The Banished

Chapter 39

He wasn't allowed to see her immediately, of course, as the doctors had to give her a thorough exam. It took hours. It felt like days. He was not patient, but was glad to find that he was the first and only person allowed in when the time came.

He wanted to kiss her and hug her and touch her and just, just, just…

But he smiled at her when he came in, even though the light was too bright for him and her wounds were even more obvious, the black eye, the cuts, the scrapes. He wondered what she'd think when she saw the huge claw marks in the middle of his chest.

"You're awake."

"You're alive."

"I am," he whispered, not helping the grin that fell over his face, even though it only stretched the dried out, bleeding skin on his lips even further. Luxa wasn't well though and it showed in her face, came off in her tone. Just seeing her was enough for him though. Alive. Awake. With him.

"I do not like you standing over me," she told him softly as he came to stand at her bedside, staring down at her. "As if you are above me."

"You articulate well, for having just woken up."

"Have I?" She looked off. "Feels like-"

"Days," he finished for her. "Believe me, it was worse for me."

"I've been on the other side far more than you."

He sat then, when she gestured to the chair. He was still smiling, though he rather didn't feel too good at the moment. It was time for him to take more pills.

"They say you have not been up long either."

"Long enough to miss you."

He leaned forwards then, staring at her. Luxa seemed rather tired and he did not wish to keep her up, but he was still excited. When she opened her hand, he filled it with his own, easily interlacing their fingers.

"I must meet with-"

"You must lay here and rest."

"You did not when you awoke."

"I am me. I do not love me. I love you. You're going to lay here and rest."

"I still must see Perdita and Barrett and…and… Is York here?"

"York is here."

"Him as well. Mareth."

"Mareth is not here."

"Hmmm."

"Hmmm," Gregor mimicked. "You know who else you must see?"

"Aurora?"

"Zander."

She looked at him then, watching his eyes. "He is fine?"

"He and Hazard are sleeping in my room right now."

"Hazard," Luxa whispered. "Is he-"

"He missed you too."

"Mmmm."

He sighed slightly, just watching her. "It's over, Lux."

"It's never over, Gregor. And do not let yourself become foolish enough to believe so."

She dozed then, on and off. Gregor didn't leave her. Doctors came in. Perdita. Aurora. Susannah. Nerissa. In the end, it was Gregor and Hazard, both in chairs on the opposite side of the bed.

"I think, Hazard, this is the part where you tell your cousin sorry," Gregor told the boy softly as Luxa laid there, watching him expectantly. She had just woken up again and seemed to be feeling slightly better than the last time she had been awake. And way better than when she faked being asleep when Perdita was in the room.

"For what?" Hazard asked. "You should apologize to me, if anything. You lied to me. Not the other way around. I reacted with the information that was presented to me."

"Oh, Hazard," Luxa sighed, still just watching him. "I love you."

He looked cross then. "Stop being weird."

"But I do."

"You are on too many medications."

That was true. Luxa was flying high at the moment while Gregor was still gritting through the pain.

"Mmmm. You are my favorite cousin."

"Stop it, Luxa."

"Why?" She grinned at him. "Am I not yours? Who do you favor? Me or Howard? Me or Stellovet? Me or anyone?"

"Luxa-"

"You, Gregor?"

"Mmmm. Chim, certainly."

Luxa closed her eyes. "Certainly."

Hazard frowned at them both, never the one for playing games. Luxa fell back asleep after that however and the teen found his escape. Gregor knew that he and Luxa rarely expressed anything other than contempt for one another and that her being so nice to him was throwing him off.

Eventually Gregor did have to leave, though it was more because he had been up for hours and was rather tired. Not to mention Luxa's doctors needed to take care of a few things and he figured he was just in the way by that point.

Someone was waiting for him in his room though and it wasn't Zander.

"Mareth?" Gregor grinned then, as the man stood from the desk chair. "Hey, I didn't think you'd be back so soon. How-"

"I had to hear it myself," the man said simply. "From your mouth."

"Hear what?"

"That you had not been captured and sent off to be killed."

Mareth took Gregor's hand then, when he was close enough, and shook it. Gregor just smiled at him.

