The Banished

Chapter 28

York's bond took Gregor back to Regalia, just the two of them. Two days had passed since then and Gregor was more than ready to head home. It felt like he had spent far too much time away from the palace as of late.

Gregor thanked Rhea greatly when they arrived at the High Halls, but the flier merely told him that she was honored to give a ride to the princess's savior. Gregor assured her that he was nothing of the sort and was only doing what a decent person would do. Still, Rhea seemed in awe of him and eventually Gregor just let it go.

Things were very busy inside the palace walls. Everyone seemed to be in a rush. It felt like such a shock after having spent a few days over in the Fount, where things were always calm. Except for, you know, when you're asking questions about prophecies that tell of the birth of a new reign. Then you get yelled at.

The first place Gregor went when he got back was his bedroom. This was mainly due to the fact he had had to put his armor back on when he left the Fount, as he had been wearing it when he left. He wanted to shed himself of that before he did anything else.

He was in there, getting undressed, when he heard someone slip through the curtian before that person ran in.

"Uh, Lux? Not that I'm not enjoying this, but-"

"You have no idea how worried I have been," she mumbled against his back, as she had hugged him from behind. "Gregor."

"You knew I was in the Fount. You made me stay in the Fount."

"For your own good," she told him softly as she finally let him go. He turned to face her, but she only reached up to touch his cheek. "You are well?"

"I'm fine."

She still didn't look convinced. "You got my messages?"

"Yes." He nodded over at the parchment he had brought back with him that he had written the parts of the prophecy he had found. He had sat it and the scrolls down on his bed. "Where did you find out the code?"

"I have my ways."

"And your ways reveal no more? Because my ways got me scolded by, oh, nine elderly people."

Luxa rolled her eyes. "That is what you get for socializing with those from the Fount."

He only took a step away from her before beginning to remove his armor once more. "It is perhaps not best for you to be here, in my room. I-"

"I have not seen this room yet," Luxa said slowly, looking around. "You are a general now, you know."

He gave her a look. "Yeah, I know."

"You do not have to stay in the palace is what I mean," she told him with a slight shrug. "It is an option and a very financially sound one, but you could find housing wherever you please."

"I like being close," he told her simply. "In case something was to happen."

She only watched as he continued to change before letting out a long sigh. "I suppose that you are not planning on staying long?"

"Vlad and Usha-"

"I have my best scouts on the case, Gregor."

"Still," he said, shaking his head. "I would like to be thorough. I trust myself more than I trust anyone. And should they be found, I need to know that Zander will be okay. I can't think of him now, as I am almost certain that they are with those…those…cannibals."

She seemed hardly concerned as she rolled her eyes and quipped, "I am sure he has been fed a meal or two of human flesh."

"L-Luxa!"

"Shhh." She gave him a look, glancing over at the curtain. "Do not be so loud."

"Are you not creeped out by it? Eating other humans?"

"It is nothing I shall ever partake in nor will I allow in my kingdom, no."

He merely shook his head before going over to his bed and slowly taking a seat. "So what have you been doing?"

"Dealing with the aftermath, mostly. And smoking out the traitor."

"Traitor?"

"They were tipped off. Both you and Barrett say so, yes? That is what I am told."

"Aye. It seemed like it." Gregor just kept staring at her. "Are you going to tell me what's up or am I going to have to force it out of you?"

"What is up?" she repeated with uncertainty. "Do you-"

"What's wrong?" he corrected. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Why would you assume something to be wrong, Gregor?"

"You're being nice to me. Way too nice."

She still just stood there, staring at him. "I am glad to have you home, Gregor."

He could tell that something was wrong though, but also knew that she wasn't giving it up so easily.

"You missed me then, Luxa?"

"I always miss you, Greg-"

"Three times now. You have called me by name three times now."

"What else would I call you?"

"Overlander, stupid, worthless, useless, idiot-"

"If you wish for me to be unkind to you, Gregor, I can easily arrange it."

He only grinned at her, shaking his head slightly. "No. I…no. I want to know what's spurred this on, but-"

"Getting a message from the battle field that Barrett had to take you to the Fount because someone smashed your skull in did this."

He swallowed then before nodding. Still, Luxa only looked him over for a moment before turning to leave the room.

"You have no duties today. I would like for us to dine at dinner though."

"Just us?"

"Hazard will be there, as well as the other generals."

