Memoirs of the Holy War

by Naryfiel Lilith

It was a war that spanned across two generations. It was a war that tore Jugdral to pieces. It was a war between those who only did what they thought was right. It was a war manipulated by those who had suffered too much. It was a war filled with tragic mistakes and crippling hope. It was a war immortalized by the survivors, and this is their tale. (FE4 Novelization)

12. Interlude - Path

Interlude – Path

---

The war with Verdane is over and… and I am allowed to stay with everyone. No, to be more accurate, they want me to stay. I am… I am more than a healer to them, someone they turn to when ill and leave alone when not. I am their friend, and so, I stay. It's a wondrous and liberating feeling, one that makes me smile too broadly if I'm not careful, despite the fear and uncertainty wisping on the edges.

For now, we're staying in Evans, just as Sigurd predicted. The written surrender was sent to Belhalla with all haste, and the accepting reply returned just as quickly, as well as King Azmur's wish for Sigurd to remain and assist in peace negotiations. Those will officially start once King Azmur's chosen diplomat makes their way here and, in the meantime, we do everything we can to tend to Verdane and help them heal. Considering the damages we inflicted, it is the absolute least of what we can do.

---

Outside, the people of Evans hosted another impromptu festival. I could see them through the window in Sigurd's office. Some would say it was out of relief the war was over, but personally, I thought it was merchants being clever. Festivities spurred spending, and with most of the army staying here still, they had a wealth of potential customers to entice. I wondered what it would be like in a few months, when the army was officially dissolved and the soldiers went home at last. Perhaps things would become quiet and normal again. Perhaps they would not. For now, at least, I should not let it distract me from my task. Once again, Prince Quan and King Jamke had come to discuss something with Sigurd in his office and, once again, it had coincided with my morning reports. I had hoped I might sneak out this time, but no, once again, Prince Quan asked me to remain. Before, I had assumed it was Prince Quan wanted revenge. This time, I truly had no idea why I was here.

"You seem to be settling into life here well enough," King Jamke noted, accepting the tea from me. As before, I made each of them their own pot. Sigurd's was his own mix, of course, and Prince Quan's was the mix I was still working on. King Jamke had the same mix I'd made Zaya. "Any issues?"

"Thankfully, no, since we did our best to establish cordial relationships the last time we were here," Sigurd reassured with a small, slightly sad smile. It hurt his heart to know the people here had been abandoned previously. "I will not say they are not wary of a Grannvale noble serving as their temporary lord, but they at least do not protest violently."

"Taking a Verdanite woman as your wife certainly raised your star in my people's eyes." King Jamke grinned, and it almost hid the bags under his eyes and the tiredness in his voice. He hadn't slept well last night. Based on how pale he looked, I would wager he had not slept well since this all ended. "And here I thought it couldn't go higher."

"I... that..." Sigurd flushed, and then scowled when Prince Quan poorly hid his laughter. "You're teasing me."

"A trifle. But they are excited about it. Others say you must be like a knight from the stories, to successfully woo a denizen of the Spirit Forest." King Jamke actually laughed when Sigurd's flush darkened. "Wow, you're easy."

"Isn't he just?" Prince Quan agreed, no longer hiding his laughter. Sigurd just sulked at them both. "Anyway, Lady Alicia, you can sit and join us. No need to hover."

"No, I prefer standing," I refused, deciding to go through my notes to have something to do. It felt... I was restless to do something. "I do not know why you asked me to stay again."

"Hmm? Well, last time, I thought it would be good practice." What would it have been 'good practice' for? Sigurd and I shared a confused look; King Jamke, meanwhile, rolled his eyes. "This time, it's for the tea."

"I can make the pots and leave."

"But then how will we get refills?"

"Is this to be a long meeting?"

"Ideally, no, but who knows," King Jamke sighed, leaning back in his chair. I scrutinized him once more, and decided he might need some sleeping medicines. "The main purpose of me sneaking out here was to establish what story we're telling the diplomat before he comes."

"Did you manage to convince your advisors of our good intentions?" Prince Quan asked curiously, sipping his tea. His slight smile hinted he liked it, which was a relief. I had been uncertain about the amount of spice I put in; it seemed like a lot. "Or did that conversation have to wait until you were done convincing Khasar to take over Marpha?"

"My advisors at least don't think you're enemies anymore, I did convince Khasar finally, and I still need to think of who will take over Genoa." King Jamke's smile turned bitter. "Of course, this assumes Grannvale will even allow it."

"Well, that's where the story comes in. Speaking of which, I had an idea about it." Prince Quan set his cup down and leaned back to fold his hands in his lap. "What would you say to blaming your brothers?"

"...Pardon?"

"We cannot hide their involvement in this mess. For one thing, Munnir was very prominent in Yngvi's assault, and nearly killed Midir. However, Munnir was still only the Crown Prince, and his atrocities towards his own people can emphasize our point. Similarly, Cimbaeth was only the second prince, and not only abandoned Evans to its plague, but locked a little boy in a mold-filled dungeon to force his aunt to fight in his service. It wouldn't be hard to paint them as the villains."

"No, I suppose not..." King Jamke frowned. "Surprised you already have a story."

"Well, I originally wanted to blame that Sandima bastard, but Sigurd said you wished for his involvement to be hidden for unknown reasons." Prince Quan paused and gave Sigurd a surprisingly dirty look. "Well, unknown to me. He refuses to say why beyond that you asked." Sigurd, for his part, simply sipped his tea and smiled at King Jamke. It did not escape me that King Jamke relaxed at the sight. "How do you go from keeping no secrets from me to keeping two?"

"You may think of it as repayment for never telling me of your crush on Ethlyn," Sigurd answered blithely, settling a little more into his chair. He was perfectly calm about all of this. "Of course, Eldigan and I both knew, you are rubbish at hiding how besotted you are, but you did still keep it secret."

"That... I really don't need to hear that from you, Mister 'wake up before dawn to pick a bouquet for his fiance'," Prince Quan immediately retorted, his scowl doing nothing to hide his embarrassed blush. King Jamke rolled his eyes at both and decided to keep silent to enjoy his own tea. Maybe they would need those refills after all. "Speaking of secrets, please tell me you wrote Eldigan and Lachesis yourself."

"Of course. And I received a reply." Sigurd reached back towards his desk to try and grab it, but couldn't quite reach. I fetched it for him. "Thank you. See?" He passed the letter to Prince Quan, who skimmed through it and groaned. Curious despite myself, I tried to subtly peek at it, only for Prince Quan to simply hand it to me. A quick look showed Lord Eldigan's response was of joy, with only the barest of teasing and certainly no signs of feeling slighted about the secrecy. Even then, his teasing focused more on how 'storybook' his friend's romance appeared. "Lachesis wrote on the back." A quick flip proved him correct and a quicker look proved Lady Lachesis was Very Not Happy at being kept in the dark about Sigurd's paramour. I passed it back to Prince Quan, and he at least looked a little mollified by her reaction. "We're way off topic. I apologize, Jamke."

"I do not mind, since it gave me a good excuse to enjoy the tea," King Jamke murmured, with the careful smile of 'if this had dragged on, I would have been much more sarcastic'. Prince Quan immediately looked sheepish, while Sigurd grinned and reclaimed the letter. "But yes, I did request such. My reasons are my own."

"Meaning Sigurd won't tell me no matter how much I whine," Prince Quan sighed, 'conceding'. I had a feeling he hadn't expected answers anyway. He would've liked them, of course, but if even Sigurd was hiding it, he knew better than to force. "Regardless, he told me, and I wondered how we could spin events. Thus came the idea of blaming your brothers. After all, if the instigators were only the Crown Prince and Second Prince..." He shrugged, a slight smirk on his face. "It would still lead to reparations, plus some sort of probationary period, but in theory, Verdane should keep its sovereignty. Which is what we all want and, well..." He became strangely hesitant then. "I thought... you might want King Batu's legacy kept intact. Whatever his decisions were, they were for his people."

"That is true, but it is weakness to only consider one's country and people. Yes, our priority must be to them, but we cannot let our care and duty blind ourselves to the world we live in. We are all parts of a whole, and when we forget this, when we sacrifice all for the few as my father did, we only have madness." King Jamke was silent for a while, simply drinking his tea. "What role does my father play in your story?"

"We can't hide his death, but we can say he fell to some sort of illness. Evans had that plague, after all." Prince Quan spoke very quietly, recognizing he was treading on a barely closed wound. "If we say he did so, and your brothers took advantage, then..."

"Then you think we can lessen the impact on Verdane. My father is no longer a king who listened to a snake and chose to condemn another country's people to protect his own. He is, instead, a king who lost control of his violent sons and, in doing so, compromised his vision of peace." King Jamke's silence then was hard. "You know... the one thing I liked about my brothers was how much they respected our parents. They didn't agree with Father about peace, but they listened and respected it."