"Not to mention," Mareth added. "Perdita called me home. And with Luxa being awake, I think it is high time that we all met up and discussed the state of affairs."

"When Luxa is well."

"When she is well," Mareth agreed, nodding his head. "And when you are well. There is much suspicion and doubt in the Fount about what goes on here, now that you have returned. Before as well, but more so since you came back."

Gregor looked off. "I-"

"You do not have to tell me, Overlander. I have never wronged you and you have not me." Mareth patted his shoulder then. "As long as you are well. I do not plan on being here long though."

"No?"

He shook his head slightly. "York is heading back to the Fount and I shall speak to him before. I refuse to serve with Barrett and the way things look, Luxa is just as tainted as him."

"She-"

"Again, your explanations would only fall on deaf ears here. I have my own preconceived notions." Mareth shook his head then. "I have wanted to head to the Fount for awhile now. And after Luxa is better, she will agree with me going. What choice will she have? If not, I will let everything known. Everything. I want out. You may not, you may forgive, but I do not."

Gregor paused then, thinking. Then, slowly, he asked, "What about Perdita?"

Mareth stared at him for a moment before shrugging. "She will not leave Regalia. She would go back to Luxa if the queen herself held a knife to her throat. She has always wanted to be head of the army. She is it. Good for her. I never wanted to be a general and I certainly never wanted to have the knowledge I possess now. It is time for me to cut my losses and retire."

"It is your prerogative," Gregor said slowly. "But Barrett was only following orders."

"Sometimes, Gregor, there are orders you cannot follow. Had she asked me instead of him to betray you, I would not have."

"I think that is why she did not ask you, Mareth."

Mareth only patted him again before saying, "I hear you took a wound to your own leg?"

Gregor nodded. "Some nasty stitches, but I still have mine. Beat you there."

"Aye. You might be stronger than I yet."

"I doubt that."

"I don't."

There was an awkward beat where the two of them stared at one another for a moment, neither knowing exactly what to say after that. It was then though that someone else came in.

"Here you are then. I was looking for- Oh. Mareth."

He nodded then as Gregor turned to look at who it was. Some nanny that Gregor did not know, but had seen working in the nursery before. In her arms was Zander, who was wiggling and whiny. He quickly moved to take the boy only to set him on the ground. Zander patted Gregor on the leg in thanks before heading over to his pile of toys in the corner of the room to begin playing.

"Hello," Mareth said while Gregor made a face at the older guy. The nanny blushed then, though Mareth seemed more interested in Zander.

"I see you got this one back," he said, apparently going to ignore the woman until she left.

"Aye," Gregor said before smiling at her. "I thank you for bringing him."

"Of course. Perdita requested it, after all."

"Still, thanks."

Zander was making loud noises then as he greeted his stuffed animals. Mareth walked over to him, as if to investigate. It was not until the woman was long gone that Gregor spoke.

"Something you'd like to speak of?"

Mareth kept staring down at Zander. "I have told you before, Gregor, that I do not like to speak of my complications. It does not alleviate them any, so better to ignore them. Besides, why speak of mine when your one is just so interesting?"

"Because yours seem to pop up at the most inopportune times."

"I actively ignored it. You were the one that called attention to- What? You want me to take it?" Mareth was speaking to Zander then, who held up his favorite stuffed tiger to him. "Thank you."

"He shares well," Gregor sighed.

"Pretty soon he shall be in my class in the ar-" Mareth paused then, looking down at the toy for a moment before shaking his head. "I forgot. I shall not be here for that."

"No, you shall not."

"Hmmm." Mareth shook his head slightly before asking, "What is this thing then? That he gave me?"

"It's a tiger."

"A tiger," Mareth mumbled. "It is very nice look."

"It's better in real life. We have them in, like, zoos and things."

"Zoos?"

Gregor only sighed. "Believe me, it would make no sense to you."

"Hmmm." Mareth sat the stuffed toy down then, back on the ground next to Zander, who only picked it up and snuggled it. That made him smile slightly, but not a lot.

"There are children in the Fount. Many, now that we have the banished children. I am sure a few shall end up down there," Gregor said slowly. "And they are taught too, I am certain, how to tumble and such. It is not a total loss."