He made a face before nodding. "I'll be there."

"Good." She glanced back at him for a moment before saying, "I am glad to see that you are alright."

"Yeah," he said slowly. "Me too."

"I cannot believe that they treated you in such a way," Nerissa said, shaking her head slightly. "I was certain that you would come away from it all with more knowledge."

Gregor shrugged slightly. "I do not blame you, if that is your worry."

"My worry is that we won't be able to get this all figured out." Nerissa sighed slightly, glancing at him. "How is your head?"

"Fine now. They say that the man did not have much strength. My one saving grace."

"I could not imagine what would have happened, had he had the power to truly do damage. He could have killed you. And then what?"

"I shall die one day, Nerissa."

"It shall truly be a dark day." Then she giggled a little, that off-putting one that she had. "Though, I suppose that I shall never be around to see it anyhow."

"Don't speak like that."

"And yet you can speak of your demise? That seems rather backwards, Gregor."

He merely shook his head at her. "I'm not you."

"You are not me. You are more needed."

"Hey, no pity parties today, alright?" He looked off too then. "I feel like I spend more time with you and Hazard these days than I do Luxa."

"You and Hazard have always been close."

"Aye, but I thought that Luxa and I have always been closer."

"Yes, well, I believe it is the things that you partake in with her that would lead you to that conclusion."

He made a face when her words came together in his head. Instead of forming a retort, he only said, "Luxa was rather kind to me today."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. It was rather disturbing, honestly."

"In what way?"

"I dunno. She just seemed genuine for once. Except for the fact that I feel like she's hiding something." Gregor gave Nerissa a long look. "You do not know anything, do you?"

"My cousin and I are not too close. What is it that you believe she is harboring?"

"Nothing major, really." Then he thought. "Unless…well…"

"What is it, Gregor?"

"It's just Barrett, I guess, has been bothering me recently."

"He has said something to you? Who is he again?"

"The general. The elite of the elite, they say," Gregor said. "You have heard, I'm sure. He's a…favorite in the running for your cousin's hand."

Nerissa laughed at that as well. "I did not know that Luxa was up for sale. What is her going value?"

"You know what I mean," Gregor said, making a face. They were alone in Nerissa's room, where she had been moved when the wounded started to flow in from battle. Looking down, he said then, "I suppose perhaps that it is the fact that Luxa and I have had such problems that I have become…"

"Jealous."

"Not jealous. More…concerned."

Gregor felt uncomfortable, but he knew of not another he could confide in. Matthias, maybe. Or perhaps Mareth. Still, he really had no one. It always shocked him, when he finally had a problem, that he had no one to turn to, but Luxa. And if it was about Luxa, he was kind of out of luck, as he always thought of Hazard too young to discuss such things and Mareth as too loyal to the crown. And Matthias was much the same as Hazard, just a boy.

"What has Barrett done, Gregor?"

"Nothing, really. He's just been…nicer to me. And Luxa has never truly turned him down. She never has anyone. But still, Barrett knows that Luxa and I…he has even commented on it. And before I was hit, he said something about it."

Nerissa was silent for a moment before saying, "You and Luxa have known each other a long time."

"Ten years, nearly eleven."

"I am certain that if something was wrong, Luxa would tell you. She is rather vocal with things."

"Aye."

"Not to mention, I'm sure that she is only being kind because you have just been injured. When you came back from the Dead Lands when Usha captured you, was she not just the same way?"

Still, he shook his head. "I just feel as if something is being hidden from me."

"Perhaps it is, but I can shed no light on it."

He paused for a moment before saying, "Are you joining us a dinner?"

"I have not been invited."

"Then I am inviting you."

"I do not think-"

"It is no one special. If you are well enough, then come. Luxa cannot keep you locked away." Gregor nodded at the parchment he had given her. "Have you looked over what Luxa gave me? That is the code broken down."

"I do not see how I could be of help. I told you-"

"Maybe reading it, huh? Refresh your memory some or something?"

She sighed, moving to pick up the letter. Gregor shifted in his chair, looking around. He had not planned to spend so much time with Nerissa. He thought that he would go and check in on some of his injured soldiers, but figured he'd have time for that later.

The first part of the prophecy was the same, but Gregor had finally figured out the second half that Luxa had sent him.