"We don't need this. It was just-"

"It was your best idea to try and protect my people without us becoming subservient to Grannvale. And it is, in fact, the best idea." King Jamke breathed out slowly then, pushing away whatever grim thoughts he had. "Well, they're a little too dead to protest me sacrificing what little reputation they have, and they did grievous harm our people. It's rather fitting, isn't it?" But Sigurd and I exchanged a look, remembering the conversation in my tent. For all he respected his father, I did not think he liked how his father would not answer to his own choices. Still, if Verdane was to escape this with the least amount of damage, King Batu had to remain above reproach for now. "Now, Sigurd, you mentioned you're rubbish at lying, so..."

"Sigurd can simply say he fought Prince Munnir and Prince Cimbaeth, but never faced King Batu in battle," I pointed out absently, already thinking of how Sigurd could circumvent this. It was not your responsibility if someone misinterpreted your words. "He, in fact, did not see King Batu at all until just before he died." I paused when I noticed all three men staring at me. "Yes? Is something wrong? I am not forgetting anything, am I?"

"I'm reminded how you tricked me back in Marpha," Prince Quan complained. I could only shrug. "Lying without lying... and your calm makes it all the more effective." Considering I had quite a bit of practice from dealing with Arvis and his worrywart tendencies, I would hope I had some skill in it. "All right, Sigurd, just stick to that when the diplomats arrive. If we're all in agreement, I think we can go about our morning duties." Prince Quan pushed himself up and offered a hand to King Jamke. "I need to send a message to Leonster anyway."

"Are you informing them of your extended stay?" Prince Quan and Lady Ethlyn had already declared their intention to remain with Sigurd, so they could spend time with Deirdre and help prepare for the wedding.

"Yes, and I need a knight to bring Altena here." Prince Quan's face immediately lit up at the thought of his little girl. "She simply can't miss her uncle's wedding, after all. With that said, I can walk with you to where you're heading, Jamke."

"I simply wanted to pay my respects at the graveyard," King Jamke answered, shaking his head. I wondered if he would tell the dead what we had learned. "Then I need to request Edain to warp me back to my castle and confuse anyone who may be spying. Still, I will be glad for the company."

Though I could, and probably should, have left with them, I simply watched them leave. Sigurd did not encourage me to depart, so when the door clicked shut, I turned to him with a slight frown. "Is it not dangerous to send for Altena?" I asked softly, thinking of what little geography I knew. There were two ways to reach Grannvale from the Munster District, but both had their perils. One involved traveling directly through Thracia, with whom Leonster has had a decades-long 'not-war', and the other involved traveling in the Aed Desert.

"It's a journey Quan has made many, many times," Sigurd pointed out, focused on his tea. In fact, he was so focused I knew he shared my worries. "And the Aed has always been neutral."

"Yes, but it was not long ago Dahna..." There may be questions, certainly, but from what I overheard, the massacre had been very real.

"Dahna is... technically on the edge of the Aed?" He didn't sound very convincing, or convinced for that matter. "And the war is being fought further north and east." An uneasy silence fell then. "I... will remind Quan about both."

"I think I will write Arvis and ask if some Velthomer knights can keep an eye out for them." After all, Velthomer guarded the main road connecting Aed and Grannvale. Some of the Roten Ritter were even stationed in Phinora because of it. "Perhaps they can offer their own escort?"

"I'll admit it would make me feel better, but I'll subtly ask Quan about it. Leonster has its pride, after all, and I don't want to bring more trouble." Sigurd finished his tea and set it down on the table before looking at me with a curious expression. "Have you thought about going to Velthomer yourself?"

"I... had not, no?" An ill feeling settled in my stomach at the question. Why was he asking? Did he want me to leave? I hoped not. I wanted to stay with everyone. "Do you... do you think I should?"

"Well, it might be nice to visit, and spend more time with Azelle, yes? He'll be returning to Velthomer soon." Yes, he would. He wished to return and have a proper talk with Arvis, among other things. "Not to mention you should probably discuss with Arvis how you wish to move forward. You certainly can't hide anymore, since you're staying with us." Sigurd grinned and I made myself relax. I was being silly. Of course, he wasn't telling me to leave, so soon after asking me to stay. "He'd probably want to talk with you about it as well."

"Mmm..." I wouldn't think so. Arvis... he didn't usually 'discuss' things. He would set a goal, and act on it with input from others. In my experience, he would yield to my wishes, as I was more stubborn than him, and he would ask for my advice. None of it involved active talks. He moved as he wished, always alone. "Perhaps." Still, Sigurd did have a point. I should talk with Arvis. No longer was I passively hiding, after all. In fact, since Deirdre asked me to be her Maid of Honor, if I wasn't already known, I would be soon whether I liked it or not. "It seems strange for you to suggest it out of the blue."

"Oh, no, there was a reason, and not just because you mentioned Arvis." Though Sigurd kept the smile, his eyes were serious. "It deals with Sandima. We may be hiding him, but his methods concern me."

"You speak of how he ingratiated himself with King Batu."

"Yes." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We still don't know why. His only known goal would not require such. It only explained why he was in Verdane." There were no answers to why he sparked a war. Even now, my only guesses were to hide in the chaos, or out of revenge. "So, I cannot help but wonder if his fellows might try something similar with King Azmur. If you want an army at your bidding, for whatever reason, Grannvale has Jugdral's largest."

"So, you wish for Arvis to be warned, as he is Captain of the Royal Guard."

"Indeed, but I worry about a written message being intercepted and I want to honor Jamke's request for silence. Thus, a verbal warning would serve best." His expression softened, a kind smile on his face. "You also need a break. I know you're the champion of workaholics, but you deserve it."

"There is much to be done, all the more when I'm helping to plan the wedding." I smiled when he blushed at the reminder. Of course, we had plenty of time to plan, since Sigurd wanted Deirdre to acclimate to life as a nobleman's wife. It would be next year at the earliest. "However, I can agree with the other reasons. I should face the consequences of my decision to stay, and Arvis absolutely needs to know the risks." It was infinitely harder to protect against a threat you knew nothing about. "So, with your permission, I believe I shall take your advice and visit my older brother."

"Why would you need my permission? You're not beholden to anyone." Sigurd grinned. "Just don't stay away too long. Whoever will I conspire with if you do?"

"Perhaps you should behave until after your wedding." The teasing was out before I could stop it, and he laughed. "For now, however, do you want more tea?"

"Please and thank you."

I made him another pot before hunting for my little brother to discuss this potential change in plans. Azelle was, thankfully, exactly where I expected him to be: the library. However, to my surprise, he was not alone. He talked with Ayra by the window, the book half-closed in his arms hinting she had arrived only a few minutes ago. If it had been longer, he would have properly marked his place and closed it to be polite. I lingered back, not wanting to interrupt their conversation, and discovered Lex and Shannan were here as well, with Lex carrying Shannan in his arms as they perused the shelves.

"Hmm? Oh, hey, Alicia," Lex greeted, noticing me almost immediately. I would've thought he was too busy studying the books, given he pulled one out a second later. He passed it to Shannan to flip through, and turned to face me. "Thought you'd be in Sigurd's office a little longer when I saw Quan and Jamke heading in."

"All business has concluded, and I was looking for Azelle," I explained, carefully coming over. I didn't want to intrude, yet I also couldn't help but worry. "Why are you carrying Shannan? Did he overexert?"

"Nah, he's been good." Lex grinned at Shannan, who was too engrossed with the book to notice our conversation. By the cover, I guessed it was a collection of children's stories. "For some reason, whoever arranged this library put the children's books at my height." ...Why would someone place them so high? Did they expect the children to ask the adults for assistance? "Saw him straining while I was teasing Azelle, so..." So, he picked him up to help.

"Where was Ayra through this?" It was hard to believe she would have simply watched Shannan struggle.

"Chasing after Shannan. He ran ahead." He grinned down at Shannan, and jostled him slightly. Shannan blinked a few times in confusion and then pouted at Lex. "Hey, now, you'd be upset if I didn't tell you Alicia was here."

"Huh?" Shannan replied, staring for a moment. Then he twisted to look at me, and I awkwardly waved. "Oh! Hi!" His chipper voice bounced off the shelves, and caught the attention of Azelle and Ayra. I barely kept myself from wincing; I really hadn't wanted to disturb them. "When did you get here?"

"I arrived just now," I explained, forcing myself to relax and smile at him. I didn't want him to think he had done something wrong. "It seems you were looking for stories?"

"Yeah, I wanted one I could read with Dew!" He grinned, bright and cheerful, and my smile softened. Mister Dew's reading lessons began a few days after we arrived back in Evans, and Shannan, Finn, and Lord Oifeye were all determined to help him in every way they could. "What are you doing in the library?"

