The Banished

Chapter 13

"-claim they shall not meet us under these circumstances. They fear that we will attack them."

"Are they not the ones that initiated this whole attack sequence anyhow?"

"They fear we shall retaliate. And do not tell me, Queen Luxa, that you have not considered it. We all have."

"I have considered much, but that does not mean…" She trailed off then, making eye contact with her guard standing in the corner. Gregor looked rather pale standing there, but she knew better than to ask him if he was alright. He had snapped at her that day before he left, about how she treats him in front of others. It was the last thing she wanted, for him to get upset with her so soon after getting back.

"Does not mean what?"

Luxa looked back at Barrett before glancing at Mareth. "Have you gotten a count on them yet?"

"We know that few still reside in the jungle," Mareth told her. "Barrett took care of that. The Dead Lands are vast, however, and there are many caves and tunnels-"

"So no," Luxa interrupted. "And where is Namus? Has he not returned from the Fount?"

"He is bringing your uncle as quickly as possible," Mareth assured her. "At your request."

"He is known to party much," Luxa said dismissively. "Should I find he chose to stay there for even a second longer-"

"I assure you, my queen, that we would not allow such a man to lead anything in this army."

"And I assure you, Barrett, that I do not enjoy being cut off."

Mareth and Barrett made eye contact that time, no doubt sharing a look of concern, more for their own wellbeing than anything else. Perdita was elsewhere in the capital at the moment, leaving them to be the only two to deal with their queen. Luxa had been in a sour mood for days, mainly because working with these other humans was a slow process. It was a lot on her plate of course and she wasn't dealing well.

"I apologize, my-"

"Do not apologize to me," she told him harshly before looking down at the map spread across the table. "Make it up to me."

He was interested then. "How?"

"You had success in the jungle."

"Much."

"Do you think if I gave you pick of the litter, you could take your best men in the Dead Lands and show them that it matters not if they meet with us; we shall annihilate them regardless?"

"Queen Luxa," Mareth started then. "I do not-"

"I will do my best," Barrett assured her. "The pick of the litter you say?"

"It is as I say."

"Then I choose the warrior," he said, grinning at her then before looking at Gregor in the corner. Luxa frowned.

"The warrior is dead."

"I am staring at him." Barrett continued to grin. "How many dead men have you seen, my queen?"

"Plenty. And I am currently looking at another." She only stared at her top general, her face set. "The pick of your men. The Overlander is not one of your men."

"He is the best. I-"

"He is off-limits. Pick again."

"You said-"

"I said to pick again," Luxa repeated. "And should I have to say that to you once more, I-"

"He failed the last time he went into the Dead Lands. You should allow him a chance to redeem-"

"He did not fail." Luxa turned then, letting out a long breath once her back was to them.

Gregor just watched her in the corner, wanting to say something, but not knowing what. He truly wanted to redeem himself, but also knew that he was not at his best at the moment. Not to mention, he wasn't so sure if a surprise attack was the way to go.

"Mareth," Luxa said finally. "You shall assemble a group to do as I asked, yes? Pick someone to lead them into battle. Should you be uncertain of your choice, run it by Perdita. Yes?"

"Yes, your grace," Mareth said, though his tone gave off his hesitance.

"And Barrett? You shall be gone from my presence. If you insist on keeping your current position, make yourself useful in some other way. I heard the kitchen staff is shorthanded."

"Your grace-"

"Leave my sight," she repeated slowly. "Less I have to forcibly remove you."

Barrett glanced at Mareth then who shrugged. Not before glancing at Gregor though who just gave him a look of sympathy. They'd all be on Luxa's bad side before. It was not a fun place to be. At all.

"As you wish then, Queen Luxa," Barrett said softly, heading out of the room, the only noise to be heard his heavy footsteps. Gregor, being the only guard in the room at the moment, took his departure as a chance to speak. It was only Mareth in there with them, after all.

"Luxa-"

"You should find it best, Overlander, not to bother me at the moment," Luxa said before glancing over at Mareth. "Do you not have somewhere to be? Or should I give you a day off as well? Not feeling up for your job?"