Fire brews and the water bubbles

It is the ghost that will ease these troubles

Swimming down to the underground rubble

You will know it has began when the earth begins to rumble

The monster he will unleash is not the true beast

For the one who is it shall feast

"I know that they are incomplete, but-"

"They appear to be part of different prophecies."

"Huh?"

"The stanzas go by two on the first, then by four on the next. They are also very much a stretch for rhymes at times. Their sense is held well enough. I can tell that they are mix-matched from other things. Neither are dark prophecies I have seen before."

"Yes, well, it was hell finding them," Gregor told her. "Most came from old curses and sorcery scrolls. I did not know that that was something that was believed in down here."

"It is not any longer," she told him with a sigh. "I'm sure even in the Overland it was done, yes? We only keep those as records, merely."

"Merely."

"I am sure that the first explicitly refers to Luxa, or at least that is what the banished think."

"Aye. A flaw in the line of ascendants. Susannah told me that Usha very well could be a more direct line, but it has no bearing on anything."

"They say that Sandwich was a very vain man."

"Who says that?"

"True historians who do not like to romanticize everything."

"And here I thought you were one of those."

"I believe in every word in the prophecy room. I could read them for days and days," she assured him. "However, these came about quite differently than those. These are said to have just been his attempt at forcing fate. One cannot force reality. It either is or it isn't. He did not see these things. He wanted these things. He wanted chaos. And so they wrote his words down, hidden away somewhere, leaving a code behind to find the true words. And yet-"

"It is hardly a code," Gregor retorted then, shaking his head in annoyance. "It is just a bunch of lines, written in most to match what he wrote. There are times, when I am reading the entire paragraph, that the line that I need is not even relevant to the topic at hand. They were thrown in on purpose and it shows."

Nerissa shrugged slightly. "The code must be written somewhere. Where did Luxa tell you she got it?"

"She did not say. Only that she had certain sources." He rolled his eyes. "Where did you learn it, when you were a child?"

"My mother," Nerissa told him softly then, sighing. "She knew every prophecy, backwards and forwards. She knew many things written in those scrolls you find so silly as well. It was her job, after all, for many years before she married my father."

That made him frown. Without thinking about the rudeness or the lack of sensitivity to the situation, Gregor asked, "Your father was a prince and he married a scroll writer?"

Nerissa only sighed. "My father's father was alive and well in that time. No one thought that he would die any time soon. And once Lennox married Judith, many assumed them to have many, many children, knocking my father out of the running. He was not supposed to marry her, I suppose, but some things cannot be helped."

He shook his head. "I am sorry."

"Not at all. It was merely a question."

"It only struck me as odd. York told me and he and Susannah were arranged to be married as well as Lennox and Judith."

"It is commonplace. Should Lennox and Judith still be alive, you would probably not be here currently. Luxa would most certainly have been married off."

"If they were alive, we wouldn't have known each other. I'm sure Luxa and Henry wouldn't have gone on the first trip during the Prophecy of Gray. Your parents probably would have."

"Maybe," Nerissa said slowly, thinking then. "I wonder the ending of things then."

He felt really bad then, for having brought up not only her dead parents and aunt and uncle, but also the deceased brother that had betrayed her. God, could he do nothing right?

"I never hear much about them," he said slowly then. "Your parents."

"You would have liked my father. He and Lennox both enjoyed a good sword battle." She smiled then. "And my mother, she was…more reserved. She and Judith clashed many times."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Do not get me wrong. They were both kind to one another, but Judith was very much like Luxa." Nerissa laughed slightly then, as if from a specific memory. "She was very vindictive. My mother was not outspoken, but she did not like many of the things that occurred between Judith and Luxa."

"Meaning?"

"Judith wasn't very…motherly. And my mother pointed it out frequently. I can remember some of their fights. Once, Judith had Lennox tell my father that perhaps it was best for us to go live in the Fount. It was very awkward for some time after that."

"I could imagine."

"Judith was just strong willed. She was like Solovet more than she was like Vikus. How Luxa is many times. If she has it in her mind that she is right, then that means everyone else is wrong."

Gregor sighed then, shaking his head. "I feel as if we have gotten off subject again."

"I apologize. It is very rare that I get to speak of the past." Then she thought. "It is actually rare I get to speak at all, anymore."

"Have they not started your medication again?"

"No. And I hope that they do not. I feel better this way."

"You are in pain?"

"At times," she admitted. "But it is manageable. I do not wish to form an addiction to anything."