"Of course not," Mareth mumbled, patting Zander on the head then. The little boy giggled, smiling up at him. "And I am not far."

"Not far at all. Just the Fount. In the Overland, sometimes, people move miles and miles away. Countries instead of just cities. Continents even."

Mareth sighed again before looking up at Gregor. "It is I or Barrett and we both know who Luxa will choose. There is no other way."

"Yeah," Gregor mumbled, staring at his friend. "There never is, is there?"

The days passed slowly as Luxa recovered. It was about the fourth or fifth day that she was well enough for her most enthusiastic visitor.

Zander was whining the whole way to the hospital wing, as Gregor held him in his arms, not wanting him running around in somewhere so important. By the time they got to Luxa's room, he had calmed down somewhat, but was still pouting. He brought his little tiger along, who he seemed to take his frustrations out on as he chewed feverishly on its ear.

When they walked into that room though and he saw Luxa, all his angst disappeared. He started wiggling again, a few giggles escaping too as he hit himself in the head, almost dropping his tiger in his haste.

"I never thought he liked me so much."

Gregor just sat the boy in her lap, who immediately snuggled against her. Luxa, not used to this, frowned slightly, though she did allow it.

"Lucka." He sat up tall, trying to reach for her crown, like always. Luxa grasped his hands, as always, stopping it. "Lucka."

"Stop it, Zander."

"Lucka."

"Sit. Stop."

Gregor laughed then, watching them. "You hear that?"

"Hear what?" Luxa frowned down at the boy, suddenly forgetting why she ever wanted him back in the first place.

"He's saying your name."

"He is not."

"Lucka," Zander was complaining then, wiggling away from her as he continued to try and reach for her crown. "Lucka!"

"No. Stop it."

"He just loves you, Luxa."

"He does not. He's just an annoying little boy." She pushed him away once more before moving to grab his tiger. "What is this? Gregor, I told you he is not allowed to have-"

"My kid."

"Hardly."

"You don't even like him."

"At the moment? That is very true. However, he did say my name first."

"Oh, now he said your name?"

"If it wins me an argument."

They shared a look then, one of their normal ones. Because everything was back to normal.

Mostly.

"Lucka?" Zander sat back then, just staring at her. She leveled a gaze at him then, not smiling in the slightest. This only made Zander giggle of course and reach out to take his tiger back.

"Sorry, Alexander," Luxa said, holding it away from him. "Gregor was horribly misguided. You are not allowed to have-"

He let out a loud cry then, one that Luxa and Gregor both frowned at. Just to get him to shut up, she shoved the toy back at him, which he immediately bit down on, chewing on the ear once more.

"He is quite loud."

"Yeah," Gregor mumbled, staring at the boy. "Having a kid just got a lot less fun."

Zander sniffled, staring at them while chewing on his tiger. Slowly though, he moved to lay against Luxa once more, settling out.

"Gregor-"

"You wanted him."

"I did not really want him. I wanted him so you could not have him. Those are two very different things."

Gregor only shook his head. "He's yours now."

"Hardly."

They both shared another look after that, but it was short lived as not soon after, another person came into the room.

Zander giggled when York came into the room, but did not move from his spot against Luxa, his tiger snuggled in his arms. Luxa did frown slightly though as Gregor looked straight ahead.

"York," Luxa said slowly, watching him walk into the room. "I would assume you were getting ready to head back to the Fount."

"Without checking on you?"

She looked off then, away from him. "The last I saw you, you were ready to march men on my lands."

"And you know what I did while you were gone? Took those men and your men, united them, and found you."

"United." Luxa snorted. "I hear they are divided."

"Aye," York agreed with a sigh. "But that was more you and your generals doings than my own."

That annoyed her. God, if nothing else did, that did.

"What do you wish for, York?"

He laughed then, a weird one, as if he were confused. "What do I wish for, Luxa? To check on you. To make sure-"

"I am fine," she said as Zander whined slightly, not liking their tones. Gregor reached out to take him from Luxa, but she held fast to the boy. "You may go back to the Fount now. I thank you for-"

"Do you honestly think I would have rebelled against you, Luxa?"

