lay on his charm. It was, after all, incredibly rude to refuse a dance. From the side of the room, he caught his friend Tirai Osdarin's gaze meeting his - the look on her face conveyed a mild amusement which made Jenos smile on the inside. He also found the young woman's timid nervousness to be adorable in a youthful way, and set himself to build the young woman's confidence up by the end of the song. "Please, my dear, 'sir' makes me sound like an old man. Call me Jenos... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"
"Belinda... Jenos." She turned on her foot smiled as she allowed her partner to twirl her around in tune to the music. "It's quite an honor to dance with such a powerful warrior. My friend Kasey back there wouldn't even come over here!"
Jenos bent to dip the young woman, sending her curls over her shoulders in a torrent blonde waves as they continued to dance. As he pulled her back up, he noticed Artorus eyeballing the pair - and suddenly, two realizations came together as he decided to put the young man on the spot and help his dating skills at the same time. "You know, Belinda, if your friend is looking for a young warrior, that dashing young lad Artorus by the bar is quite the swordsman for his age. You should send her his way."
Jenos spent the next couple minutes chatting the young woman up as they danced across the floor. As the music came to a close, Belinda even found the courage to stand up on her toes and give the Guardian a light kiss on the cheek before smiling and heading back to her friend Kasey, whose awe-struck look gave Belinda quite the feeling of happiness. "See, that wasn't so difficult!" she said to Kasey as she turned her friend towards the bar. "Now, if I can go chat up a gorgeous hunk of meat, you certainly can too."
"You think so?"
"Your dad would be so excited if you managed to get yourself in with one of the Guardians' families!" Belinda smiled and gave her friend a push, sending her moving towards Artorus.
"Oh!" she said nervously as she fell into Artorus, making her collision appear as accidental as possible as he instinctively opened his arms to catch her. "I'm so sorry... I'm so going to get her for that." She paused and smiled up at him. "You know... since you've already got those strong arms of yours around me gorgeous, how about a dance?"
Leaning against a wall, Irina simply scowled at the sight of her best friend Artorus embracing Kasey as they moved to the dance floor. Without knowing exactly why, she found herself feeling a bout of rage flow through her... how could Artie fall for such an obvious ploy?
"So tell me about yourself", Kasey started a simple conversation as they danced..
"Not much to tell you don't already know."
"Try me," she flashed him a smile.
"I am Artrous Odegree. I am the son of Guardian Aleron Daniel Odegree and Goodwoman Rachel Odegree. I am currently a 2nd Lieutenant of mark in his Eminence's Army." He twirled her on the dance floor.
"And where did a 2nd Lieutenant learn to dance so well?"
"Aunt Alexis made sure all of us could dance somewhat, so as not to embarrass ourselves to much. She seemed to take special interest in making sure I was light on my feet, for some reason."
When the music ended, Kasey led him over to a quiet corner. Artie kept stealing glances around: he had the nagging feeling that he was being watched, but kept ignoring it.
"It is rude to the bards to talk over their music. At least here we can speak freely." She smiled at him, "Tell me more of your family; you spoke of Lady Alexis Idanian as an Aunt, but I know that she has no siblings."
"She considers my mother to be a sister in law to her, as my father is as close to her as a brother. I have grown up thinking of her as my aunt. She may not be of blood but she is good as any flesh and blood family member." He cleared his throat hoping to change the subject. "Tell me about yourself."
"My father is Bishop Jean-Phillipe Sibert. He a Bishop in the order of the Goddesses' Eternal Flame. We are stationed out of Greenwinds Village."
"That is far to travel, but a beautiful place, or so I'm told."
"You would like it there." She took a small step closer to him, leaning forward as if in interest.
"I don't know. I have grown up in Luminar, and it is my home. There is something about being in the capital city of our lands." He tried not to look down at her ample cleavage. "There is nothing like being in the power center of the world."
Kasey began to run a hand up and down his sleeve as if to comfort him. "Maybe you could show me around the city sometime."
"Possibly, but with the Guardians home we are all training. I'm afraid that my time is limited." He started to get uncomfortable.
"I'm sure that you could find a moment for me." She began to finger the buttons on his uniform jacket.
"Possibly," he tried to stay politely, but the room was getting rather hot. "Is it just me or is it getting warm in here?"
"I know a place that has a nice cool breeze, and it is very discreet." She practically purred.
