AN: Plot progression and awkwardness again. Only it is more of the verbal variety. More angsty build-up.

It was inevitable that the dreaded day would come.

A lone Rider raced across the plains, towards the castle at a breakneck speed, their forest green cloak waving in the strong winds. The city had been braced for the news, thus as soon as the spot of color had been sighted in the distance against the brown grass; the alarm was raised and relayed to the castle.

Ty Newland urged Crane up the Winding Way, his eyes never straying from the path in front of him as one hand clutched at the satchel at his side. The guards at the castle gate, having anticipated his arrival, moved aside quickly and he charged ahead to the Rider barracks. Crane wheezed in exhaustion as they came to a halt, Ty nearly leaping from the saddle and running inside. Karigan and Mara had seen his hasty arrival, and were shocked at his disheveled and frantic appearance. Ty had never shown himself to be anything other than calm and collected, always the picture of professionalism.

Mara grabbed Crane's reins, reaching out to soothe him as she looked at Karigan in confusion. Karigan's gaze, however, was not on Mara, but on the crimson blood on Crane's saddle. Her eyes followed a nearly invisible trail that led to where Ty had disappeared. Giving a quick nod to Mara, she left the other Rider to care for the mount and went inside the building, instinctively walking towards Captain Mapstone's office.

There were several young Riders, some mere children, hovering around her door with expressions of wide-eyed fear. As she looked inside, she was arrested by the site of Ty, lying prone on the floor with Ben hastily pushing his clothing aside to examine his injuries. The blood she had seen on the saddle also soaked a large patch on his lower right side, seeping through the heavy green coat. Ty muttered incoherently, tossing his head from side to side and feebly trying to brush Ben's hands away.

Karigan frowned and looked around her, spotting Fergal and beckoning him forward sharply to usher the young ones away. Fergal grimaced, but did as he was told, herding the unresisting Riders towards the common room silently.

In Captain Mapstone's hands she held the thick envelope, drawn from the torn satchel and bearing the official seal of D'Yer province. Her face drawn and pale, she looked down at Ty who wavered on the edge of consciousness.

Laren knelt and spoke low to Ben, squeezing his shoulder as she stood back up, and headed for the open door. She caught Karigan's concerned gaze, 'Come with me upstairs,' she said grimly. Karigan turned, casting one last sorrowful glance at her fellow Rider, before following Laren's brisk steps towards the castle's connected entryway to the barracks. As they traveled into the private areas of the castle, they passed footmen, maids, and retainers who all stopped to with grave expressions to watch the blood splattered Captain and knighted Rider pass by.

Fastion stood by his post at the king's study door, his hands clasped behind his back, measuring their advance with an unreadable expression. Laren did not say a word as she stepped in front of the Weapon, only held up the missive in both hands, offering the seal for his perusal.

The Weapon's shoulders tensed slightly and he offered one word, 'When?'

Laren's voice shook, 'Rider Newland bore this message, along with his injuries, into the city no more than thirty minutes ago.'

Fastion nodded, his jaw clenched as he knocked on the door, waiting for an affirmation before swinging it open. They could only see the back of his head as he kept his hold of the handle and spoke a few terse words with the king. Looking over his shoulder, he nodded at the two Riders and stepped aside to allow them entry.

The room was slightly cool, for the fire itself was beginning to die down, and the king had placed several stacks of correspondence on his desk, quietly speaking to his secretary who sat nearby, taking copious notes. Zachary's eyes flitted up to them both, taking in their stricken expressions, and immediately dismissed the secretary.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Laren shakily moved forward and silently handed the thick letter to Zachary. The king sat behind his ornate desk, the dark shadows under his eyes evident, and stared in sad resignation at the missive. His hand reached out, palm upwards, and the captain stepped forward to place it in his firm grasp.

Stepping back, Laren and Karigan waited anxiously as he skimmed the contents. The blood drained from his face as he took a deep breath and tossed it onto the stack of other letters.

The king quietly asked, 'Captain Mapstone, if you would be so kind as to summon Fastion?'