Mareth glanced at Gregor who just shrugged. Then, looking back at Luxa, he said, "Not at all. I only wish to make sure you are certain. Once I go through with this-"

"I do not go back on orders, Mareth."

"How many men should I assemble?" he asked then. "A small group?"

"Twenty or so," she told him, turning to face him once more. "It will be an aerial attack. They shall not spend more than a few hours in the Dead Lands. We are not out for anymore casualties."

Mareth nodded. "Then I shall depart my queen, if that is all."

"It is. Inform me of your decisions before the morrow."

"I shall."

Mareth left then, leaving Luxa and Gregor alone finally. He stayed in his position in the corner, though he was staring so hard at her that he knew she felt it.

"Tell me, Overlander, do you think I was too hard on Barrett?"

"Terribly."

Slowly, she made her way over to him, coming to a stop only when she was directly in front of him. They were in the tactics room and Gregor knew that that was in no way secure. Anyone could walk in. Anyone.

Pressing a hand to his chest gently, she watched his face for any sign of pain. He gave none, though her mission was accomplished as, when she pushed slightly harder, a dark stain formed on his shirt.

"You have popped stitches. And what of your bandages?"

He only stared at her. "A trip to the hospital was not conceivable this morning. Zander was-"

"You shall go now."

"Luxa-"

"I shall accompany you. For part of the way." She turned. "Come."

"Lux, I really don't-"

"You bleed."

"It shall clot."

"You scar mercilessly as it is, Overlander."

"I've taken some pills. I am feeling no pain as it is. Had you not irritated it, my wound would have been fine."

"You have many wounds. If I let you get away with improper care of one, you shall only continue this behavior. I do not wish for this."

"I can take care of myself."

"As can I. And yet here you are."

"Here I am."

She glanced back at him then. 'You will do as I say, Overlander."

He nodded slightly. "Well received."

"Good. At least I know one of my men has the ability to hear."

The day for Gregor was pretty normal for the most part. Or what was becoming their new normal. It was tense of course, as neither he nor Luxa could truly relax with the threat of those humans and the gnawers on their minds. Still, there were always fears in their hearts and they had long ago learned to deal with them while handling everyday life.

"You cannot continue to give him toys from the Overland, Gregor."

"And why not? He clearly enjoys them. And they beat the crap out of the toys you guys have."

She made a face. "Children are not meant to spend much time with toys. They-"

"He is mine, Luxa. I care for him," Gregor reminded her as he sat on the couch, polishing the blade of his sword. "Not yours. I choose how to rear him."

"You are ill experienced with raising an Underland child."

"As are you," he reminded her as Zander continued to play with the stuffed animals Gregor had found for him. "And if he enjoys himself, who cares? He is part Overlander and part Underlander. He should have both halves of his heritage."

She only made a soft noise from her position next to him on the couch. "Why do I feel it was only inevitable that we had such a conversation?"

"You dream of children with me."

"As if."

"You completely do," he assured her as Zander giggled, snuggling a battered, ratty old stuffed tiger to his chest. "The next time I go above, I shall bring him more stuff."

"You shall not."

"I shall."

"I forbid it."

"You control much of my life," he agreed. "But not my personal life."

"Oh, but I do, Overlander," she said with a soft sigh. "And should you not go stay above for a few days?"

"With all the junk going on here? No."

"Before anything accelerates, I believe-"

"No," he repeated, shaking his head. "I will not leave you."

She took a moment to look around her sitting room before asking, "Did you wish to go with Barrett?"

Hesitating, he said, "I did. If only because I wish to prove-"

"You did not fail," she told him. "I will not allow you or anyone else to say that. Especially not Barrett."

It was his turn to pause. "You like him."

She merely rolled her eyes. "Grow up, Overlander. I-"

"He bothers you."

"He does not you?"

"Only when you are involved."

She leaned against his arm then, laughing slightly. "And you believe I would choose him over you? And destroy Zander's happy family?"