She was standing so close. Artrous was getting a very good view of her cleavage, and she knew it. "Look all you want… I don't mind."
It was as if a mist of her charms were engulfing him. It was very intoxicating. It was if all her action were magic to him. And then it hit him, it WAS magic. Her arms were pulling him into a kiss when his mind reengaged. "No," With great mental effort he pushed her away. "No, leave... now. If you are going around using trickery against men then leave this place."
"I would do no such thing." She looked at him, scandalized.
Artrous kept his anger in check. "You wanted to have a tryst with me. You were acting like some brainless peasant girl who only wanted to bed some noble so she could brag about it. What is worse is you would use magic in order to ensure that you got what you wanted." He collected himself for a moment. "Or did I misinterpret your actions?"
Kasey blushed, and tossed her light brown curls as she tried to lie, "You misunderstood my intentions."
"I don't believe I did."
Kasey glared at him, "How else am I going to get you to notice me? You only have eyes for Irina Idanian. You need to give the other ladies a chance instead of picking one for the power." She spoke to him angrily.
"At least she wouldn't use magic against me. Note this as I'm doing this as politely as I can, if you don't leave now I will tell Master Thacomus what you tried to do. Trust me when I say he doesn't take kindly to using magic in that manner."
"Doesn't matter now, you are not Guardian Odegree's son. You are just the son of a seamstress who got lucky to be taken in by a the guardians." She spat as she left.
Artrous grabbed a tankard from a passing bar maid. He tried to drown his anger in the ale. While he drank he looked around for the others. He saw everyone, save one: Irina. Where did she run off to?
After the fiasco upstairs, Artorus went looking for Irina. He knew better than to try her room. She shared her room with Tirai, and that girl knew how to set a mean trap. It took him months to get the red dye out of his hair the last time he tried it. Besides, Irina was not the type of girl to go crying in her pillow. No, she would find the nearest thing to beat the living daylights out of, which meant only one place - the fighting pit.
Irina was going through her maneuvers when she heard the stairs creak. "What are you doing here? Aren't up going to dance with your lovely Kasey?"
"Irina, Kasey is just the daughter of some bishop that wants father's power."
"Seems like Miss Kasey," Irina said in a sing-song manner, "wanted more than just your father's power up there."
"Her father told her to get me in a compromising position so that he could force an issue with my father. To save face, my father would be obligated to either pay a hefty bribery fee, or accept her as my wife."
"She told you that?" Irina spat.
"No," he said as he left the step to walk over to the ring edge. "I just know how politics works around here." She gave him a funny look. "Your dad might be a thick headed fighter but I'm certainly not. I do take after my father in more ways than having trouble swimming you know." He gave her a wry grin.
"Poppa still gives Aleron a hard time about that." She stepped over to where he stood.
"Care to try your luck?" He picked up a wooden practice long sword.
"Artie, I'm standing here in a silk gown, and you only have on your court chain mail. It wouldn't be much of a fight."
"Would you rather go back upstairs?" he thumbed at the staircase.
"Honestly, no," she sighed. "Give me a minute." She handed him her practice sword and began to work on her skirts. She pulled them up so they were just above her knees and twisted them so they could be managed and carried over her left arm. "That should work, can't do some of my fancy footwork, and skirt tails don't make for much of a shield but it will do."
She went to the en guard position, but Artie didn't move. "Hello, Artie… wake up."
"Huh? Oh.. uh.. yeah. Sorry was distracted there for a minute."
"Something wrong?"
"Uh, no, nothing is wrong. I just never…" he pointed at her bare legs.
"Oh, well you have seen me in breeches, and boots most days."
"Yes, well, they cover quite well… uh yes they cover." He ran his fingers through his hair, "You take after your mother a lot, I'm trying to say." He stumbled over his words.
Irina got a wry grin on her face, and smacked Artie with the flat of her blade, "Wake up dreamer, or do you want me to knock you on your arse."
That broke his revelry. "Fat chance of that." He went into the en guard position.
They both battled for a while, mostly trading equal blows until Irina started throwing some tricky moves at him. He managed to block most of them. He then threw some back to her. It was in the middle of one of those that without thinking she tried to do an acrobatic attack and got tangled in her skirts. Artie, still in combat mode, tried to move in when he tripped over her skirt as well. Both ended up in a heap on the floor.