"Aye," he sighed, standing. "I understand that."

"Here. Take it back. Perhaps you shall find out more somehow." Nerissa handed him the piece of parchment back before shifting on her bed. "And thank you for speaking with me, Gregor. It is nice to have company. I know that you are busy."

"You have been more help to me than you realize at times." He nodded at her slightly before turning to walk away. "I shall see you at dinner then, if you are up to it. Do not force yourself to do something on my account. Should I be free tomorrow, perhaps we shall speak again."

"Perhaps."

"It is good to see you back, Gregor." Mareth grinned at him as he walked into the room, Perdita beside him. Gregor was already in the room, speaking to Hazard. The boy was most excited to hear about what Gregor had done while in the Fount and how it was. The teen appeared to be counting the days until he could go there himself.

"And you. Both of you," Gregor said as Mareth came over to the table. Standing, he quickly moved to shake both their hands, feeling formalities were in order. After all, Perdita had not been too happy with him the last time they had seen one another. "If I had headed back when instructed, this would have never happened."

Perdita waved him off. "We all must find peace how we choose. You wished to stay behind. Honorable. We will not speak more on it."

"How does your head feel?" Mareth asked him then, moving to pull out a chair for Perdita before one for himself, directly in front of Gregor's. "Barrett told us you were taken by surprise."

"Aye," Gregor said, nodding his head. "I did not know what happened, really."

Perdita snorted then, shaking her head, but did not comment. Mareth glanced at her, but only smiled slightly.

"How are you then, Hazard?" Mareth asked, deciding to change the subject. "I heard that you are leaving us soon enough. Off to the Fount?"

Hazard nodded. "I am going to stay with my aunt and uncle."

"As some of us have learned, the Fount is not all it is cracked up to be," Perdita quipped then, glancing at Mareth. "Have we not?"

He only shook his head. "I still think that maybe-"

"Oh, Mareth."

"I only mean that I wish for this to be my last war. You tell me so frequently how young I am not, well, then I would like to go stay in the Fount."

"What can you do there that you cannot here?"

"It is just where people go, Perdita, when it is over."

"There is more life than being a soldier, Mareth."

"There is much more," he agreed, grinning at her. "I can get it there though, so I do not see the problem."

She elbowed him rather hard, but Mareth kept grinning. Gregor rolled his eyes at them before sighing.

"I was under the impression that we would all be on time for dinner," he said then.

"You know how Luxa is," Mareth said. "And Barrett loves to be the center of attention. Coming in right before the queen is much more his style."

"I am honestly shocked that he agreed to come to dine with us," Perdita admitted, though she still seemed rather tense after Mareth's previous comment. "He typically finds the company of others far more compelling than any of us here."

"Any of us here, yes, but when the queen asks you to dine with her, you do not turn her down," Mareth said with a shrug. "I am actually curious as to her reasoning."

"It is most certainly not a job well done dinner," Gregor comment dryly.

"Do not be so hard on yourself, Overlander," Mareth said then. "It was not your fault. I do not know why you would think it was."

"Th-"

"Well," Hazard began in his usual emotionless tone. "Luxa did not want a battle and he did. Because of that, many people died. I am shocked that you are not able to see where he finds his faults, Mareth."

Gregor sighed while Mareth only stared at Hazard for a moment.

"Thank you for the explanation."

"Of course."

Reaching over, Gregor patted Hazard on the head, causing the teen to frown. "You are never going to understand social cues, huh?"

Hazard only batted him away, making a face. "I was only telling-"

"The truth. I know." Gregor sighed before looking around again. "Perhaps something came up and that is why Luxa is not here?"

"You would know her schedule better than- Ah. I forget, you are not her head guard anymore." Mareth shook his head. "Though I assume you would still know it better than the two of us."

"I only spoke to Luxa once since getting back, when she invited me to dinner."

"Lucky you," Mareth said. "Perdita and I got a messenger to invite us."

"We are not as important to her."

"No, we are not," he agreed. "We're more of an annoyance, I would suppose."

"Perhaps you are," Perdita said, making a face at him. "I hardly find myself annoying to anyone."

Mareth and Gregor both shared a look that only furthered her anger with the two of them.

"You had both remember who it is that keeps you alive most of the time," she said then, looking rather annoyed herself in that moment.

"Yeah, our own wits."

"Not to mention our swords."

"And our excellent people skills."