"I was looking for Azelle, and thought I might find him here." Noticing Azelle and Ayra coming over, I turned slightly to better face them. "I apologize for intruding."

"You could never intrude, sister," Azelle reassured, smiling warmly. He subtly marked his spot in his book and shut it; Lex and I exchanged an amused look and then a smile when we realized why. Azelle was quite predictable sometimes. "But what is it? Did you need something?"

"I..." I began, wondering how best to phrase this. Would it be rude? Would he think it a bother? "I was wondering if I might visit Velthomer?" Azelle immediately lit up at the thought, which made me simultaneously less and more nervous. "Do you think Arvis will mind?"

"Why would he mind?" Ayra asked then, visibly confused. I tried to think of how to answer. "You're his sister." She paused and then looked right at Lex. "Is this a thing in Grannvale, to be so hesitant to visit family? I would imagine he'd be glad to see her."

"Arvis will be ecstatic," Lex replied instantly. Strangely, Shannan fell terribly silent and I wondered why his smile faltered. "It will, however, be Alicia's first time visiting."

"All the more reason then. It will be a nice surprise." She paused then, and smiled sheepishly. "Ah, but I am putting words in your mouth, Azelle."

"No, no, since you're both right," Azelle laughed, waving his free hand. I had truthfully never seen him with so bright a smile. "Arvis and I would both love for you to visit, Alicia. Will you leave with me, then?"

"Yes, if it is not too much trouble," I replied, finally relaxing. I kept one eye on Shannan, though, still worried about his drooping mood. "I do not know how long I should stay?"

"A few months? Please?"

"I will check if I can be spared so long, but I think it will be fine." This time, Shannan ducked his head, and all four of us focused on him. "Shannan? What's wrong?"

"I... nothing!" Shannan immediately blurted, refusing to look at any of us. I wondered if we should call out the obvious lie, or let it rest. "It's... you'll be back, right?" The tentative, shaky way he said the words made me remember our conversation in the main camp, just before the end of the war. He had asked me a similar thing then.

So, I smiled and held out my pinky to him. "I promise," I whispered, smiling. Shannan hesitantly smiled back and hooked his pinky around mine. "I will return in a few months, and I will look forward to all the stories you tell me of what happened while I was gone."

"I will." His smile became a little stronger. Ayra looked relieved to see it, though Azelle and Lex both still frowned in worry. "A-and I will do my bestest to not push myself."

"I know you will. You are a very good patient." A random thought occurred to me then, perhaps something he could use to distract himself. "Also, if you can, will you keep an eye on Deirdre for me? She's still getting used to everything." I would need to tell her next about my visit; she still preferred hiding behind me.

"Oh! I can do that!" Now Shannan's smile was as bright as cheerful as before, and Lex grinned at the sight. Azelle still looked a little worried. "What about the lessons, though?"

"I'll leave some things for you four to read, but I'll be counting on you to help Mister Dew."

"We will!"

So, I would visit Velthomer at last. Though, technically, it was 'returning', since I had been born there. I'd never desired to do so, growing up, yet now, I couldn't help but feel a little excited. It was more than a little strange, but I would think on why later.

---

A few days later, I left Evans in the company of Azelle, Lady Edain, Sir Midir, and Alec. Lady Edain and Sir Midir were returning to Yngvi Castle to assist in reconstruction and oversee the daily affairs in her father's absence, as originally intended, while Sir Alec was delivering a letter to Chalphy's steward to update them on the current situation. It was a few days of company, where we would go our separate ways in Yngvi, in theory. In reality...

"Will you two not stay the night, Azelle?" In reality, Lady Edain spent most of the time trying to convince Azelle and me to spend a day or two in Yngvi. "I understand why Alec insists on going ahead," she continued, frowning at us. She had the time; she rode with Sir Midir, curled up against his chest. I rode with Azelle and Sir Alec rode beside us. "It truly is too early to stop when Chalphy is so close, but Velthomer is so far away!"

"That is precisely why we need to travel while there's daylight, Edain," Azelle refused reluctantly. He truly had no idea what to do when faced with such persistence. ...To be fair, I didn't either. "It's a long journey and I'd like to make sure Alicia and I make it to an inn."

"You could make it to an inn tomorrow?"

"Then we'll be a day late, and Arvis will fret." Despite the logic, Azelle squirmed. He truly did not know how to refuse people, especially those he still had crushes on. It may be a fading crush, but it still lingered. "So…"

"With that said, you could possibly stay a few hours and still make the next inn with little difficulties," Sir Alec 'helpfully' added, bringing his horse a little closer. To my surprise, his attention was not on Azelle or Lady Edain, but me. "It just occurred to me Lady Alicia might want to gather her things from her home."

"Pardon?" I asked, surprised by the apparent shift in conversation. Then I processed what he said and thought to refuse. After all, I had brought everything I'd needed when I first left and I had no sentimental attachment to anything which might be left in my house. However, even as I thought it, I remembered the day Lady Ethlyn asked me to join and, more specifically, how… "Actually, Sir Alec, might you do me a favor?"

"Of course." He smiled warmly. "What is it?"

"In my house, on the outskirts of town, I have a blanket hanging. Can you retrieve it for me?" I… I couldn't go myself. If I did, I had no doubts I would be swarmed by the townsfolk demanding treatments. Considering how long I had been gone, I would no doubt hear many lectures on my absence and I… I did not want to deal with it. I did not want to see or hear them. B-besides, I couldn't help even if I did. At Lady Ethlyn's insistence, I did not bring my staff for the journey, only a small medicine bag for emergencies. It hurt and felt terribly awkward, but I simply did not have the time or resources. They would have to speak with Father Eirik about their health and… ah. "I… should speak with Father Eirik while we are here." I needed to inform him myself of what had happened, and what… what I had chosen.

"Are you certain, Lady Alicia?" Sir Midir surprisingly asked then, his voice soft. He looked at me worriedly, even as the others looked at him in confusion. "If you merely wish to inform him of your continued absence, I can handle such in your place." Did… did he guess how little I actually wanted to see Father Eirik right now? How? No one else did.

Still… "No, I should do it myself," I replied, speaking as confidently as I could. It was easy; I knew how to wear my healer-mask well. Sir Midir studied me for a moment before nodding. "He should be in the church at this hour."

"Is he not usually in the church at all hours?" He had a fair point there. "Lord Azelle, in the meantime, might I suggest waiting for her in the castle?" This would... be very good. I wouldn't want Azelle near while I talked to Father Eirik. He told Arvis everything, after all, and I did not want Arvis to know anything more than what I told him.

Azelle reluctantly agreed then, and Lady Edain cheered at the idea of playing host. Thus, Sir Alec split off to head to my house, while Azelle and Sir Midir rode into the castle courtyard. From there, I slipped away and down the streets. The damages from the fire and attack still lingered, even if some repairs had been done, but the church itself appeared unchanged when I arrived. I made sure to enter through a side entrance. did not want to go through the front. If I did, most would notice me immediately, and given what usually happened, I would either be completely ignored, the preferable option in this situation, or swarmed with demands for medicines and treatment. I did not... I didn't have the time. It was so terribly anxious, avoiding everyone who might need my help. The guilt weighed heavy on my heart. Yet I... I did not want to be here, so I truly wished to make this as quick as possible.

Thus, I walked as quickly and quietly as possible, hiding in the shadows, until I reached the back rooms where the living quarters were. Once upon a time, my room had also been here. It had been the furthest one, directly across from Father Eirik's office, and I had lived there from when I was abandoned to when I moved into my little house at fourteen. There was something bitter yet nostalgic, standing outside that door. I wondered if its next resident had changed anything. They probably had; I'd never truly decorated, and the most I'd left behind back then was some scribbled notes. But it would be rude to actually open the door and see, so instead, I knocked on the door to Father Eirik's study. I knew he'd be there. Even now, I did not know which of these rooms was his bedroom. Perhaps he slept in his study.

"Come in," he called through the door. It was a dry, tired, 'why are you bothering me' sort of tone, and it made my stomach twist in old, familiar anxiety. But I made myself open the door and step inside. It was... the same as it always had been. It was a stark room, with barely any ornamentation. In fact, the only decoration was the curtains on the far window, a rich gold with white lace which fluttered in the breeze whenever the window was even a sliver open. I remembered asking about it once, a child's curiosity. The only answer I received was 'it was a gift', and it was said in a tone of 'I would never buy this for myself', so I never sought clarification. "...Alicia?" Father Eirik's voice drew my attention back to him, and I saw him stand and move in front of his desk to lean against it with the most confused look I had ever seen on his face. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"I... the campaign ended, Father Eirik," I replied slowly, trying to think of what I wanted to say. How should I word this? How could I word it? "I..."