Laren opened the door and gestured for the Weapon to re-enter, taking up her position next to Karigan once more. The king motioned Fastion closer, leaning forward to speak into his ear, verbalizing his instructions firmly. Fastion straightened, gave a salute, and promptly left the room, shutting the door tightly in his wake.

Zachary opened his mouth once more, his voice eerily quiet and calm, 'It seems that Alton D'Yer has come into his title a bit earlier than he expected. A group of large-winged creatures were seen, by scouts, flying over the D'Yer wall, and shortly thereafter, destroyed Woodhaven. Most of his immediate family was slain in the attack.'

Minutes ticked by, the expressions of the Riders ranging from disbelief, horror, and grief. Zachary stood and walked to the fireplace, picking up the poker to stoke the flames, 'The council will assemble tonight at a later hour. Laren, who do you have ready to go out?'

Laren struggled to find her voice, 'Many of my veteran Riders are still posted in the provinces, Riders Brennyn and G'ladheon are who I had here in the event of an emergency. I brought Karigan with me, should you wish to send her out now.'

Zachary looked up at the ceiling, his back tense, 'Rider G'ladheon will suffice for the message I need carried. Would you leave us for the time being?'

Laren drew herself up to her full height, 'You wish me to go?'

The king sighed, 'What I have to say is in regards to her clan and province, I would ask for privacy for this conversation.'

The captain acquiesced, but she cast a warning look at Karigan before almost slamming the door behind her. Karigan could only offer her an apologetic look as her captain stormed away, but it would not quell the anger she would face when she left the study, and the censure she would receive.

Zachary too, saw Laren's expressions, but said nothing, resolving to deal with his Rider Captain another day. Turning his attention to Karigan, he addressed her, 'I'll need you to go to Corsa, to your father, the merchant clans in that city, and the notable bankers. With you, you'll bear the official request of the crown to assist in war-time efforts, namely in the form of loans, lines of credit, and supply orders.'

He walked over to his desk and pulled open a drawer, drawing several sheets of paper out. 'Bulk orders of grain from Rhovanny will be required for the army's sustainment, I cannot keep pulling from our farms and expect there to be enough for the populace. I will rely on you to convey the seriousness of our situation to your kin.'

Karigan nodded as her mind raced with the logistics of the requests, and of the likely reactions of the clans. While they had no love of nobility, they did love their country, and recognized that a threat like Mornhavon did not merely wish to rule, but to raze Sacoridia to the ground. She knew, they would answer the call readily.

Zachary leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly, 'My secretary has already drafted the letters, and all they require is my signature. They will be ready tomorrow morning and will be given to you by a Weapon before you go.'

'I will be ready, Majesty,' she whispered, her eyes on the ground in front of her. She understood the importance of the mission, but her heart clenched painfully when she thought of Alton, and of his loss. While she would be riding away from conflict, she knew that in the weeks she was gone; the garrisons in Sacor City would assemble and prepare for departure. No stranger to traveling with supply trains, she knew that it would take the army a decent amount of time to travel to D'Yer, and assist in what ways they could with the capital city's destruction. And in that time, more of the enemy could pour out of Blackveil, perhaps even extending farther than Woodhaven.

Her chest constricted once more when she thought that Zachary would ride into the thick of it, leading his army to attempt to combat the evil that spread, but the outcome of an actual confrontation was in question. With the enemy's strength and disposition truly unknown, they could only prepare the best way they knew how, and pray for a harsh winter to quell the beasts that might come from the breach.

Zachary's voice interrupted her musings, 'There is something else, I would ask of you.'

Karigan's eyes snapped up to his, 'Anything, Majesty.'

His eyes stayed on the desk as his fingers traced the bindings of a well loved volume, 'I have at times hesitated and wavered, when I should have asserted myself in my role as king, and for that I am sorry.'

She frowned, confusion marring her features, 'Are you asking for forgiveness, sire?'

The amber eyes met hers and flickered, 'I am, and I am asking for another chance.'

Her brow furrowed, but her heart beat faster in the heat of his gaze, 'I am not sure I understand.'