"It is my battle plans that keep you from any true danger. Both of you," she interjected. "You both-"

"Do you remember battle plans, Gregor?"

"Never. They are mostly worthless."

"Aye. I think that we would do better without them."

"Most certainly."

Perdita only held her head higher. "You both kid now. Just wait. When I send you into certain death next time-"

"When have you not?"

"I remember once when…nope. That was Solovet."

"Fine woman. Wish we had her back."

"Aye. There was no greater than Solovet."

"She-"

"Statistically speaking, more people were lost under Solovet than you, Perdita," Hazard said then. "Though this is to be accredited to her fighter more wars than you, it does not take away from the percentage you keep alive with each war. You are technically less of a mass murder than her. And then, when you add in the plague she had manufactured-"

"Thank you, Hazard," Perdita said slowly, only staring at him for a moment, probably only saying something in an attempt to get him to shut up.

"Do not thank me for telling the truth." He grinned then at Gregor. "Isn't that silly? Thanking someone for telling them that they have been the cause of less death? That would be like-"

"We get it, Hazard," Gregor told him softly. Maybe sending him over to the Fount wasn't such a great idea… Having only spent time with his teachers or close family, the boy had seemed to never learn a certain set of social graces. "Maybe no more murder talk tonight, huh?"

"But-"

"I know," he said with a sigh. "After dinner, maybe, you and I can discuss…the worst murders. Tonight though, try and keep it to a minimum, huh? This is one of your last dinners with Luxa before you head out to the Fount. Do not make your final days together unpleasant."

The teen nodded then, though Gregor could tell that he did not like being told what to do. Still, he saw Gregor as an older brother figure and could tell that he was causing a very obvious gauche atmosphere. If Gregor wanted him to be quiet for awhile, he would.

Mareth smiled at Gregor when he looked back at him before reaching forwards to grab the cup of ale that had been set at his place. Taking a long sip, he paused to swallow before saying, "Tell me that you did not cause too much trouble in the Fount, Gregor? Perdita and I figured you were driving York and Susannah up the wall with requests to come back to Regalia."

"And why should he not?" Perdita shook her head. "I could not imagine anyone choosing to stay there."

"It is not as bad as you always make it out to be," Gregor told her. "I get that it's city rivalry, but the Fount is fun for me. It's more laidback."

"That it is," Mareth agreed with a nod. "The women are not as uptight as here either."

Gregor thought he would get another elbow, which was no doubt his plan from the beginning, but Perdita ignored him that time. He seemed to always enjoy teasing her to the point of no return.

"I know little on that," Gregor said simply as Mareth downed some more ale. One of the servants that was standing near the wall was quick to come over to refill his mug. "I was with York most of the time."

"Ah, the man is loyal. But then even loyalty has its faults."

"Oh, name me a time I have ever seen you loyal to anyone other than the crown, Mareth?" Perdita gave him a look.

"Have you seen what being loyal to the crown does to me? The pain that it causes me on a regular basis? In what world would I wish to add another thing to that? I am loyal to my bond and I am dutiful to my job. What else is needed?"

She merely rolled her eyes, taking a sip from the water in front of her. To her credit, Gregor rarely saw Perdita drink. She had told him once that she put it up there with gambling and other forms of addiction. It was useless and for the weak minded.

"Besides, your devotion is to no man either," Mareth pointed out. "So why judge me?"

"I am no judge."

"You sound as one at times."

"You are being overly critical of what I have said."

"And you are being overly critical of me in general."

"Alright," Gregor sighed, shaking his head at the two of them. "Let us not digress into fighting before Luxa even arrives, huh?"

He knew how quickly their playfulness could turn into a full-blown argument. He and Luxa were scolded many times over the six years or so that Gregor had been her guard by Perdita, who told them frequently how childish they were and that the two of them frequently let their personal relationship get away in their professional one. He never mentioned to her that she and Mareth frequently did the same. They had been friends for some time, from childhood if he knew correctly, and bickered much like siblings. The most annoying part was it normally started with a sly remark by Mareth from some woman he had met or spent some amount of time with and from there it just spiraled out of control.

When Luxa finally arrived, Mareth was on his third mug of ale and Perdita looked about ready to just walkout and put the whole thing behind her. Gregor was more concerned with who Luxa showed up with than anything else.