"You're not returning, are you? Your Mark was revealed." He scowled, and I braced myself for a lecture on irresponsibility. "Do you wish to hide again?" Yet there was no lecture. He instead... for the first time I could remember, he actually asked for my opinion. "Hiding in Yngvi would be a lost cause, but there's a church in Miletos who would gladly take you in. They're not nearly as obsessed with Holy Blood as the rest of the continent, and more inclined to respect a healer."

"Ah, no, I'm... I'm not hiding anymore." I suppose it was best to simply be as blunt and firm as possible. "I will be staying in Evans. I'm simply passing by while on my way to visit Arvis in Velthomer."

"Ah." It was all he said, but the confusion in his expression faded somewhat. That... told me a lot.

"You're not surprised."

"Of course not. If anything, I find myself hilariously vindicated." He scoffed, and leaned more against his desk to cross his arms. It occurred to me this was the most relaxed I had ever seen him. "I told Kurth to give you to Byron when he first dropped you on me. He would've been more than sufficient protection, and his wife would've adopted you in a half-second." He sighed gustily. "But no, that fool of a woman insisted you should be protected from everything, so into my custody you went. Then, some eighteen years later, you left with Byron's son. The gods work in mysterious ways, sometimes."

"Custody is an odd word choice."

"Well, it certainly can't be 'care'." The words were as blunt and no-nonsense as most everything he had ever said to me. Yet they hit with a different weight than usual. "I think we can both agree on that. I'm still not sure why you bothered returning."

"It seemed polite." I suppose I also thought I had to say it to him. He was the one who took care... who raised... no, he was right. None of those terms fit. I... could admit it now, because I had somewhere else to go. I had somewhere else I wanted to go. I was no longer stuck here. "You are my guardian, after all."

"Guardian sounds too fancy. That's more of what Sigurd is doing with the little prince." Exasperation flitted across his face then, and I tried not to sag at it. The look always accompanied a lecture. "Word spread quickly about that, and your role in it. Blood certainly always tells."

"Pardon?" I had to frown. "I... highly doubt my father would take in someone like Shannan."

"I'm not talking about the avaricious, gluttonous sadist. I'm talking about the fool who was so committed to her ideal of protecting everything she got herself killed and left you in the care of a man who had no business raising a child." He sighed, and a strangely sharp feeling went through my heart. I wasn't sure what to call it. Maybe, just maybe, it was 'vindication'. "Well, to be fair, none of us expected Victor would kill himself in a tantrum less than a year later. I rather thought Kurth would take you back, since the greatest danger was gone, but he yielded to Sunna's last wishes. She wanted you safe, from everything. Victor, herself, politics... everything." Thus, I remained here, thrown away in Yngvi, so safe I might as well have been in a prison. Yes, 'custody' fit quite well. "He probably felt too guilty to take you back, given his part in the mess. Knowing him, he thought he had to protect you from him too."

"Why didn't you refuse?"

"I owed Kurth too much, and he damn well knew it." I wondered why that was. I doubted I would ever learn. "But you are no longer a child. You haven't been a child for three years. So, my part is finished."

"I see." I... the words were somewhere between 'uncomfortable' and 'comfortable'. There was... there was something else I wanted to hear, while he was being so unexpectedly open and honest. But what was...? Ah, no, I knew. I wanted... I think I wanted an apology. But I knew he wouldn't apologize. It wasn't his way. "I suppose..." After all, a person gave an apology in hopes of forgiveness, and he did not want to be forgiven. He thought it pointless. He could have tried harder to be a parent instead of a custodian, but he didn't. He made the decision, and now, he had to live with it. Whatever regrets he had concerning me, no matter how many or few, he had to carry with him just as he carried all his other regrets. He had built up the burden and he would live with it. He did not want forgiveness to lighten it. It weighed as it should. "I suppose I have a couple of questions, then."

"Ask, then."

"The first is about Arvis. Why did you let him visit me?" I was glad for it, certainly. But if the whole reason he committed to sheltering me was to 'protect me from everything' as my mother wished, then why had he...?

"If he had tried to take you to Velthomer, or brought others with him, I would've stopped him." Father Eirik shrugged. "But a brother visiting his sister? Where was the danger in that? The first sign of an assassin, I would've stepped in, but he was careful to never be followed. Thus, I had no need to protect you from him."

"I see." I had to smile a little. "Then my next question is... I came of age three years ago. Why did you...?" Why hadn't he left me alone? Why hadn't he thrown me away? Based on what he said, Prince Kurth had only tasked him with my safety while I was a child.

"And where would you go? You had no desire to return to Velthomer, or leave Yngvi. I didn't spend all that time making sure you stayed safe and alive just to throw you to the wolves." He smiled faintly, and it was perhaps the first he ever gave me. It was certainly the first I remembered. "But there is no reason to keep smothering you here. You have a place to run now."

"Yes, I do." I thought about what to say. I could ask him more questions. I could ask about his decisions in the past, and he might actually have a reasonable answer. To him, perhaps they had made sense. But to a child, they had been cold, had been angry, had been hurtful. He never tried to explain, and thus, I grew up in this lonely prison where I was clearly unwanted. I... could not forgive him for it. I would not forgive him, and that was fine. That was another reason why he did not seek forgiveness. I did not owe it to him. "I think this is the first time you've ever explained yourself."

"You are no longer a child." No, I was not. I was an adult, walking my own path at last, and this was how he acknowledged it. I was no longer his ward, so there was no reason to continue hiding and protecting me. Thus, he finally explained himself, as one equal to another. The realization was terribly bitter. "You're an idealist like your mother, so I have no doubts the path you walk is fraught with peril. But my part in your life is done."

"Yes, I'm leaving." I was leaving him behind at last. This chapter of my life was over. So, how best to end this conversation? The polite thing would be to thank him, but I... I didn't want to thank him. I could neither forgive nor thank him, and he clearly did not expect either. This was the only way this awkward, socially inept jerk could say I was right to not be grateful or forgiving. "Farewell, Father Eirik. May we never meet again."

"I'd be quite surprised if we did." He nodded, still with the smile. I almost thought it 'proud'. "Farewell, Alicia."

I left then. I left and did not shut the door behind me. It was rude, but I felt I had earned a little bit of rudeness. Certainly, he didn't call after me for it. So, I strode out, through the front door, with my head held high. Of course, I kept to the side streets once I actually left so I would not be ambushed on my way to the castle, but leaving through the front doors, knowing I would not return, was strangely freeing. Equally strange was the sight I saw when I approached the gates of Yngvi Castle. I had never seen Sir Alec with such a hard expression, but there he was, standing at the threshold with my blanket carefully folded in his arms. I was grateful to see it; I half-thought someone might have taken it when they couldn't find me.

"Ah, Lady Alicia, have you finished speaking with Father Eirik?" Sir Alec asked, carefully schooling his expression to something more relaxed as soon as he noticed me. There was still a stiffness to his shoulders. "My apologies. I should have checked there first to escort you."

"It's fine, Sir Alec," I reassured, waving off the apology. "I grew up here, after all."

"Yes, but Lady Alicia, you do have a habit of falling into trouble. After all..." He smiled teasingly; it did nothing to dispel the lingering stiffness. "How many times is it now you've been taken hostage?"

"It has only been twice."

"And yet those two are half of our total hostage count for the army. Though, technically, Lady Edain was never held hostage, as hostage implies extortion of some kind, and Lord Shannan was not yet part of our army."

"..." Since I could not deny the observation, I simply held my hand out for the blanket. He passed it without a word, only a slight smirk, and I held it up for inspection. There was no sign of tearing or fading, merely a bit of dust which would come out with a good wash. "Were there any difficulties finding my house?"

"Ah, a trifle, but I remember Prince Quan telling Lord Sigurd and Lady Ethlyn the path." He fell silent, and I studied him curiously. "I... a person arrived not long after I did, demanding medicine for their daughter."

"I see." So, it was exactly as I expected. No one could say the townsfolk were not predictable. "I'm sorry. I should've warned you."

"...Then it was not an unusual thing for you, for them to show up without warning to demand your time?" Sir Alec's voice was very quiet, yet it was harder and sharper than a steel blade. "When they realized I was not you, they launched into a rant of how..." Sir Alec paused, biting back many words. "Selfish. They called you selfish, for leaving. To help us."

"They are very used to finding me at all hours." I shrugged, resigned to it, but Sir Alec's expression grew dark and fierce once more. "Though, I suppose some part of me wondered if they may have acted as they did before I learned to heal."

"And how was that?"

"They ignored me." After all, I was simply the 'strange orphan' Father Eirik took care of, one of many. There was no reason to pay attention until I learned to heal, until they learned I would heal them without payment.

"...I see." If Sir Alec's expression grew any darker, we could use it for the night sky. "Lady Alicia."

"Yes?"

"Just... thank you." That was... not what I expected to hear, given his demeanor. But he breathed in and out slowly to calm himself down, and looked at me earnestly. "Thank you, for helping us. You saved so many lives in this campaign; I dread thinking of how many would have died if we did not have you."