"Oops!" Was all Irina could say, her face inches from Artie's.
"I thought I was the clumsy one," He joked.
"You're right, I'm the cute one."
"Yes you are." He laughed, before an uncomfortable silence over took them.
Clearing his throat, he stood up and offered her a hand up. She winced as she stood up. "You okay?"
"Well, no, you did fall on me. I wouldn't be surprised if you bruised a few ribs."
Artorus motioned his hand towards her torso. "I've ran across plenty of those. May I?" As she nodded, he moved his hand over the sides of her ribs, waiting for Irina to elicit a yelp of pain.
"Hey, I thought I would find you down here..." Jenos said happily as he came down the stairs. His mood turned murderous when he saw them. "What is going on here?"
"Artie and I were…" For once in her life Irina was at a loss for words.
It was then that Alexis appeared next to Jenos. "Is everyone okay down here?" She saw the two kids, and the look on Jenos' face, and said an explicative.
"Poppa, I'm fine. It's just a couple bruised ribs. Nothing I haven't had before." Irina tried to smooth it over.
"Irina, step out of the ring."
"Dad?"
Jenos reached for his greatsword, the look on his face conveying absolute rage. "How about you try getting your hands on someone else, kid? Or maybe you'd like someone to make some moves on you."
"Jen, stop this. He is just a kid." Alexis tugged on his sleeve.
"He hurt her." He prepped himself to step into the fighting ring.
"You don't know that." Alexis tried to stop him. "You won't listen to her."
"I know what I saw." Shrugging off her arm, he stepped into the ring.
Alexis was cursing as she walked over to where Irina was trying to stop Artorus.
"He will kill you."
"If this is the only way he will listen to me, then so be it." He reached for a greatsword on the wall and climbed into the ring.
Irina stepped back and felt her mother's hand on shoulder. "He is going to die."
"Your father won't listen." She shook her head.
Jenos leveled his weapon one-handed at the young man. "What were you doing with my daughter?"
"I wasn't doing anything." Artorus went to the en guard position, surprised at his opponent's one-handed grip but so enraged that he didn't pay it much thought beyond that.
"You are not to lay a finger on her."
"If I love her, you can't stop me."
"Big mistake kid." With a one-handed stroke of his greatsword Jenos sent Artorus out of the ring, collapsing onto the floor in a heap. He was unconscious, and bleeding. Alexis and Irina went to his aid.
"Art, speak to me." Irina tried to get him to respond.
"Still have a lot to learn, kid." Jenos laughed from the ring.
Alexis cast a spell on Artorus, and he came to. "Irina…"
"Hey…" she smiled down at him. With groan he sat up, and then stood up.
"Let us get you home Art." Alexis made to help him back to the inn.
"No." he shrugged off her arm and went back to the ring.
"Are you nuts?" Irina tried to stop him.
"I love you, don't I?" He bent and kissed her, which only managed to anger Jenos more.
Again and again he returned to the ring until Jenos had beaten him to a bloody pulp, yet he still kept returning for more. Finally, without really trying, Jenos landed a solid uppercut to the boys face, knocking him to the ground. He was about to land another well placed blow when he found the tip of a rapier pointed at his throat. "What are you doing?"
"Doing something I should have done along time ago. Prove to you I'm no longer a little girl." Irina stood over Art's bloody, unconscious body.
"I am trying to protect you."
"From what? Right now all you are doing is hurting me." She kept her blade leveled at her father.
"Jen, listen to her. Please…" Alexis said as she laid her hand on his sword arm.
His combat reflexes were still very much active, and in a flash, Jenos pivoted his wrist and flipped his massive weapon into his other hand, ready to call forth the years of ambidextrous training he had put himself through during his youth. In full armor, he would not have been able to muster much control over such a heavy blade; wearing evening attire and chain, however, he ended up moving with the precision of a trained surgeon, snapping the rapier out of his daughter's hand. "This discussion isn't over." He turned on his heel and left without another word.
Alexis and Irina helped Artorus up the stairs, only to be met half way by Rachel and Aleron. Rachel immediately took over supporting him from Alexis.
"What happened?" Aleron asked Alexis.
Alexis held her head, "Irina got upset over SOMETHING and ran off."
"That doesn't explain why my son looks like he went through a meat grinder."
"Let me finish," Alexis sighed. She thought she had gotten past cleaning up Jenos' messes. "Artie went after her. I don't know what happened but when Jenos and I came down the stairs they were in a compromising position."