She still would not look at him. "How am I to know hat you were going to do? Men do many things for power."

"Men do," he mimicked, staring at her then, looking odd without his swords. Gregor wondered where they were. "Yes, Luxa, men do. Is that what I am to you then? Some man?"

She let out a long sigh then. "What do you want, then, York? Because I-"

"I would have never truly marched on your lands, Luxa, and you know that."

"Why do I know that? Huh?" Her tone shifted from annoyed and bored to angry and hurt. "My own uncle, who I loved, could not even trust me? Could not-"

"I know how you and the Overlander are with one another. I thought that you were angry with him over something or other. I knew you would not kill him, but I also knew that we needed him for the war. The last thing I could let happen was you mess that up. We would have lost without him. Most certainly. Or at the very least had a high casualty count. So I came to make you see the light. That is all."

"That is all," she mocked then as Zander whined some more. Luxa shook her head then at her uncle. "You threatened to march men on my lands. Do you know how long it has been since the Fount has threatened Regalia with anything? I have a hard enough reign and you are not helping me any. You-"

"You make things hard on yourself, Luxa!" York seemed to be getting rather upset, but not in an angry way; more in an exasperated way. "I thought that I could come here and take Gregor back to the Fount with me. When I was unable to, yes I threatened revolt. I thought it best. Then Mareth came out to say that one of your other generals had kidnapped him. I would love to know what you thought I should think of it?"

"I would love to think that you could trust me."

"And can you not me? Could you not tell me of-"

"I could not. I-"

"I do not know your plans, Luxa. I do not know what you are doing before you do it. All I knew was that you were going to kill Gregor. That is what you very explicitly said."

"And if I had?"

York paused then, just staring at her. Then, slowly, he said, "If you had, things would have been very bad for you. Your reign would have become very bad for you. And not by my doing. You would have betrayed the trust of your people. I could not allow that to happen. I-"

"Oh please, York, save me the false love." She looked down at Zander then while the little boy just sniffled slightly. "I have spoken with Gregor, with Perdita. You are power hungry, just like your wretched children. You were glad that I was going down. You were ready to take over my land and-"

"I am power hungry, Gregor?" York looked at him then before at his niece. "Is that what I am? Because I thought I was a concerned uncle, looking after things while his niece was gone."

"I did not say…" Gregor looked off then, scratching the back of his head. He knew that he should have left the second York walked in. Stammering for a moment, Gregor finally got out, "I only meant, York, that you and I…well…"

"Gregor is upset with me, fine, but his words or Perdita's have no bearing on what I know to be true." York was staring at Luxa then. "If I wanted Regalia, Luxa, I would have taken it long ago. Who found you, after your parents' death?"

"York-"

"You were supposed to be with the other children, in the nursery, but you were not. Your cousins were older than you, Henry and Nerissa. They had free reign of the palace and everyone thought you to have been with them. You were always with them, especially that boy. The second word reached the Fount of the siege, I came. I made it in time to help the fight, but not in time to save your parents. Once it was all said and done, everyone searched for the three of you. But no one could find you. Who found you?"

She looked off then. "I do not-"

"I did," he told her, taking another step forwards. "Some servant had taken the three of you and hidden you three away. When I found you, you were all huddled together, the three of you, scared. The girl was crying. She was always crying. But the boy yelled at me. Henry. He jumped up when I came in, he was just a boy, with the only sword you three had. And he was ready to attack me. He thought I was a rat. Do you remember?"

Luxa wouldn't look at him. "Why are you-"

"No one was around. It was only I. Your parents were already slain and I knew it. The three of you were orphans. Solovet and Vikus would surely reign, if it wasn't for the three of you. And Vikus would abdicate by the end of the war and Solovet…Solovet would run herself into the ground. Then it would go to Susannah and I. All I had to do was drive a sword through each of your bellies. That is all I had to do to assume the throne, Luxa. What did I do?"