Gregor gave her a look before dropping his sword to the floor. "Happy family?"

"Is it not?"

"Happy? Or a family?"

Luxa only shook her head. "Mareth has assembled people to go out and fight."

"Good men?"

"Good people," she corrected.

He smiled down at her. "I did not mean to not include-"

"A woman heads our army and I everything else."

"I do not forget for a moment that women are equal, if that is what you insinuate."

"I insinuate nothing."

Zander made a loud noise then, looking over at them before giggling. Gregor grinned at him while Luxa only sighed.

"He spent his day with Vikus and Nerissa," Gregor told her then.

"Oh?"

"Hazard as well," he added. "They are very good babysitters, I have found."

"He will learn many things from them all," Luxa agreed. "Useless things, sure, but things nonetheless."

"You give your family too little credit. I have learned much from them all."

Luxa made a noise at that. "Speaking of, my uncle is to arrive soon."

Gregor nodded slightly. "York."

"He comes unaccompanied though, I would assume."

"It's a shame. Your aunt is quite the woman."

She made a face. "Meaning?"

"She is kind."

"She is. She and my mother were not close, but she has always been kind to me. When my parents were killed, she spent time in the capital with me, as well as Nerissa and…Henry. She was very caring to us all. She always has been. It is hard to believe that she gave birth to Stellovet. But then again, it is hard to believe she herself came from Solovet."

"Skips a generation, yeah?"

"Mmmm."

"York is a good man."

"A very good man," Luxa agreed. "One that might actually be able to take you in battle."

"I wouldn't go that far."

Luxa only grinned at him. "Have you ever heard the story of the first time he and Vikus met?"

"No."

"I have. Many times throughout the years," she said with a sigh. "You know Vikus, always the first one for peace. York is…not. Solovet approved of him highly however. He was very decorated in the military."

"As I am aware."

"He and Hamnet knew of each other," Luxa added, more as an after thought. "Before his…break."

"They were friends?"

"Not till York courted my aunt, truly," she said. "Hamnet was always friendly."

"You remember much of him?"

"Not much," Luxa said with a sigh. "I remember Nerissa father more. He lived here at the capital, after all."

"You do not speak of him much."

"The dead are dead," Luxa told him simply. "But still, my father's brother and his wife were very kind to me. You would think otherwise, considering."

"Considering what?"

"When I was born, most any chance of my uncle ever being king disappeared," Luxa said simply. "I would surely rule after my father."

"Who can hate a kid though? A baby?"

Luxa shook her head. "There have been murders before, of young children, for the crown. My aunt and uncle though…they cared for me. I spent more time with my aunt than my own mother."

"In what way?"

"Judith was queen," Luxa said with a small shrug. "My aunt though was always free. We spent much time together. After all, I spent much time with Henry."

Gregor only shook his head. "You have lost much in your life, Luxa, but many have loved you throughout."

"I am never dry on that, Overlander," she assured him.

"You never will be," he said softly. When Luxa looked up at him, he moved to cup her cheek. "Lux…"

"Gregor! Luxa!"

They shot apart at the noise, both their hearts in their throats for a moment before recognition passed their minds of the voice.

"Hazard, it is late," Luxa scolded as he came running into the room. "What are you- Oh."

He only grinned at her as he was followed in by another person. Gregor's eyes widened as he stood, his heart stopping once again.

"Boots?"

She only smiled at him. "Gregor! I-"

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Hazard was still grinning, which was really messing with Gregor's head. "She came to visit."

Luxa stood as well, glancing at Gregor before his sister. Slowly, she asked, "For what reason do you choose now?"

"Mom was being horrible," she told her older brother before smiling at Luxa. "And I haven't been here in forever. It's not-"

Zander made a loud noise as he jumped up, rushing over to Hazard. He had formed a quick bond with the other Halflander and was excited by his entrance. The noise was enough to get Boots attention though.

"Who is…" She frowned down at the boy before looking up at her older brother, an indescribable look on her face. "Oh shit, really?"

"Wh-"

"Language," Gregor cut Luxa off, frowning. "And knock it off. We are merely…caring for him."