He smiled slightly, 'Oh but I think you do. I think that perhaps I should not have let you run from me, Kari. I should have found a way.'

Karigan shook her head in denial, her arms unconsciously wrapping her midsection, and her throat threatening to close. She refused to go down this road again. 'You speak in riddles.'

His voice grew in intensity, 'Then I dare you to look into my eyes, and tell me, that you do not understand my meaning. And do not dare walk out that door.

She shook slightly at his tone, slowly raising tear-filled eyes to meet his as he stood and braced both arms on the edge of the desk. Her lower lip trembled as she stared at him defiantly but he saw the raw emotion in her eyes, and had his answer. 'I don't understand why you wish to do this to me.'

Zachary's gaze softened, and he straightened, slowly walking around the desk to approach her. She unconsciously took a step back, prompting him to halt his advance and hold up his hands in reassurance. 'You think I want you to suffer?'

Karigan stared at the floor in silence, biting her lower lip but not wishing to prove him right by running from his presence.

Frowning slightly, he tried again, 'Do you forgive me, for bowing to the whims of others, and taking a wife not of my choosing?'

The tears were building rapidly, the pressure behind her eyes almost unbearably as she fought to keep her silence. Resolutely, she drew herself in tighter, her shoulders hunched as she tucked her chin down.

He slowly moved forward, taking a hesitant step, 'This country will shortly be engulfed in a full scale war, Kari. And by the gods, I have wasted so much time debating whether or not my affections would be reciprocated or scorned, whether the woman of my choosing would ever find it in her heart to accept me.'

A small sob escaped from her throat as she listened to him speak those words. Words she had yearned for, dreamed of, but ultimately dismissed as impossible as she had eventually pieced back together her broken heart. But now, they could not so easily skip the boundary that lay between them, too much had occurred for her to simply accept it at face value.

The sound, although it wrenched his heart, also gave him the courage to move closer. 'I cannot do this alone, and I am not willing to accept no for an answer from the council. I will fight for her, as long as I know that she still wants me, for I will have no other.'

Zachary took a deep breath, his heart burning with the deep seated love he had for this woman, but also a tinge of fear. Fear that she would reject him, that everything he had seen in her expression was false, and that he would never be able to make amends. His hand reached out, pausing in midair as he curled his fingers, but stretched out again to reach and bring her chin up. 'I'll ask you again, Kari. Can you ever forgive me for being a fool?'

Karigan gave a shaky gasp, allowing the tears to flow freely down her cheeks, blurring her vision. His fingers tenderly wiped the tears from her face, 'You have in your possession a heart that is even more yours now, than it was before you left for Blackveil. Please, tell me I am not too late.'

The carefully constructed wall she had erected around her heart and emotions, the wall that had guarded her pain for so long, crumbled under his careful scrutiny. A smile began to grow on her face, despite the steady tears, and she brought her hand up to place over his.

Zachary's heart leapt and he exhaled a gush of air, grinning broadly as he brought his other hand up to brush a tendril of hair behind her ear. She could not speak but her eyes conveyed all that she wished to say and more, their blue depths shining up at his with unrestrained love. He leaned forward to press his forehead against hers, whispering, 'Am I forgiven?'

She closed her eyes and breathed steadily, reveling in his touch, 'For now, yes.'

He whispered, 'How may I make it up to you?'

'You'll have to let me think on that one, although you've had your fair share of suffering these past two months,' she murmured back.

Zachary leaned back to look at her in slight apprehension, 'You noticed then.'

She chose her words carefully, a mischievous glint in her eye, 'Rather . . . hard . . . not to, Majesty.'

He turned slightly pink in the ears, but gently corrected her, 'Zachary.'

Karigan nodded shyly, 'Zachary.'

He dropped a hand from her face, to place about her waist, noting how she tensed with the more intimate contact, 'Did it frighten you? My reaction?'

Karigan shook her head, darting her eyes down, 'I found no fault with your behavior,' she whispered.

Zachary gently corrected her, 'But, I should not have made you uncomfortable.'

She shifted awkwardly from one foot to another, 'I-I wasn't that uncomfortable, it was just new to feel this way.'