"York-"

"I picked you up; you weren't crying like the girl. You did not cry much ever. Then I lifted her up in my other arm, though she was too old to be carried, as were you truly, and I told the boy to put his sword away. He was shaking. And then I carried you to the war room, where your grandmother was, Luxa, and I left the three of you, safe, with Solovet and the other guards. Never once did it cross my mind to kill you. Never once have I wanted Regalia. I did not even want the Fount, girl! I was a soldier and was happy at that. The Fount was given to me and I took it." York was angry then and hurt and it showed through on his face. "Perhaps the next time you wish to accuse a family member of exploiting you for personal gain, you had better look to the other side of your family. Because this side has done nothing, but try to help you."

"Uncle…" she whispered as he turned to leave. He paused for a moment. "I did not…I do not always think things through."

"Aye," he agreed, though he stayed facing the doorway. "You do not."

"I thought taking the Overlander would be the easiest way to accomplish what I wanted. I did not expect for everyone to love him so much. I did not think that Ripred would…or that the fliers…or you…"

"Gregor is just as much family as you are."

"I know," she said, glancing at her boyfriend then, though he wouldn't look at her. "I did him and everyone wrong. And I understand that sometimes it is not okay to just say that the ends justify the means, but…We have won the war. And I need the Fount to love me again. And I guess that starts with you."

York laughed then, not facing them as he stayed back at the door. It was a good laugh though. A York laugh.

"Luxa, if that is what you are worried about, do not fret," he told her with a shake of his head. "We are always family. Above all else."

"Above all else."

Luxa's first day out of the hospital came some time later. Whatever poison Usha had given her had taken a toll on her body. Her stomach had been pumped, but the damage had already been done. Luxa was rather weak and would be for some time. No one knew if she would ever be back to her true self, at least physically.

Still, that first night there was a dinner and the only ones invited were Gregor, Hazard, and Nerissa. Not to mention Aurora, who left Luxa's side very infrequently. Though the two had not spoken of their previous fight, they had still seemed rather distant. Luxa fretted about Aurora's still healing wings, which had been sown up rather nicely, and Aurora worried about Luxa's health in general, which no longer seemed in jeopardy.

Oh, and Zander, who ate dinner seated in Luxa's lap, his tiger there as well. It never seemed to be far away from him those days. And he did not seem far from Luxa, who spent more time correcting him than anything else, but the boy was learning to accept her harsh words for love, much like Gregor and Hazard both had long ago.

"Gregor leaves tomorrow," Luxa was telling Hazard at one point during dinner. "And I thought that…perhaps you would like to go with him."

"Me?"

"Him?"

Luxa gave Gregor a look before looking back at her cousin. "Yes, Hazard, you."

"Why me?"

"I am sending him to go negotiate with Ripred for me, as if I went, he would be dead." Luxa shook her head slightly. "Ripred refuses to speak to anyone, but Gregor, so all our normal politicians are out. I thought that you could learn something from it, as you have refused all your normal teachers. You can learn what not to do from Ripred and Gregor. And believe me, there is a lot not to do."

Gregor made a face at her, but it was Hazard that spoke.

"I do not wish to go."

"You do not?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I do not wish to learn to negotiate."

She frowned at him then. "Then what do you wish to learn, Hazard?"

"I am going to sell fruit. I do not need to learn to negotiate. I need to learn to haggle. I-"

"Hazard," Luxa reprimanded, glaring at him. "Do not be obstinate."

"I am not. I am talking about what I wish to be. Why is that wrong?"

"You do not wish to be a vender."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you do not."

"How do you know what I want to be? You do not. You are just trying to control me again." Hazard made a face down at his plate. "I do not wish to be what you want me to be. I wish to be a fruit salesman. I shall be very good. I shall even learn to juggle the fruit. And I shall live alone and you and Gregor can visit when you wish. Zander can spend the night, even. That is what will make me happy."

"Life is not about what will make you happy, Hazard. It is about-"

"If it's not about what will make you happy, then why is Gregor here? Why is Zander? You sure like making yourself happy. Why can I not make myself happy?" He shook his head. "Maybe you should spend less time worrying about me being obstinate and more time on you being abstinent."

"Hazard!"

Gregor only sighed, shaking his head slightly. It was always something with the two of them. Always.

It was silent at the table after the teen left. Gregor looked over at Aurora in the corner, who only shook her head.