Everyone stood, of course, when Luxa came in, her being their queen after all. Still, Gregor was unable to keep his eyes from boring holes at Barrett, who walked in with her, their arms linked. He was clearly escorting her. And why? Huh?

"Hazard," was the first thing out of Luxa's mouth. "You rise when I arrive. I am your queen."

He was the only one still sitting and only gave her a look of displeasure. "Should I be this late to a meal, I would be told I was not allowed to eat."

Luxa narrowed her eyes at him for a moment while Gregor only reached over to push his head slightly and motion him to get it. He did so begrudgingly, even proving slightly sarcastic as he bowed to Luxa, which finally actually got him hit in the head by Gregor.

Luxa only rolled her eyes as Barrett led her over to the head of the table. It was only after she was seated that they were all able to do the same. Barrett quickly took a seat on the other side of Hazard, making Gregor glad that he had been wise enough to sit at the end of the table, closer to her. There was no way that he wanted Barrett sitting next to her after freaking escorting her there. What was up with that then?

Gregor did not have long to focus on it though as his plate was quickly put in front of him and his hunger took over. After spending part of the day with Nerissa, he had spent the rest in the hospital. Turns out his soldiers were not so angry with him after the impressive spectacle he had put on out in the field. He wasn't surprised with this though. It was always easier to earn respect that way anyways. Still, he had not had the chance to catch a meal since he left the Fount earlier and he was quite hungry.

"I am sure that you are going to tell us rather quickly why you have brought us all here," Perdita asked after a moment or two of silence. "I've found that you get rather tired of our presences quickly and we have all seen quite a lot of each other. And why no Helix?"

Luxa rolled her eyes at the other woman. "What point would there be to bringing him to begin with? He offers nothing to anything. I've grown tired of him."

"You grow tired of everyone I bring up to any position, save these three," Perdita said, gesturing to Barrett and Gregor, though Mareth was obviously included. "And that's only half the time. The other, you're mad at one, two, or all of them."

"Yes, well," was Luxa's only response before reaching forwards for her glass of wine. She was the only one at the table drinking it, but Gregor knew they probably had quite the amount on hand. "Besides, I have brought you merely as a break. We are on the brink of a new war now. We are all in agreement that we plan to seek Vlad and his wife out and kill them, yes? This will only bring on war with their remaining followers. This is the calm before the storm."

"A beautiful gesture," Barrett assured her to which Gregor merely rolled his eyes and looked back down at his plate.

"Where is Aurora then?" Mareth asked. "Is she not joining us?"

"She and Nike have been spending much time together, as of late," Luxa said dismissively. Gregor knew that in all honesty, though the two had made up, Luxa and Aurora were still a little peeved at one another. They were back together as a necessity. He was sure it would not be until the end of the war that they became close again.

"I do not think any at this table have rightfully thanked you yet, Gregor, for bringing her back. Without you, we never would have gotten the fliers back." Perdita nodded at him, but he only shook his head.

"Nike and I are close," he said simply. "I saved her because she is one of my friends. Nothing more."

"I am tired of hearing you complement him anyways," Mareth said then, making a face at Perdita. "You should hear her, Gregor. You would think she was in love with you."

That one got him hit. Rather hard. Luxa only shook her head before looking at Hazard.

"How did your lessons go today?" she asked him. "Did you make it to them? I hope that Gregor did not interrupt you from them."

Gregor gave her a look while Hazard only shook his head.

"I did not see him until I showed up to dinner," he told her. That of course made Luxa stare at Gregor, awaiting an explanation.

"I was with Nerissa," he said simply. "We had many things to discuss."

"Such as?"

"Just many things."

"Gregor-"

"I find your cousin rather interesting."

"Oh, I'm sure you do."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Luxa didn't answer, only reached forwards to grab her wine glass. Honestly, Gregor didn't know why she ever put it down. Rolling his eyes, he reached for his own mug to down some ale.

"Is that good for you, Gregor?" Perdita asked immediately. "With a head injury?"

"York tells me this is the best cure for all injuries," he assured her.

"York's organs are so pickled at this point, I do not think anything could hurt him," Mareth said with a shake of his head. "What stories did he recite for you while you were there, Gregor? Ones you had heard before or ones that you had not? I for one have heard about he and Hamnet's victory in the Dead Lands under King Woundgrazer one too many times."

"Woundgrazer?"

Mareth nodded. "He-"

"He is unimportant," Luxa said with a slight frown. "Did I invite you all here to hear about my two uncles' past glory?"