"Really?"

"How did you get here?" Gregor asked, changing the subject back onto were it really belonged. "You know what? Never mind. You are going home. Right now. I-"

"I got suspended," Boots told him simply.

"For?"

"Something stupid."

"Boots-"

"What is suspended?" Luxa asked, glancing at Gregor before at Boots. "Suspended from what?"

"It doesn't matter," Gregor said, shaking his head. "She is going home."

"Why, Gregor?" Hazard lifted Zander into his arms when he reached for him. "She-"

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "I told you maybe over break you could visit, Boots. Not to mention, there is much going on here currently."

"I got here easily enough," she said with a shake of her head.

"Who brought you?"

"No one," she answered her brother. "I waited for the currents."

"You could have been killed," Gregor said with a frown. "Had those currents stopped, you would have plummeted to your death. Or what if someone else had found you? Huh? Huh? You don't think, Boots. You never think. You act-"

"Gregor."

Luxa laid a hand on his shoulder while keeping her eyes on the young girl in front of them. Standing together, she and Hazard seemed to have never been parted. It didn't feel like too long ago that they were all in the jungle, the two children with only one another for entertainment. Even as they aged, it was not hard for Luxa to still pair them together, if only in her own mind.

"She can't-"

"Calm yourself," Luxa told him softly. Then, she said, "Margaret, your brother is under much stress. And your arrival has only added to that."

"I only-"

The woman held up her hand. "You shall stay for now. On the morrow, we will discuss this further, yes?"

Boots glanced at her glaring brother before nodding. "Alright."

"Hazard, you and Margaret put Alexander to bed," Luxa said with a sigh. "That is all."

Luxa and Gregor stood there, watching the teens and toddler depart. The second they were truly alone, Gregor turned to glare at his queen.

"Luxa, she is my sister. Not-"

"And you paid for my cousin to visit a whore house."

That threw him for a moment. That felt like so long ago he almost denied it. Then he blushed.

"He is-"

"He is currently with your younger sister," Luxa reminded simply. "You make the beds you choose, Overlander."

He made a face at her as he bent down to pick up his sword. "You kill me, you know that?"

She only let out a long breath. "We shall deal with her tomorrow. There is no point in making a scene now."

"How did you find out about…Hazard?"

She still just watched him. "I told you that you would be easily recognizable in a place such as that. You think he would not? I heard…something about it. And then I remembered that day you were playing with your words and the two of you disappeared."

"I didn't go with him," Gregor told her quickly.

"Many kings keep whores," she told him simply, crossing her arms. "But you are not a king. And neither is my cousin. This shall not continue."

"As you say," he sighed.

Then she shoved his shoulder slightly, making him frown. She only turned to leave the room.

"And besides, Overlander, had I thought you had accompanied him, I would have taken care of it by now. Believe me."

"Meaning?"

"Find your own meaning for once," she said. "I am tired of giving them to you."

The hour was late when Gregor went searching for his sister. After that little revelation with Luxa, Gregor had gone to change his bandages and bathe for the night. When he returned to his own room, he expected Boots to be there. As she was not, he returned to the royal chambers.

"Lux, have you seen my sister?"

"You do realize this becomes improper at some point, yes?"

He only grinned at her as he walked over to her bed. "I can't find Boots."

She just laid on her bed, staring at him. "Lay with me?"

"I cannot. I must find my sister."

"I have not seen her or Hazard," she told him simply. "I am sure she is fine. Are you sure you do not wish to lie with me?"

"I am not sure," he told her as he moved to stroke her cheek. "Is that okay?"

"I can offer nothing, but the bed, as I myself am not much up for giving," she told him. "I wish you would though."

"I would gladly take that bed, had someone not allowed my sister to stay in such a dangerous place."

"Someone thinks you are merely making excuses."

"Someone needs to realize just how alluring they are to me." He grinned at her. "I shall return to you soon. After I place my sister, that is."

"Make it fast," she whispered, closing her eyes once more. "I am easily distracted."