"Do not be bothered by Hazard, Luxa," Nerissa spoke up then. She had been well enough for dinner, but for little else. She hadn't even spoken much. "You have this one now to shape."

Luxa looked down at Zander when her cousin pointed at him. The little boy was smeared with food residue, but happy all the same, as he shared a plate with Luxa.

"Yes," Luxa said slowly then, after finding her composer once more. "He shall be a-"

"Warrior."

"-politician."

Luxa and Gregor both frowned at each other, but Nerissa merely clapped her hands together, as if excited by both possibilities.

"Or perhaps," she said then. "He shall be a freethinker. A philosopher!"

"No."

"Absolutely not."

Gregor and Luxa shared a look then, one of solidarity because even after everything, it was always nice to agree on something. On anything.

After dinner, Luxa went to bathe or something, taking Zander with her. Which was just as well, as Gregor did not feel much like cleaning the child either.

He went to the mess hall to have a drink or two, if only to pass time before he headed to the royal chamber to put Zander to bed. While he was in the mess hall though, he ran into the one person he had forgotten all about.

"Matthias," Gregor greeted as he sat down next to the younger man. He only grinned at him, a dire contrast to the way he had looked the last time Gregor saw him.

"Gregor." The young man's face was lit up, though Gregor could tell from just looking at him that he was already intoxicated. "I have not seen you since-"

"Yeah, well," Gregor sighed, looking around. He was really looking for Barrett, as he figured he owed it to Perdita to finally get around to talking to the guy, but the other man was nowhere to be found. Huh.

He knew that Barrett wouldn't be around though when he spotted Mareth standing with a few guys, speaking softly. Great. Now Gregor would have to go over and talk to him again. As if it wasn't bad enough before. And Gregor knew if he looked around some, he'd probably find Perdita as well. Sigh.

When did it become bothersome to speak to your friends?

"Didn't expect this."

"What?"

Gregor gave Luxa look as he came into her room slowly. "I come to put Zander to bed and find him in here."

The little boy was in bed with Luxa, his tiger under one arm, snuggled up against Luxa.

"I have made a mistake."

"Oh?"

Luxa nodded, her face serious. "I have grown attached."

"That is a quite the problem."

"It is."

"In more ways than one."

"Oh?"

Gregor nodded as he slowly took off his sword belt. "Well, mainly because he is mine, of course."

She made a face. "He belongs to me."

"Hardly."

Luxa rolled onto her side as Gregor laid down on the opposite side of the bed, trapping the toddler between them.

"Whose name did he say?"

"Who does he like better?"

"Who can care for him better?"

"Who can teach him how to be a man?"

"Well, not you," Luxa said with an eye roll. "I would have a much better shot at that than you."

Zander whined slightly then, rolling onto his stomach then. Gregor stared down at him before grinning up at Luxa.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Stop looking at me that way."

"What way?"

"Gregor-"

"You kept him in here so that we could not…do anything tonight."

"That is a lie."

"Is not," he said, frowning at her. "I mean, after all, you owe me much."

She scoffed. "Owe you, you say?"

"Aye. You owe me."

"For what?"

"Quite a long list. Are you sure you are ready for it?"

She made a face. "I thought you forgave me for-"

"I have. However, part of that forgiveness is that you owe me certain…things."

"Such as?"

Gregor looked down at Zander before looking her in the eyes. "I think that would be best left for when we are alone."

She blinked. Then slowly, she said, "I owe you nothing."

"You do," he assured her. "And when I return from the Dead Lands, I expect to be repaid at least a few things."

"A few things?"

"I have a good idea of what those things are," he told her with a nod of his head. "The list is quite extensive. And many of the items repeat. It shall take us some time to-"

"You have lost your mind, Overlander."

"We shall see."

"We shall see nothing."

He only laughed at her expression as she no doubt thought of all things he could be referring to. Unfortunately, his laughter woke up Zander, who whined, shifting away from Gregor.

"See? This is why he belongs to me," Luxa said simply as the little boy opened his eyes, blinking in the darkness. "Alexander."

"Zander."

"Oh, please. That is a childish nickname."

Gregor smiled down at the little boy. "His real name is James."