"There's no need to thank me. I'm glad to help."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't receive gratitude anyway. It is also an expression of respect." It... Was it? I had... never thought of it that way. "Regardless, to finish the tale, I sent them on their way and then came here. I'd just arrived when you walked up." Why did I have a feeling he didn't simply tell them to leave? Oh, well. I doubted he would elaborate.

"I see." I checked the blanket one more time before folding it up again and handing it back to Sir Alec. "Will you give this to Lady Ethlyn when you return? She expressed some admiration of it, when she visited." Perhaps it had only been politeness, but I still remembered.

"Ah, yes?" He held it against his chest, frowning in clear confusion. "You do not wish to keep it."

"No, I made it for a purpose. It divided my house into my 'living' and 'work' areas." I smiled at him, and though it was not a 'proper healer smile', I decided to no longer care. It was... easier said than done. Perhaps in time, it would become my 'normal'. "I doubt I need such a thing in Evans, yes?"

"...You're right. You won't." Sir Alec smiled back at last, no stiffness or anger in sight. "I will gladly give it to Lady Ethlyn. For now, though, shall I escort you into the castle proper? I'm certain Lady Edain has tricked Lord Azelle into tea by now."

She had indeed, and so I joined them with a smile, surprisingly content with everything. As they chatted, and I listened, I found a new resolve building in me. No, I would not see Father Eirik again. I would also... I would also never return to Yngvi. If I did, it would only be the castle to visit Lady Edain. This would be the last time. I would remain with the people who thanked me despite my insistence it was not needed, who respected my time and abilities, who sought to make me smile and laugh.

I would stay with those who valued me instead of taking me for granted, and I could not be happier at the thought.

---

The journey to Velthomer was quiet, far quieter than what I was used to. Then again, it was only Azelle and me, rather than a group of soldiers. It was almost fascinating how used I was to noise now, when I had spent so much of my life surrounded by silence. This did not, however, mean I was used to 'all' noises. The cacophony in the Velthomer courtyard when we rode in nearly deafened me.

"So, this is Velthomer Castle?" I murmured to myself, slipping out of the saddle as soon as Azelle brought us to a stop. Azelle didn't answer me, since not only was it obvious, but he had to dismount and talk to the stablehand who appeared almost immediately to take his horse. "It looks different from Yngvi's castle." Yngvi's castle was a towering behemoth of gray stones softened by orange tiles for the roofs. Velthomer's castle, meanwhile, was a sprawling array of pristine white stones, topped with complementing yet varied shades of red roofs. "The courtyard as well..." Yngvi's was subtle with its colors, provided shade with a wide array of flowering trees, and only had a handful of servants rushing about. Velthomer's, however, was just as expansive as its castle, liberally decorated with enough flowers to make one's head spin and an army of people rushing to and fro. Many ignored me, thankfully, but no small few gave me curious looks. I imagined it was because I remained hooded when Azelle had already taken down his hood and because they could not think of why Azelle would leave with Lex and return with a stranger.

There was, however, one person who had an interesting reaction. A noticeably older man, dressed neat and tidy, stared at me with wide eyes. I imagined it had something to do with how he was probably one of the very few who could see my face, thanks to where he was standing. I wondered what he was thinking, staring as he was, but finding out would require talking to him and I was not curious enough to start a random conversation yet. Besides, Azelle waved to me before long so I could follow him inside the castle. I could worry about the starer later. For now, I simply had to keep up with Azelle as he briskly strode through the decorated halls of the castle.

Eventually, Azelle came to a sudden stop in front of a door, one carved with the 'emblem of flames'. It was one of the house's crests, signifying the family's devotion to justice. Understandably, the 'Fire Emblem' was spoken with scoff nowadays thanks to my father, but Arvis still worked diligently to restore people's faith in it. Regardless, Azelle stood outside the closed doors for a very long moment before hesitantly knocking on the door. There was no answer, only the quiet sounds of someone moving inside. Azelle knocked again, but the response remained the same. At that, he drooped and squirmed, obviously uncomfortable, so I chose to knock the third time, and call, "Arvis?"

There was a very long moment of silence, long enough I almost knocked a fourth time. Then there was the sudden sound of someone standing abruptly and knocking over a large object from within. This was quickly followed by the sound of other, smaller, things falling, a person's very loud yelp, a different person's very colorful cursing, and the sound of someone scrambling about, possibly losing their balance in the process. At the chaotic chorus, Azelle and I glanced at each other worriedly, but before one of us could suggest opening the door to peek inside, it was wrenched open to reveal a very, very harried looking Arvis.

"I... what?" he 'greeted', staring blankly at me. I smiled and awkwardly waved before reaching up to fix his messy hair. The strands were all over the place. "Alicia? What are you...?"

"She wanted to visit, so she tagged along?" Azelle answered for me, with a sheepish smile. He fidgeted and fussed with his sleeves, and ducked his head when Arvis focused on him. "So... uh... surprise?"

"I... you two..." Arvis continued staring before sighing heavily. "Clearly, I need to be careful when you two conspire."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Azelle glanced up hesitantly. "Also, we... uh... we heard a lot of things falling, but..."

"That is..." Arvis stilled and half-closed the door to prevent us from looking inside. "It's fine. Listen, why don't you take Alicia to the sun room while I finish up?" Ah, this told me everything.

"Uh... sure, I can do that?" Azelle sounded confused, and Arvis shifted to better block any potential view. This confirmed what I suspected. He'd made a mess of his already messy study and was embarrassed. Normally, I would leave well enough alone, but given what I had heard over the years, I had to admit I was dreadfully curious.

"Arvis, why not simply let us in?" I asked, smiling faintly. Arvis tensed slightly before putting on his best 'please, simply play along' smile. I ignored it with practiced ease. "I have already heard much about your study. It's practically legendary due to its mess."

"It is not that messy," Arvis immediately lied, not quite looking me in the eye. Azelle immediately rolled his eyes. "It's organized."

"Organized chaos is still chaos."

"If I can find everything, it is not messy." Arvis unintentionally moved, turning defensive, and this left a sliver of space just wide enough for me to slip past. "Ack! Alicia!" I, of course, seized the unexpected opportunity, and stepped inside. Then it was my turn to stare blankly, as it was far worse than I could have ever imagined. This was beyond chaos, organized or not. There were papers everywhere, some crumpled into balls while others were splattered with ink, to say nothing of the ones stuffed into the various books scattered about the room. This wasn't even going into the pens and other miscellaneous objects strewn about randomly. In fact, the mess was so intense I barely even noticed the other person in the room. "It's not usually this bad!"

"It looked like this before I spent three hours organizing," the study's other occupant instantly retorted, with a long suffering sigh. With a baleful glare at the mess, they went about picking up the fallen papers. I had no idea how they even knew where to begin. "Three. Hours."

"You're exaggerating, Aida," Arvis protested, turning to face us. Now that he no longer blocked the doorway, Azelle peeked inside and his exasperated look implied Arvis was playing down the usual mess again. He did it in his letters too. "You haven't even been here three hours. To say nothing of how you were supposed to be off today."

"Aw, but how could I stay away when you were fretting because Lord Azelle was a day late?" The person, Aida, grinned and Arvis rolled his eyes. Azelle and I, however, shared a guilty look. Tea with Lady Edain had, in fact, delayed us. "Regardless, though, it is a pleasure to meet you at last, Lady Alicia. You've no doubt guessed already, but I am Aida."

"It is a pleasure to meet you at last as well, Aida," I replied, truthfully a little surprised I'd meet her so soon. Arvis usually assigned her a number of different missions, since she was the only person he actually trusted with work. "I apologize for startling him so and undoing your hard work."

"Are you kidding? It was hilarious!" She grinned, eyes dancing, and Arvis outright scowled. "It's so rare I get to see him so off-guard! I shall treasure the memory always." I... well, at least she thought it all amusing? "Now then, what brings you here, Lady Alicia? I'm far too curious, and we both know Arvis will never ask outright." No, he would not. He would worry too much about how it might sound as if he did not like my presence.

"Sigurd thought I could use a break." I shrugged, speaking carefully now. "Arvis and I should also discuss how to proceed since I'm no longer hiding."

"You aren't?"

"No, I am staying in Evans." I smiled as I said the words, and for the barest of seconds, Arvis seemed disgruntled by it. But it smoothed out for his own smile, so perhaps I imagined it. Then again, maybe he was upset he had not guessed what I'd do. It was just the sort of thing to make him sulk. "I can hardly hide there. I'm Deirdre's Maid of Honor, for one thing."

"...Right, Lord Sigurd is getting married." Aida blinked a few times before smiling at Arvis. "Looks like someone is going to have to fend off the matchmakers alone now."