Grinning, he asked her softly, 'What way is that?'

Karigan's face turned pink, under the drying tears, and she wiped at her nose. Disentangling himself for a moment, he drew a handkerchief from his coat and offered it to her, still smiling at her. 'I suppose that is a conversation for another day.'

She blotted her eyes with the soft linen, tucking the initialed square into her sleeve. 'I still need to go tomorrow.'

'I know,' he responded, 'But not before I send you back to your room with something that belongs to you.' He turned from her with a small wink, and moved back behind his desk, locating a small trunk tucked under the eaves and unlocking the contents. She recognized the box as soon as he drew it out.

He came forward, his eyes cast down as he spoke carefully, 'You had once said that your father gave your mother a silver set as a wedding gift.'

She nodded, her heart nearly bursting.

Zachary lifted his eyes to meet hers, 'Will you now take it? And the man that comes with it?'

She crossed the distance between him, her expression almost unreadable as she stared down at the inlaid box he held. Her fingers traced the crest, remembering that night on the tower, and the words they had exchanged. When she glanced back up, she could tell by his own countenance that he was reliving the same memory. Her hands slipped under the smooth box, gently tugging it out of his grasp and holding it close to her chest. They smiled at each other shyly, their minds reeling with the events that had transpired.

Zachary placed his palms on either side of her cheeks, allowing his thumbs to smooth over skin lovingly, finally able to gaze at her lovely face without inhibitions. In that moment, with the air almost crackling between them, he fixated his gaze on her lips, leaning forward slightly. She understood his intent and came forward herself, albeit timidly, her heart thumping against her ribs.

Their breaths mingled as they closed the final gap, their lips gently pressing against each other in a chaste but powerful kiss. With her blood racing, it took every ounce of her self control not to drop the box, and all of Zachary's forbearance to listen to his inner voice, telling him to savor the moment.

She had begun to sink into the kiss, feeling his fingers reach back to tangle into her braid as he issued a groan, when a disconcerting sound broke into her hazy awareness.

Later, if asked, the two would describe what they heard as a high pitched feminine scream. A fact that Willis would always vehemently deny.

The two broke apart and sprung back hastily, their eyes going to the open door, and a flustered Willis.

Silence reigned for several moments before Willis croaked, 'Council is assembled, sire.'

Fastion strode through the open doorway, took stock of Karigan's red lips and Zachary's troubled visage, and promptly smacked Willis upside the head. 'Next time, knock.'

He pulled Willis from the room, throwing over his shoulder, 'Ten minutes.'

Zachary gave a self deprecating chuckle and looked at Karigan's flaming face. 'They are discreet, Kari.'

She wrinkled his nose at him, but still stared at the door with a worried expression. He brought her into the circle of his arms again, 'Go back downstairs. I'll call for you when the meeting is adjourned. I am afraid that any news I convey will not be pleasant, so be prepared.'

Karigan nodded distractedly, turning to walk towards the door, but an arm snaked around her waist and brought her flush against his body. He leaned down, nuzzling the soft hairs behind her ear as he whispered the three words he had always longed to say, 'I love you.'

He pressed a kiss behind the delicate pink shell, and closed his eyes, tightening his hold when heard her utter back quietly, 'I love you too.'

Zachary released her after a few moments, watching her walk away to open the door, but turning back in the frame to hold his gaze as she disappeared from view, her betrothal gift clutched to her chest.

Fastion had a wide smile stretched across his face as he reached in to grasp the handle, nodding at the king in approval.

The quiet dignity of the moment was shattered when the voice of Willis sounded behind him petulantly, 'All he did was give her that box?'

Fastion wrinkled his nose and closed his eyes in slight mortification, and resorted to cuffing Willis once more. The king came out of the doorway, the D'yer missive in hand, and gave his Weapons a content smile, but turned his countenance into one of steel. For although his love was confirmed and reciprocated, he knew he would have to fight tooth and nail to ensure he would have her at his side for the conflict to come.

Only a little embarrassment. I had to work them up to being betrothed, otherwise the plot line would drag. More awkward moments to come!

Please read and review.