"I know this well enough."

"And your sister has not bathed since she arrived," Luxa mumbled then. "If she is smart, that is what she is doing."

"You worry much."

"I worry little," she told him. "I know I will be fine. The rest of you had better learn to look out for yourselves."

He just leaned down to kiss her head. "Till later, my love."

"Till then."

Gregor left her then, headed instead for Zander's room, if only to check in on the boy, before going across the hall. He heard voices in there before he even walked in.

"-think she can talk about me behind my back without consequences. I mean, God, Jimmy isn't even hot. Like at all. So the hell does she get off telling me that I'm flirting with him? Like what, she owns him or something. Seriously?"

"Wow. Things seem much more complicated in the Overlander."

"They are. Gregor's always, like, so insistent that you guys have it so hard down here, but try to spend a day in my shoes, Hazard. Seriously."

"They're very nice shoes," he told her then.

"Not literally, stupid."

Gregor groaned as he came into the room, not shocked to find them both lounging on opposite ends of Hazard's bed. Boots made a face at her brother while Hazard just looked at him with his usual void expression.

"You are not sleeping in here," Gregor told Boots simply. "You are going to go to my room."

"Gregor-"

"Now."

She groaned as she pushed out of the bed. "I have to go, Hazard. Be glad you don't have older brothers. They suck. Seriously."

After giving Hazard a long look, Gregor heading out of the room to follow his sister. "Wait for me, Boots."

"Stop calling me that," she complained. "It's not my name."

"Be quiet. It's late."

"Why can't you just-"

"Boots, I'm serious. Be quiet."

It was a silent walk to his quarters. And even when they arrived, Gregor simply made sure his younger sister was settled before heading off. She gave a halfhearted taunt his way about his relationship with Luxa, but he paid her little mind.

"My glorious knight returns."

"Glorious?" Gregor whispered as he entered Luxa's bedchamber. "What have I done to deserve that title?"

"Simply being yourself."

"You sound intoxicated, but I know for a fact you're not. Not to mention, I know that when you are, you get extremely angry."

Gregor let out a long groan as he slowly began to undress before moving to get into bed with her. Luxa gave him her back, but he simply snuggled up against her, wrapping an arm tightly around her. Luxa shifted under his embrace before letting out a small sigh.

"My sister occupies my bed. Surely I can stay here for a few hours. Rest."

"Surely you may. However, my bed is quite large."

"I like this side better."

"Then should I change to the other?"

"No," he told her. "For it is only you that I liked this side for. We could sleep on the floor, should you wish."

"I do not wish."

"Then we shall stay." He nuzzled the back of her neck. "In the morning, I shall get Boots back home."

"She truly does not enjoy that moniker anymore, Gregor."

"She loves it."

"You infantilize her."

"I do not."

"You do not even know the meaning of that word."

"Well I know I don't do it."

"It means you treat her like a child."

"Oh. Like you do Hazard."

"Keeping him from having intercourse with whores is far from infantilizing him."

"Luxa-"

"It is disgusting, Gregor, that you-"

"I didn't."

"But you think that it is okay, yes?"

"Hazard needs to learn to make his own choices. Every guy in the Underland doesn't do it. And why? Because they chose not to."

"And what if I chose to?"

He was interested, if only slightly. "Have sex with women?"

She elbowed him then. Hard. "No, you-"

"God, Luxa." He shoved away from her then, rolling onto his back and taking in a deep breath. "God, that hurt."

She turned to look at him then, frowning slightly as she stared down at his chest, checking to see if his bandages turned red, meaning they had once again broken up an old wound.

"I'll have sex with men then," Luxa told him once she saw he wasn't nearly as hurt as he was pretending. "Many men, Overlander. Maybe have a few bastards, yes?"

"Luxa, I don't care if you get gangbanged in a back alleyway right now," he groaned, shoving even further away. "I can't believe you did that. God."

"Gangbanged," Luxa repeated slowly while staring at him. "What does-"

"Oh my God I hate you right now. Oh my God."