"I'm used to ignoring all of them by now," Arvis easily dismissed, even waving his hand to bat away the words. To be fair, he was very used to it. He'd been dealing with matchmakers and similar since he was eight. "For now, at least..." He trailed off in thought before gesturing to Aida specifically. "Tell Ruarc to prepare the Silver Izelle rooms, will you?" Ruarc... that was the name of his steward, if I remembered correctly. As for the rooms... I did not know why rooms would be 'named' anything, but I did know izelles were a type of blossom native only to the Velthomer region. Arvis once brought me a bouquet to show me, and said the silver variety were the rarest. Maybe I should find a few for Deirdre, to tease her. She still blushed so easily whenever I mentioned flowers. "And Azelle, you should go ahead and rest before dinner. I'll show Alicia to her rooms when they're ready." ...Did he say 'rooms'? Plural? What was I supposed to do with multiple rooms? ...Wait, hold on, were these Silver Izelle rooms being prepared for me? There was no need to go through so much trouble!

I wanted to protest. I almost did. But Aida and Azelle accepted the perceived dismissal without a word and left before I could even open my mouth. Arvis shut the door behind them, waiting for the 'click' before turning to look at me curiously. I knew why. He knew as well as I did I would have never come to Velthomer for a 'break', no matter what anyone else thought, and he knew I would not have thought to consult him about the consequences of my choice without a prompt.

"I did not lie," I felt the need to say. He only smiled wryly. "I am here for a break, at Sigurd's suggestion, and I am here to discuss how to proceed, also at Sigurd's suggestion." Arvis once again had a disgruntled look for the barest of blinks, but it was gone before I could ask. "However, unbeknownst to everyone, I also have a verbal message from Sigurd."

"On a matter requiring such secrecy even Sigurd takes precautionary measures?" Arvis asked, noticeably surprised. He glanced at the door and then gestured to have me follow him to the window on the opposite wall. Hopefully, few could eavesdrop if we spoke quietly here. "I take it, then, there is more to the story? We received the official surrender a few days ago. I believe King Azmur's diplomat left yesterday morning, actually."

"I am glad to hear it, since the sooner the talks are done, the sooner everyone may begin to heal." I clasped my hands in front of me, mostly to give them something to do. I wasn't used to being so idle. I had not made medicine in days. "There is an official story, one I can tell you later if you wish to hear it before the talks, but we are hiding the involvement of someone who played a... very significant part in this mess."

"Really now?" Arvis crossed his arms, and leaned against the window. "Yet despite their complicity in the war and damages, Sigurd of all people chooses against bringing them to justice?"

"That is twice now you've used Sigurd as a standard."

"He is the righteous knight, straightforward as the sun. He is not very subtle." Well, this was true. It was part of what made him so endearing. "I hold the utmost respect for him, but this is not his usual way of doing things."

"It is when it is at another's request. To be specific, King Jamke wished we keep everyone about this person as hidden as possible." I made sure to look Arvis directly in the eye. "This person used dark magic, Arvis, and is believed to worship Loptyr." Arvis immediately tensed, no doubt figuring everything out simply from that. "This man integrated himself in Verdane's court, manipulated the royal family, and attacked us with brutal dark magic."

"And all anyone will see is the dark magic and potential connection to the cults of old, sparking a fresh flood of blood." Arvis clenched his teeth and dug his fingers into his arms. I reached over to pry them off lest he bruise himself. "There's already too many damned hunts as is, so many forced underground..." Arvis closed his eyes to force himself to calm and not launch into a rant, but I found myself frowning. Why would they be underground? Did he mean figuratively? "Do we know why he did so? Why he was in Verdane?"

"I fear he did not launch into a monologue about his motives, as one does in theater." I had to speak carefully again, so I did not say a single untrue word. Perhaps it was not wise, given how nebulous everything with Sandima was, but I would not tell even Arvis Deirdre's secret. It was hers, and hers alone, and I would protect her. It wasn't hard; I had plenty of practice. I knew he would never be able to tell. "It was quite surprising, given how stereotypically he acted otherwise."

"Well, well, someone's stopped biting back some of her sarcasm." Arvis relaxed and opened his eyes. I forced myself to make a face, like I did when we were younger and I had not yet learned how to feign the calm of a healer. I did not know how well I managed, but he laughed, so I would count it as a small victory. "So, essentially, the message is to be extra wary of unknowns approaching His Majesty."

"It is also a warning to be careful of those who try to earn his favor." They were things he already did, of course, but it was important to warn nonetheless. I wanted him to do the best he possibly could; he would accept nothing less from himself. "I should also apologize, again, for everyone seeing my Holy Mark."

"Alicia…" He sighed, as I knew he would. "There is no need to-"

"I know you do not need one, but I give one anyway as I know it caused many problems." I spoke the words firmly and clearly, hoping they conveyed both my sincerity and my determination. I would not hide anymore. I would not hide, so I could stay with those I loved and admired. "I am no longer a child, Arvis. You need not try to shield me. Instead, let us decide how best to proceed. You cannot tell me rumors have not been spreading like wildfire."

"...They have, yes." Arvis had a disgruntled look on his face yet again, but it was yet again gone before I could blink. "I've been ignoring them, and the pointed comments. It's not the first time." Yes, I knew this. He had dealt with such gossip since he was a child, but it did not change the current situation. "Still, if you are certain you do not want to hide, then the best course would be to be as open as possible. Gossip feeds on shame." ...I had to admit; the thought made me queasy. "Your first function should probably be something related to Velthomer as well." Arvis brought up his hand to rest on his chin as he thought. "How long will you be staying?"

"If you do not mind, and Azelle said you wouldn't, I told Sigurd a few months." He'd actually suggested I stay even longer, but I refused. I didn't want to be away from everyone for so long; I already missed them.

"Why would I mind having my precious sister around for a few months?" He gave me a playfully hurt look, and I could only smile. It would be the longest we'd ever spent time together consecutively. "A few months... the Festival of Flowers will be held soon. That would be perfect."

"Would it?" I admittedly knew very little about it. The most I knew was how Arvis always needed ten times the number of headache medicines he usually did in the weeks before, and he never failed to rest at least a few days with me afterwards. Once it had been two weeks, the longest he'd ever stayed. "You've never told me much about it, and you know how little I pay attention to gossip."

"I'm glad, considering what some are saying." What was he talking about? He sounded grumpy about it, but refused to elaborate. "The Festival of Flowers is a celebration Fjalar held after the Holy War, the first one after the Empire's fall, if one does not include the victory celebrations." Oh, my head still spun from how long the ones in Verdane lasted. It had taken seven days for everyone to calm down. "Back then, it was a simple thing, more to rejoice in all the flowers blooming since the area had been ravaged by the final battles. Now, though..." This time, his sigh was very tired. "Now, it is an extremely involved and bombastic party which unofficially lasts for two weeks." Oh. Oh my. "House Velthomer is expected to plan and host a ball for it, and it is considered one of the 'must attend' balls of the social season."

"...Ah." I knew I was staring. He only smiled wryly. "Well, it sounds as if many will attend."

"Indeed, even some of those in the Isaachian Campaign will return for it. Not all, of course. Those involved in leading and planning are actually expected not to attend. Sigurd no doubt will have to cry off for the same reason, given he'll be deeply involved in the peace talks with Verdane." That was a shame. It might've been fun if he were around. "Still, I think it will suit our needs best."

"I will yield to you on that." I frowned, though, when I noticed a calculating light in his eyes. "Now what are you plotting?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing." He smiled innocently; I frowned more. "You'll just need a dress for it. You can't debut without a proper dress, after all." I... he... why did he have to be right? Even I knew this much. "We can get more tailored for you as well."

"Arvis, I don't need more. I have plenty of clothing." I still needed to replace the one I used to make Shannan and Mister Dew's toys, mind, but I still had enough.

"You're a noble lady; you always need more clothing." He was grinning like a pleased cat now. I was tempted to try scowling. "So..."

"Ah, my lord, my lady, are you still here?" With the barest of knocks, the door opened to reveal the older man I had seen staring at me in the courtyard. He did a noticeable double-take for some reason before focusing on Arvis. "My lady's rooms are ready," he explained, bowing slightly. I nearly sighed at the reminder. Again, what did I need multiple rooms for? I doubted Arvis would let me set up multiple infirmaries or workshops here. "Is all well?"

"Yes, of course, Ruarc," Arvis answered, turning to face him. All traces of playfulness vanished for a careful sort of stoicism. "Why? Was there something wrong with the rooms? I know it's been... some time since they were last used."

"No, no, we continue to clean Lady Cigyun's rooms out of habit." Steward Ruarc looked between Arvis and me slowly, a strange sort of smile hovering on his face. "I was... are you arguing?"

"Yes and no." Arvis briefly sulked at me, and Steward Ruarc seemed noticeably surprised. "I am trying to convince Alicia to let me buy her clothes."

seemed noticeably surprised. "But yes, I am trying to convince Alicia to let me buy her clothes."