Luxa stared down at him then as the boy made a noise at his name. "He knows it."

"Aye."

"Do you think-"

"His name is Zander," Gregor told her firmly. Luxa just stared at him for a moment before nodding.

"It is."

He shifted then, moving to lay on is back. "How is your pain today then, Lux?"

"Manageable," she said simply. "And yours?"

He scoffed slightly. "I know not the meaning of pain."

Zander yawned then, sitting up as he looked around the room. Gregor just reached over and gently poked the little boy in the stomach, who fell over with giggles.

"This changes things," Luxa told him softly then.

"For the better." He smiled, closing his eyes then. "Honestly, Lux, I always, you know, planned to have kids with you."

"Really?"

"Well, not planned, no, but I wasn't opposed to it. And if this is how it has to be, fine. We both like Zander, right?"

The little boy was currently picking his nose, but Luxa solved this by reaching over to stop him.

"Like, yes. Currently."

Gregor laughed slightly. "This though isn't going to happen regularly."

"What?"

"This whole sleeping together thing. He's going to have a room and he's going to use it."

"He sleeps better in here with me."

"I doubt it."

"How would you know?"

"How would you?"

"Lucka?" Zander picked up his stuffed tiger and hit her with it. "Lucka!"

"Zander!"

Gregor pulled the boy to him then, smiling. "He's playing, Luxa."

"Lucka."

"No." She told him harshly before taking his tiger from him. "No."

He opened his mouth wide then and not a moment later started to let out that horrible whine again. Of course that got him his toy back. Of course.

"We have gotta find some kind of defense to that," Gregor mumbled as the boy snuggled his stuffed animal.

"And soon."

As nice as it felt usually snuggling up with Luxa to go to sleep, it felt good too, for Zander to be there with them, sucking his thumb and snoring madly at times. Luxa just laid there for a long time, watching the boy sleep.

"It's been a long time since we've been in bed together," she told Gregor softly then.

"Since you locked me up."

"Mmmm." She was stroking Zander's stomach gently. "That was a good time."

"Most are."

"Not most, no."

He gave her a wry grin then. "Well, for me, most are."

"We are two very different people."

"I know this."

Luxa only sighed slightly before saying, "He's going to live in the royal wing with me. I'm going to adopt him. He will have no claim to the throne, of course, but he will be well taken care of."

Gregor watched the little boy for a moment. "Can you adopt him?"

"I beg for someone to stop me."

He smiled then, shaking his head slightly. "I love you, Luxa."

"I love you too."

"I am thankful to you, Nike, for taking me back into the Dead Lands. I know that it must not be something that you find enjoyable after all that has happened."

Nike made a hum of appreciation as she flew through the air. "I am nowhere near paying you back, Gregor."

"I told you, Nike, that we are friends. There is no such thing as paying one another back. We are more than even."

She made a noise then. "You saved my life. Taking you places is no-"

"Really, Nike, if you want to pay me back, get all the other fliers to stop, like, sticking up for me."

"What?"

He sighed slightly, clicking in the darkness. "It's not like that. I only mean…well…they're being extremely nice to me. Because I saved you. You're their future queen and everything, I know, but I didn't do it to be thanked. I did it because we're friends, you know?"

"If you wish for them to…stop sticking up for you-"

"I just want things to be normal again, is all."

"The fliers have always loved you, Gregor," she told him softly. "But if you wish for them to stop talking to you-"

"No, no, not that either," he said, shaking his head. God, no matter how he put it he sounded like a douche. "Just…just forget it, Nike."

She flew in silence for a moment before saying, "When I come to power, Gregor, there is not much for me to change."

"Meaning?"

"In Regalia, when a new leader comes to power, there is much difference. Luxa is much like her father, they say, and yet she has changed much. With me, however, the only thing that is expected of me is to live in my own lands and bore children. It is not all it is cracked up to be."

"I don't think life is all that is cracked up to be, Nike."

She made that weird laughing noise before saying, "I find at times that I miss times of late, when we were all young and could spend massive amounts of times on adventures and quests. Now I am lucky if I am even keyed in on the things going on."