"You are weak," she told him, making a face. "Take deep breaths. You are fine. Or is it your heart that troubles you, hmmm? At the thought of me taking another?"

"You don't even like sex with me. As if you're going to just go out there and sleep with the whole Underland." Gregor let out a long breath. "You injured me."

"And you offended me."

"God, you're psycho," he groaned. "I bleed slightly in the tactics room, you demand medical attention. You attack me-"

"I did not attack you."

He let out a slow breath, closing his eyes. After a moment, he said, "You mentioned bastards?"

"A child out of wedlock."

He continued to breath shallowly, trying to clam himself. "I understand that. No claim to the throne."

"Correct. Many kings have had many bastards."

He shut his eyes. "And queens?"

"Are meant to stay silent. Let the men have their fun."

"For some reason I don't think you ascribe to that ideal."

"My father took no whores," Luxa told him. "It was a known fact."

"Yet he allowed the east wall to thrive."

"His crutch was gambling." She patted his chest gently then, sighing. "You are much alike in that way."

"I don't have a crutch."

"All men do," she told him. "My father gambling, Hamnet fighting, and York loves his ale."

"Women have their crutches," he told her. "Or one crutch at least."

"And what is that?"

"Being a pain in the ass."

She slowly laid back down, staying facing him. "I take that in stride, only because I hurt you before."

"Good."

"You owe me though, to tell me one thing."

"What is that?"

"…What is a gangbang?"

Gregor only groaned, shifting closer to her again. "Sleep, Lux. Believe me, the world below should take up far more of your time than the one above."

"You spend far too little time here, Margaret."

"I know, Vikus. It's nice to stay down here sometimes," the teen girl said as she stared down at her plate. "Gregor's the one that never lets me come."

"You have school," he told her from his spot at the table. It was breakfast time and they were once again all having a meal together.

"You had school when you showed up here. And now you live here."

"You wish to live here?" Hazard asked her then.

"Eat, Hazard," Luxa ordered.

"You're worse than Gregor is to Boots."

"I am not."

"Why is it okay for him to call you Boots?" Gregor asked, frowning.

"It is like old times, yes?" Vikus smiled from his spot at the table. It was the first time he had eaten a meal with them in a few weeks and Gregor was pretty sure it was his sister's arrival that spurred it on. "All of us joined together. The last of the group. The survivors."

Zander made a noise at that, giggling while making a mess of his plate of food. Luxa glanced at the boy before shaking her head.

"You're going home after this," Gregor told his sister then. "And there's no point in throwing a fit."

"I'm not a baby, Gregor."

"Then you shouldn't have come here."

"Why is it okay for you and not for me?"

"Because you're not me," Gregor told her.

"Do as you say, not as you do? Hypocrite."

"You-"

"Gregor," Luxa said, shaking her head at him. "She will go back, as you say. Today. You win. Do not-"

"You gloat when you win," Hazard pointed out as he picked at his food. When Luxa glared up at him, he merely said, "It is true. If Ripred were here, he would agree."

"If ever you find Ripred on your side, you are truly lost." Luxa shook her head before saying, "Where is Nerissa then?"

"I went to rouse her for breakfast, but she merely told me she is not well enough for it," Hazard said. "A guard outside her room told me that she had fits the whole night and woke many times, claiming she needed to speak with the warrior of late, to warn of an attack. They merely dismissed her."

"Hazard," Luxa scolded. "Why did you not tell me of this?"

"Her visions are merely delusions brought on by her extreme mental illness. The people coming for your crown are not delusions. I did not think it wise to fill your head with fanciful thoughts."

"My cousin is not-"

"I am your cousin too," Hazard said. "And I care for Nerissa. She is quite interesting. She is not, however, well."

"You do not decide who my confidantes are," she told him. Then, shaking her head, she said, "Eat."

Margaret glanced at Gregor, but he only shook his head. It was one thing for him to argue with Luxa; it was another to argue about Hazard with her. He did not even feel like getting into that at the moment.

"I shall meet with Nerissa after I take Boots above," Gregor told his queen.