"Oh no…" Aleron held his head.
"Jenos said some things, Artie said some things, and tried to prove to Jenos he was a man with a blade, and…." She just couldn't say any more.
"Jenos did that to him?"
"Yes, and this is after several heal spells." It pained Alexis to tell him. Alexis didn't even try to stop Aleron as he ran past her.
Alexis stood there for a moment before Tirai Osdarin walked up to her. "I just saw Rachel, and Irina. What the heck happened to Artie?"
Alexis looked out the door Jenos had left from. "Jenos." Sighing, Alexis turned to Tirai, "I'm going to go see what I can do to help." She left Tirai in her wake.
"Well," Tirai stated as she went for some towels. "The Guardians certainly have a way of making things interesting when they visit."
Heading back out of the pub with a full head of steam, Aleron was moving at full speed, putting even the fabled Dindari horses to shame. "Jenos, what were you thinking! My son? You think my son would stoop to something like that?" Noticing the odd looks he received from the villagers, he decided to step into the shadows.
"Where would he be? The training yards. Only thing at this point that makes sense as he's already beaten my son half to death." With a short popping sound, Aleron disappeared from the shadows and appeared in the training yard on one of the roofs with a crash of evacuating air. From this spot he could make out the form of Jenos bashing one of the target dummies. "JENOS! WE NEED TO TALK!"
Jenos, growling, took one more swing at his target dummy – the fifth dummy in as many minutes. As his greatsword connected, he heard a satisfying splintering sound from the sturdy wooden post holding the dummy into the ground. He looked over at the four broken dummies along the line to his left and took a deep breath, not bothering to turn around towards his companion. "What, Aleron? I'm not the best person
to talk to right now."
"On the contrary, you're the only person to talk to right now." Stepping on the side of the building and walking down the side Aleron
looked nearly ready to fight. "You need to explain why you did that to my son. You need to explain, now. I've already gotten the abridged version from your wife, now I want the whole damn story. You owe me that I'd think."
"I beg your pardon?" Jenos asked angrily. "I walk in on your son – in my fighting ring, in my own home – with his hands all over my daughter. When I stepped into the ring, he went for a weapon and started taunting me. 'If I love her, you can't stop me' were his exact words, if I'm not mistaken. And you tell me that I need to do some explaining? If he had been anyone else's son, I would have killed him on the spot."
"Jenos, how long have you known Artorus. You would still think him capable of abusing Irina like that? He knows I would beat him senseless for that before you could hope to reach him! I've known for some time he's had feelings for her, even if he didn't. I've seen it
on the last two trips home." Taking a step towards Jenos, "And if your worries are leaning that he would 'take advantage' of her…"
"Are you accusing me of lying to you, Aleron? I know what I saw. I know what I walked in on. Trust me; if anyone would know the motions of a man trying to put moves on a girl, it's me."
Sighing, Aleron continued. "No, I'm not saying you're lying. I know you better than that. But did you ask what was going on? For Goddess' sake man, I even had the graciousness to get your side of the story when I caught you with my sister back in Anthatal, an no one would have blamed me back then for going off, or go to the elders."
"What 'other side' am I looking for, Aleron? He tripped, fell, and broke his fall by groping for my daughter's chest? If he were
innocent, he wouldn't have goaded me into the ring and you know it."
"I'm not saying that he might not be in the wrong. And if he is, well let's just say the beating you gave him won't be his last. But
answer the question, did you talk to him, or did you let yourself get goaded into confrontation by the brash words of a hot headed, love-struck eighteen year old pup who thinks the best way to impress you is to stand up to you show you he's not afraid? He took the path of a
Warblade because of you Jenos. He didn't have my stringent beliefs and wouldn't have fit well with my form of fighting, but he was always
in awe of you in your armor when we came back. Did you think, maybe for once actually think before deciding he might actually want to
fight you, and not just try to impress you, not to mention Irina, with his courage?" Turning away from his friend and shaking his head, "We've been friends most our lives Jenos. He admires you, and loves your daughter, truly loves her." Looking back over his shoulder, "If nothing I've said tonight causes you to think, and maybe talk to him, or both of them, then nothing will." With that being said Aleron turned back around and started to walk away. Aleron disappeared from the practice yard with a rush of air causing a small booming sound where he once stood.