"We had some fun, back then, yeah. All of us did." Gregor shook his head. "I just do not wish to end up as Vikus had, at the end of the line with none of my friend around me."

"Me either."

"I would much rather die young than to-"

"You cannot say that now that you are a father."

He made a face. "I am hardly a-"

"You are a father. Technically."

"I am not. I'm just the person taking care of him. And believe me, the last thing Luxa wants to be called is a mother, so no, neither of us are parents. We are just in charge of the boy. That's all. Like it was with Hazard."

"What does Hazard think of him?"

"Nothing, really," Gregor admitted, shrugging slightly. "I think he'll like it more later, when Zander starts to take some of the attention off him. You know, when Luxa isn't bothering him as much."

"Or he will become jealous of the child."

Gregor frowned. "I doubt that. Hazard's an adult."

"Adults can get jealous, Overlander," she told him simply, though he knew there was a double meaning to her words.

"Not men. Not real men."

"Mostly men. Mostly real men."

He laughed then, leaning forwards slightly. "I've missed you, Nike. Aurora's been great and Dionysus as well, but-"

"I understand, Overlander. I have missed you as well."

When he arrived in the Dead Lands, it did not take much searching for them to find Ripred. He was just where he said he would be, in some remote cave that he had directed the scouts to. He wasn't alone, but then Gregor was expecting him to be.

"Should I offer my head now or should I-"

"Good to see you too," Gregor responded wryly as he got off Nike's back. Clicking slightly, he counted the gnawers gathered around. Ten. Hmmm. Good turn out for Ripred. "I mean, now that you love me and all. Seeing as you marched against Regalia in for me. I'm honored, honestly, Ripred, but-"

"Do not get cocky, now, Overlander. I slit one flier's wings, I could do another."

"Yeah, hey, about that." Gregor was stalking over to him then, anger resurfacing. "I don't care about you and Luxa's little spats. I really don't. But when you bring someone else into them-"

"You going to let him talk like that to you, Ripred?" one of the other gnawers quipped. "After all we did for him?"

"Yes, Overlander," Ripred said slowly, snapping his tail slightly. "After all I've done for you."

Gregor only shook his head slightly. "I didn't ask for you to do anything for me, Ripred."

"And yet I did."

"Yeah, you did, didn't you?"

"What is this then? The third degree?" Ripred tsked. "See, Overlander, this is why I don't do nice things for other people. The few times I do and I'm crucified for it! The woman locks you away, trades you to an enemy, but I'm the wrong one for-"

"You couldn't have just asked her? For some clarity? I mean, she's not just some stranger. She's Luxa. She-"

"What did you do, Gregor, when you first saw her? Before she had a chance to explain?"

Slapped her. Hated her. Said horrible things to her. And that was after he knew what had happened.

"Your queen's psychotic for the most part. Do you honestly find it out of the realm of possibilities for her to harm you? I mean, honestly? Think with your head. At least I was doing something for you. Unlike your so called killer friends who we ready to just stand by and twiddled their thumbs. Like York or Mareth who would have just yelled and screamed. No, Overlander, I did something. For you."

"And I would thank you if you did not-"

"If I did not what? Hurt your little girlfriend's feelings? Enact the justice that has so been waiting for her?" Ripred spit then, so angry. "Our debt to one another has been more than paid back. I was supposed to get you fish that day; I saved your fucking life. Now get out of her and make sure that that…beast in the Fount knows that if he wants a war, he has one."

It wasn't until Gregor was on Nike's back, heading back to Regalia that he finally spoke to her again.

"That? That was a debt. Ripred lost to me, he's paid me back. This? You and me? This is friendship. That's the difference."

Nike laughed at him then. Uh-huh-huh.

"This might be friendship, Gregor, but that? That is not far off. That is the twisted version of friendship that you and that old rat have. In fact, that might be the only friendship he has left. There might have been a debt, fine, but it didn't matter." She paused. "You're my friend, Gregor. My family. But you're his last and only protégée. His legacy. And sometimes that means so much more."

Ugh. Writing this chapter was a beating. My spacebar keeps sticking and then my words just would run-on. So I popped off the button to clean under it, but now it's worse off than before. Sadness.