"I have never heard that story," Hazard told them then, almost sounding interested. Gregor was ready to have Mareth tell it, just because the boy was actually intrigued by something for once. Luxa shut that down quickly, however.

"I am sure you will many times while you are in the Fount," Luxa told him, disdain evident in her tone. "I am sure your father is all he will talk about with you. I am sure it is all he knows to talk to you about."

Hazard looked at her before back at his plate. Gregor could tell he wanted to say something to her, something snarky and mean hidden as an innocent response, but he did not, probably just because Gregor had told him not to. He listened well at times.

"Tell me that I am not the only one having a good time?" Barrett asked then, taking in everyone's moods. Lifting his own mug, he made a motion as if to raise a toast before just downing half his ale. Then he said, "This was supposed to be a going away party of sorts. Goodbye, freedom. Goodbye, sleeping soundly. We are on the heels of a war. And what a great feeling it is. Look around the table, Luxa, Gregor, Mareth, Perdita. For this is the last joyous moment we shall all have together for some time. In the morning, I shall be hung-over, the Overlander will be regretting not listening to the doctors more wisely about his wounds, Mareth shall be in a confused state when he finds himself in a strangers bed, Perdita will be worrying about the war, and you, Luxa, shall have to present yourself to court. Life goes on for all of us, but this moment is a good enough one, yes, to celebrate with one another before it is all taken away from us? So drink. Be happy. It might be some time before we all get to be that again."

They all looked at one another again, but it was Mareth who spoke.

Reaching out to grab his mug once more, he said, "You act as if I do that sort of thing constantly."

"Do you not?" Perdita looked back down at her plate. "News to me."

"He just pled for us to be happy and you are going to make it one of those nights?"

"I am making it nothing that you are not asking for it to be."

"Oh, honestly, Perdita."

"Oh, honestly, Mareth."

Luxa made a face at Gregor. It was rare for them not to be the arguing pair and she clearly found it exhausting to hear the two of them. He wouldn't share a moment with her though, not after she came in there on the arm of another guy. The freaking nerve.

"Sorry I am late, cousin. I went to the prophecy room and seem to have, somehow, lost track of time. Is it so late already? It is hard for me to keep track of such things, you know."

Luxa frowned at the sound of Nerissa's voice and Gregor bit his tongue. He had forgotten all about her. Dang it.

"Nerissa," Luxa said slowly as her cousin came to sit on the other side of Perdita. Nodding at one of the servants to bring her a plate, Luxa took a moment before asking, "What are you doing here?"

"Gregor invited me."

Luxa blinked. Then she looked at him.

"Oh, did he," she repeated dryly while Gregor become very interested in his plate of food.

"Yes," she said, smiling at Perdita, who gave a courtesy one back. "We spoke today about many, many things."

Gregor could tell just from the look in Nerissa's eyes and her tone of voice that something was off. He knew immediately what it was. Sometimes between when he saw her and in that moment, she had been given her medication once more. Sigh. The only good thing that might come of that was perhaps that state would bring on more hallucinations or something to help him find out more about those dang prophecies.

"Many things?" Luxa could tell too, Gregor was sure, that her cousin was back on her meds. "That's nice."

"Lennox and Judith and…and…you, Luxa."

Gregor sighed then while Luxa only stared at him for a minute before taking a long sip of wine. God, it would be a long night for him.

"And prophecies," Nerissa said softly, as if not able to hold it in. "And codes and the banished and-"

"You had quite the day," Luxa remarked, still making eyes at Gregor. He was mostly focused on the meat on his plate at that point. What was it? Pork? Beef? Chicken? Mmmm.

"It is nice to have you, Nerissa. I feel that I never see anything of you anymore," Mareth said then, smiling at her. "Much less of Vikus."

Vikus. Ugh. That's who Gregor forgot to check in on.

"It's a new age," Luxa told Mareth cryptically. "And it has been for some time. Who's to say that the next time we all sit down at this table, it shall be the full set of us or only half?"

While Gregor knew that probably had an even deeper meaning, he knew the surface one well enough; she was mad at him. Again. For inviting her cousin to the dinner. Which it should be noted that up until recently, Nerissa's presence was expected. Should it really have been such a shock to see her there?