"Ah." Steward Ruarc studied me for a moment, and I felt terribly self-conscious. I did my best to not let it show, of course, but... "Lady Alicia, I fear I must side with my lord." At that, I had to frown once more. Arvis, meanwhile, flashed a grin. "House Velthomer is one of the wealthiest houses in Grannvale. It would hurt our reputation if our lady were adorned in nothing less than the best." I failed to see how, but I would also be the first to admit I knew nothing about any of this. "It is also my understanding you work as Sigurd's healer?" I nodded, confused at how this had anything to do with the topic at hand. "Then it would reflect poorly on him as well, as you are a noble lady in his service." ...That was two low blows in a row. I might be impressed if I weren't the target. "Your attire suits a village healer, and is very beautifully made, but a noble lady should look the part."

"...Oh, fine, I yield," I grumbled, looking away. Arvis didn't even try to hide his triumphant smirk. "But it must be practical, and I must be able to work in them, Arvis." I paused. "You may have free reign on the dress for the ball."

"Of course," Arvis reassured, still smirking. I was tempted once more to scowl and sulk, and wondered if I could remember how. "Then we shall send for-"

"Why would you send for the tailor? Do you not usually visit her in her store?" I couldn't remember her name at the moment, but I did remember it was his habit. "If we are to do this, then it is better to not change your ways. Besides..." I made myself smile at him, to hide how little I wanted to go through the tailoring. It felt like a waste. "While I am here, should I not see the town? You always talk so proudly of it, and Azelle has sent me many letters. I want to see it with my own eyes."

"I... very well." Arvis's smirk faded for a shy smile. "Then we shall visit in the morning."

"Do you think Azelle would like to come too?"

"He'll sulk terribly if we left him behind, and he'll need a new outfit for the ball as well." His smile grew, and I was delighted to see it. "For now, though, we should really head to your rooms. Where are your things?"

"You know I do not own much, so they are with the packs."

"Do I need to hide your medicine-making supplies? You are here to rest, after all."

"There is no need; Lady Ethlyn somehow convinced me to leave them in Evans."

"I never knew she was so persuasive."

Arvis and I 'bickered' and bantered as he and Steward Ruarc led me down the hall and into a wing decorated noticeably different. I thought Steward Ruarc mentioned something about them being the 'family wing', but I wasn't certain. Eventually, however, we came across a door marked by a carving of a flower. Steward Ruarc opened it with only the barest of hesitations, and the three of us walked inside for a quick tour.

If I had to be objective, the rooms were... rooms. I supposed they were decorated nicely, but I was incredibly baffled by all the curtains and lace and rugs I swore I saw everywhere. There was just so much space. There was an 'entrance room', a bedroom, a 'sitting room', a bathing room nearly the same size as the bedroom and sitting room, and a 'wardrobe', which was a room double the size of my house. Yet all of it... was mine apparently. It was all... just mine. What was I supposed to do with so much space? I swore it was bigger than all my infirmaries combined! Then, while I was still trying to wrap my mind around all of this, Arvis and Steward Ruarc left to let me settle in, closing the door behind them. The echo of the door's click only emphasized how alone I was.

"This... is ridiculous..." I found myself muttering. It wasn't proper, but it was accurate. I... would learn to forgive myself for the slip. "I... can I find smaller rooms?" ...No, knowing Arvis, this was the 'smallest' he would allow. "I shouldn't have listened to Lady Ethlyn and brought my supplies anyway." Then, at least, I could pretend one of the rooms was a workshop. "Oh, what am I to do?" Sighing, I leaned back against the door and let my head thunk against it. This is how I discovered neither Arvis nor Steward Ruarc had actually left quite yet. I was glad I spoke quietly.

"My lord, if I may ask a question?" I heard Steward Ruarc request softly. I wondered if he worried about 'disturbing' me. "Why did you give her Lady Cigyun's rooms, and not Lady Sunna's?"

"Ignoring how Sunna spent most of her time in Mother's rooms..." Arvis answered, voice slow and dry. I could almost imagine the droll look on his face. "Alicia has... complicated feelings about Sunna." There was a pause, then, and I wondered if he'd winced, remembering the few times he'd brought her up. As I grew older, I did my best to remain polite on the topic, but when I was younger and brattier, I had snapped about how much I hated her. I... still did hate her. "So, I thought she might feel more comfortable here, in Mother's rooms. Assuming, of course, she's not fretting over what she's to do with all the space." He knew me well.

"Whatever she wishes. She is our lady, and these are now her rooms." This did not help. "Regardless, I had best relay to the cooks to set an additional plate for the family dinner. Is there anything in particular they should make?"

"Something with apples. Alicia adores them."

"I shall see to it, then."

I heard footsteps then, slowly fading away, telling me they left, and I let myself sigh once more before pushing off the door to set my things down. So, here I was, in Velthomer for the first time since I was a year old, standing in a room far too large for a single person with even more rooms spiraling off. I would be glad when I could return to Evans.

---

Sleep did not come easily. Thankfully I was used to minimal sleep, because I simply could not relax in so spacious a room. I knew it was terrible to not like things others would give anything to experience, but I just... the bed was so soft I swore it would swallow me. The sheer number of blankets and pillows threatened to suffocate me. The empty space made the silence echo until it rung in my ears. I was almost relieved when the dawn came, because then, I no longer had to try to sleep. I could get up and somehow go about my day. Though when it came time to get dressed, I found myself staring at my dresses. I had never been ashamed of them, but now, I wondered if wearing them would cause too much trouble. Steward Ruarc's words continue to echo in my head. Had... had dressing as I did, in these simple clothes I'd made to save money, hurt Sigurd's reputation? Would wearing one today hurt Arvis's? It made my head hurt and my heart ache.

While I was staring at the dresses, I heard a door open with a very quiet creak. Frowning, I moved from the bedroom to the 'entrance room', to find a woman wearing servant's attire quietly opening the curtains. "Hello?" I called, confused. The woman whirled, startled. "You are...?"

"Oh, good morning, my lady!" she chirped, bobbing a curtsey. Her surprise faded with her bright smile. "I did not realize you would be awake already. I apologize. I should've come sooner."

"No, it's fine. I always wake with the dawn."

"Oh, you're an early riser like Duke Arvis! I will definitely be here earlier tomorrow!" That... I could have sworn I just said she didn't need to? "Ack, where are my manners? My name is Cathleen, Lady Alicia. I was tasked by the Housekeeper to assist you during your stay." I... could only stare. This was... more than a little... "Is something wrong? Oh, you probably want to wash your face. I'll get the basin ready!"

"That is not..." I tried to refuse, but she was out of sight before I could even blink. "So I... have a maid now?" This was utterly bizarre. I felt like I'd dropped into another world entirely, and I wanted out as soon as possible. However, I had planned on spending a few months here. Would I become used to it? I almost hoped not.

"My lady!" Cathleen poofed back in the room in another blink. How did she move so fast? "Forgive me, but did you want to wash your face or take a morning bath?"

"Morning bath?"

"Ah, yes, of course! Silly of me to not think of it sooner!" She was gone in another blink, and I was back to staring. I had just repeated what she'd said; I hadn't intended on it being an answer. Oh, goodness, how was I surviving this morning?

Shaking my head, I headed to the bathroom, hoping to clear the misunderstanding. Then I could only stare, again, because… well, most places I had been had a simple basin to use for bathing, something small and easy to move and store. The one suddenly in the middle of the bathroom, however, was giant, easily large enough to fit two or even three people. This alone would've been uncomfortable, and disconcerting because I had no idea where it would've been stored, but there was also the fact that this basin still required you to pour buckets and buckets of water to fill. Given the sheer size, this was a very arduous and tedious task, one Cathleen was hard at work at by the time I even made it to the bathing room. Even as I wondered how she'd managed to do so much so quickly, or if my thoughts were truly so slow given how my morning was going, I couldn't tell her to stop. It felt like an act of cruelty. So, instead, I lingered awkwardly in the doorway, far too aware of just how much water was being wasted for this yet unable to do anything but accept it because it would be more wasteful to refuse. When Cathleen finished, stepping back with a smile on her sweaty face, I took off my nightgown and slipped in without a word. I would think of what to do about clothing when I was out.

"My lady, the water is still cold!" Cathleen immediately yelped, and I blinked up at her. Of course it was cold. There were no stoves or anything to warm it. At least, I didn't think there was. Given this basin had to be stored somewhere, maybe there was another room I hadn't noticed. "Will you not heat it with your flames?"

"...I fear I cannot do that," I whispered, drawing my hair over my shoulder. It gave my hands something to do.