"Before," she told him with a shake of her head. "Get it out of the way. It will give your sister a chance to look around, yes?"

"My mother is no doubt worried about her," Gregor argued.

"I told her where I was coming," Boots said. "Or at least I left it in a note."

"Great," Gregor said with a shake of his head. "You're really something, you know that? I ought to-"

"You're not my father, Gregor," she told him then. "You're hardly even my brother."

Hazard looked to Luxa, but she only shook her head. In the same way Gregor wasn't willing to step between her and her cousin, she was not willing to stand between him and his sisters. She knew that since their father's death and even before that, Gregor was the most dominant male figure in Boots and Lizzie's life. It was a hard way to live, as a brother and a father, but many did it.

"How am I not your brother?"

"I see you, like, every couple of months."

"And if I lived up there it would be different?" he asked with a frown. "I would have moved out anyways."

"You would still call. I could still talk to you. I could go see you without worrying about some kind of mutant freaky rodents killing me."

Gregor shook his heads. "They're not mutants, they're-"

"Mutants," Luxa repeated slowly. "I am assuming from the word mutation implying…people with mutations, yes?"

Hazard nodded. "Like the X-Men."

"The what?"

Gregor made a face then, glancing at his queen. "I told you I bring things from the Overland for Hazard. You knew this beforehand."

"You bring him…mutants?"

"I bring him comics. Or I have. Before. In the past." Gregor looked down at his plate. "They are merely stories."

"Stories."

"Luxa, I'm kind of focused on something else right now, alright?"

"Do not snap at me, Overlander, when you are the one that cannot control your sister."

"I can't control my sister? When Hazard's spending his time at the-"

"Hey!" Hazard frowned at Gregor. "Since when are you against me?"

"Spends his time where?" Boots asked, glancing at Gregor before Hazard.

"Yes, where are we speaking of? Children?" Vikus' smile faltered some. "Is there something-"

Zander screamed then before laughing and looking up at them all, apparently expecting them to find his outburst funny. Luxa gave Gregor a harsh look then and he immediately knew what she wanted.

"Zander," Gregor whispered, leaning over to grab one of the boy's hands. "Be good. Be quiet. Just eat. Don't play."

"Children play," Vikus said then, dabbing at his mouth with a cloth napkin, apparently forgetting the information he had wanted only moments before. "In fact, when Luxa was a child, why she would-"

"Your grace!"

They all looked up at the sound of another person entering the room. Gregor immediately got to his feet. Even though it would be obvious he was eating there, it was habit that made him attempt to hide it.

"What is the meaning of your entrance?" Luxa stood as well, turning to face the four men that came before her, one dropping to a knee at her sight. "Arise. What is it that is so dire?"

"A tribe approaches," the man told her as he stood. "We assume it to be those people."

"How many of them?"

"At least fifty, your grace," another of the men told her. "Should we-"

"I offered them to meet at my walls and they have accepted." Luxa simply walked around them, heading out of the room. "Aurora and I shall meet them, so they can see once and for all, who the true queen is."

Gregor headed out then too as the men filed out. He quickly stopped though, remembering then his current troubles.

"Hazard, you see to it that Zander makes it to the nursery. Boots, Nike will take you back up to the Overland," he said. "You will find her in the High Hall, I am sure."

"Right. I'm totally leaving when things get interesting."

"Vikus will see to it that you do," Gregor told her. "Hazard as well."

"I'm already dealing with Zander," Hazard pointed out. "And Vikus can hardly handle himself."

The old man in question was still staring down at his plate, as if in deep thought. He was clearly troubled by the most recent development.

"You will go home," Gregor said, pointing a heavy finger at his younger sister. Then he looked at Hazard. "And you will make sure she does. Should you two not follow my commands, you will see that Luxa is not the only vengeful soul around here."

Gregor was not too far out of the room to hear the Boots' giggle or see Hazard's slight grin. He knew that they would do as they pleased; he just hoped that they stayed the heck out of his way. He knew Luxa well and, given the circumstances, this would not end well.

For anyone.