If everything else hadn't already set the dinner up to fail, Nerissa's arrival had only doomed it further. After that, no one said much of anything and it died out quickly. True to his word, Barrett was not only drunk when it was over, but also heading down to the mess hall to hangout with the other soldiers and probably get even more wasted. Perdita and Mareth left together, but it was clear that he was rather intoxicated as well and had been paying quite the amount of attention to one of the female servers. Gregor was sure that would go over well for one of them and it would not be Perdita.

Hazard headed out with Nerissa after dinner, promising to help her back to her bedroom. Gregor knew it was an excuse to get away from Luxa, but he was glad for it, because he wanted some alone time with her himself.

"You should have more guards," was what he told her as they walked the hall towards the royal wing. "This is just pitiful. Anyone could get it. If I was still head of the royal guard, I would-"

"And yet you are not," she told him then. "Where do you find yourself anyhow, Gregor, inviting my cousin to dinner?"

"Where do you get off then, Luxa, having Barrett escort you to dinner?"

There was no one in the halls at that point. Not even guards. Gregor was downright infuriated with that. Who was in charge of her guard anymore anyways? Because if he got fired for, gee, actually protecting her, then perhaps they deserve a raise for not doing a damn thing to keep her safe.

"He showed up in my chambers and offered, Gregor. What did you want me to do." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, I thought you would do it."

"Me?"

"You always walk me to dinner."

"Yes, because I was your guard, Luxa," he said, giving her a look. "And I think we both just established that I am no longer that. And hey, do you even have one, or what? Because-"

"Oh, Gregor," she sighed, shaking her head slightly. "Just focus on us for awhile, huh? That is all I want for the night. On the morrow, we can discuss other things, but for now, only us."

He glanced down at her, but she wouldn't look at him. Shaking his head, he just continued down the hall with her.

"Whatever you say."

There was a guard stationed outside the entrance to the royal wing, but only one. Gregor about went off on the guy right then and there, but gave up and in as Luxa merely led him passed and towards her bedchamber.

"I suppose I am staying the night?"

She ignored him though, only went around the room, changing for the night. Gregor merely took off his sword belt and his shoes before moving to lie back on the bed. It had been awhile since they were intimate and he was understandably antsy. Much had gone on, after all.

"Tell me more about your wound," was Luxa's first request once she joined him on the bed. "They tell me that the man had a weak swing."

"I have been told the same. One doctor told me that if he had had any real strength, he would have easily crushed a massive hole in my head."

Luxa laid on her side next to him, a hand rested on his chest. "You have Barrett to thank for him not finishing you off."

"Huh?"

She nodded slightly. "When the man attacked you, there was hardly anyone around. Barrett and others have said that when he hit you, you went down and he moved to strike you again. Barrett easily disarmed and killed him."

Gregor only laid there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling. Slowly, he said, "I should thank him."

"Mmmm."

"Do you know, you know, why someone would want to kill me?"

"I do not know, Gregor. Many do not like you normally, but we are currently in war. You are a great asset."

"A great asset?" he mumbled.

"A wonderful asset. A magnificent asset."

He only watched as she shifted on the bed to push his shirt up slightly, moving to press a gentle kiss against his stomach while she was at it.

"What's up with you, Lux?" He moved to run a hand through her hair as she continued with her kisses. "I don't get it."

"Can I not show gratitude, Gregor?" She looked up at him, her lips still hovering over his abs. "For all you have done?"

"Overlander," he mumbled. "I want you to call me that again. You almost sound sarcastic when you call me by name now."

"Mmmm. What if I call you…warrior?" He got another kiss. "Or my hero?" Another. "Savior?" God, was she going down? "Mine?" Fuck. "Or-"

"Lux," he mumbled, lifting his head slightly then to stare down at her. "Just tell me what it is. Please."

"Do I treat you this badly, Gregor, that when I treat you right you act in such a way?"

He didn't even think about it. "Yes."

Still, even that got him another kiss.

"Then perhaps I should change how I treat you."

He let his head fall again as she started on his pants. God, what had he done? What had she? Something wasn't right somewhere. Some-

"I love you," she told him softly then and then suddenly he didn't care anymore. Whatever wasn't right, it had no baring on the moment. Because the moment was very, very right.

"Yeah," he sighed, deciding to just let it go for the night. "I love you too."

Finished the last chapter and just had to continue on with this one. Didn't think I would finish it (or write my longest chapter of this story yet), but I am definitely going to bed now. Hopefully.