"Truly?" She was both surprised and skeptical, and I couldn't blame her. All those of Fjalar's blood were supposed to be able to conjure fire with a snap of their fingers. I couldn't. Arvis tried to teach me once, but it was as awkward as trying to teach a baby to breathe, to say nothing of the dread and nausea I'd felt. How did you teach something which was supposed to be instinctual? I'd rather spend my time using my magic to heal. It was much more comfortable this way. "Salamander of Flames must've blocked the ability to keep you safe."

"Hmm?"

"Oh, I…" Cathleen smiled shyly. "Truthfully, my lady, I have been a maid here since I was small. One of the orphans taken in to replace the servants when Duke Arvis threw most of them out. So, while I am only a little older than you, I do remember when Lord Azelle almost set the estate on fire as a toddler."

"Ah, Arvis did tell me this story." Because the ability was supposed to be as ingrained as breathing, even babies with Fjalar's blood could call flames. This led to many, many incidents. "Hiding as a child would have been much more difficult if I threw fire with my tantrums."

"Yes." Her smile brightened, and I decided to let her simply think it. It was a nice sentiment, even if I was certain the gods had nothing to do with me. It was at least an explanation. Personally, I thought I was either defective, or Father Eirik had done something. "Still, we can't have you taking cold baths. I'll have to figure out how to bring hot water in here."

"Cathleen, I'm fine." It wasn't as if this was the first bath I'd taken with cold water. "I do need soaps, though. I forgot to grab them." It was more I had no idea where they were.

"I'll handle that. Do you have a preference for scents?"

"No, please, just pick something subtle."

"Of course."

Cathleen returned with the soaps, and first attempted to help me bathe of all things. I refused, far too uncomfortable by the notion, and so she left me to bathe alone. When I stepped out, she reappeared with some towels and tried to help me dry off. When I refused, she left and returned to bring a robe to change into so I wasn't standing around naked. She then led me to one of the other rooms, one with a vanity and the door to the giant 'wardrobe', and encouraged me to sit down. This time, it was so she could brush my hair, but I insisted on doing so myself, by this point wondering if nobility were always treated as children or if this was a special case. Thankfully, she accepted all my refusals with her ever-present smile and, after handing me the brush, went about opening the curtains in every room to let the sun in. Considering the size of the place, this means a lot of curtains and a lot of light. I felt like I needed to hide under the covers to keep from being blinded, but I stayed sitting at the vanity, absently brushing my hair. So long as I was doing something, I could keep from worrying over what to wear.

Right around the time I knew I would need to get ready if I was to meet my brothers in a timely manner, someone knocked on the door. Cathleen opened the last set of curtains and bustled over to answer it before I could even think of who it would be. "Oh, Steward Ruarc!" she chirped, stepping aside to let him in. For some reason, he carried a bundle of cloth. "What brings you here?"

"Truthfully, it is something I only thought of this morning," Steward Ruarc explained, following Cathleen into the room where I was. I stopped my brushing to face him. "Pray, forgive me, Lady Alicia, for disturbing you at such an early hour." Considering I was usually dressed and had multiple medicines making while I ate and studied at this hour, I failed to see how he was 'disturbing' me. "But I thought these might be to your liking." He handed the bundle to Cathleen, and she immediately set it down on a table and picked one of the cloths up to reveal a simple yet elegant dress. Another look showed there were two more in the bundle. "Lady Cigyun, you see, preferred to dress more simply when she stayed inside." From what I'd heard, it was less 'stayed' and more 'imprisoned'. "She would have been overjoyed to let you borrow them."

"These really will suit you, my lady." Cathleen carefully picked up each one, studying them in the light, before deciding on one. "Here, I will assist you!" ...Could I not dress myself?

The answer was 'I could', but Cathleen hovered and fussed to make sure everything 'hung correctly'. Too tired to refuse this time, I watched her tweak and tug the dress 'into place' and stared at my reflection. The dress was... pretty? I wasn't certain how well it looked on me, but it was a dress of pale greens and it was very... flowy. There was a lot of extraneous cloth; I feared it would catch on something. I hated it, truthfully, but I knew better than to say such. I would've preferred the purple dress. I didn't think it would look worse on me, and the color reminded me of Deirdre.

At last, Cathleen pronounced me 'done' and I stepped out into the entrance hall where Steward Ruarc waited for some reason. He turned to greet me and bow, but stared as he had before. This time, I could not let it pass without comment. "I noticed this yesterday, but you stare as if you have seen a ghost," I noted, with a polite smile. I would keep my calm and hide how little I liked all of this. "Do I look so much like my mother?" I could think of no other reason why he would stare.

"You do bear a remarkable resemblance to Lady Sunna, yes," he answered slowly, his expression apologetic. "My memories of her are vague, but I believe your hair color is the only noticeable difference." According to Arvis, my mother had black hair. It, and her eye color, were all he remembered about her looks. It was more than what he remembered about Cigyun, and there was no way to refresh his memory since our father had purposely destroyed nearly every portrait of both in his suicidal tantrum. I sometimes wondered why he remembered more about what my mother looked like than his own, but trauma had its own way with memories. Cigyun, after all, had been our father's favorite victim; Arvis had been second. "But, well..." Steward Ruarc's smile became sheepish, and I forced myself to focus on him once more. "Truthfully, Lady Alicia, I remember you when you were a babe."

"Pardon?"

"I've served in the household since Duke Arvis was a toddler, though I was very low-ranked until he promoted me to steward. I rarely saw Lady Sunna, and only caught sight of Lady Cigyun a handful of times. But, still, I remember the happy year you lived here." He chuckled, eyes distant. "We servants would take turns peeking into the rooms, so taken we were by the sight and we would share what we saw in the most quiet of whispers. Lady Sunna was... tired as one could expect, but Lady Cigyun's smile was never brighter and Duke Arvis delighted in playing with you. Though he was but a child himself, he insisted on holding you as much as possible." It was strange how easily I could see that. "Prince Kurth would visit often to dote on all of you, always careful to avoid Victor, and I remember one time catching sight of the five of you in the gardens, laughing and smiling. It was a unconventional family, but you were all very happy."

"Were we?" I kept my smile; I kept my calm. There was no need to let him know how... bitter I felt, hearing it. "I suppose it is a surprise, then, to see me return."

"Indeed. I thought you were dead like the others." He said the words casually, as if stating the sun rose in the east. I could only frown in response. "Your father... he was a very brilliant man, you know." I had to say that was the very first compliment I had ever heard for him, and it was one I never expected. "He used his intelligence in the most selfish, most brutal of ways, of course, but no one can say he wasn't clever. So many laws had to be rewritten, because he knew them inside and out. He knew every loophole, every technicality. He knew how to wriggle out of every accusation, and leave no evidence at all. That is why, even now, you only have rumors of what all he did." He shrugged when I continued staring. "We all knew. Everyone knew. But no one could ever take him to court."

"I thought it was simply his nobility."

"Well, I will admit some of those rewritten laws had to be rewritten precisely because they applied differently to nobles and commoners." This made sense. The rest didn't, but that did. "But not all. No, the true answer in how he always managed to escape justice lied in how he knew the law, knew how to exploit it, and had blackmail on more than half the court to ensure they never tried to take him to task anyway. He'd burn them all with him, and they knew it." He looked away then. "And when it came to accusations and courts, he was most careful when it came to Lady Cigyun. She was his most prized 'possession', after all, despite his..."

"There are many stories of my father's overactive libido."

"Not to mention his sadism, but it's no coincidence Duke Arvis only has you and Lord Azelle as half-siblings." We were the only ones he knew of. There could be... "What happened to Mistress Sif was the norm. If one of his victims ended up pregnant, they were sent away. There, they would either conveniently have a miscarriage or just as conveniently die, alongside the poor, unfortunate child." He closed his eyes then, and clenched his fists at his side. "We knew, but there was no evidence. Circumstantial evidence could not be used in court, and neither could witness testimony. When it came to one's word against another, you could damage a reputation, but nothing more. And Victor had no care of his reputation. All he cared about was his satisfaction."

"So why kill any illegitimate children?"

"Because the children would have counted as evidence, and a noblewoman could use their presence as grounds for a divorce. But only then." So, nobility could have as many partners as they wanted, so long as they practiced safe sex? This sounded typical. "When you disappeared suddenly back then, it was assumed he'd made the connection and killed you directly, so you could not be used as evidence. As if Lady Cigyun would ever use you. She loved you so very dearly, but Victor was incapable of understanding such. He never loved anything. Everything was either a toy or a tool, and he used them all until they broke." Despite the dark words, Steward Ruarc opened his eyes to smile at me. "You can imagine my surprise when the little girl I swore had been killed by her entitled father not only survived, but had grown into a fine young woman. I do, however, apologize if the staring made you uncomfortable, my lady."

"It is fine. I was merely curious." Well, what did you know? My mother hadn't thrown me away for an empty threat. Part of me thought I should be grateful, but the rest of me was terribly bitter about it still. Why couldn't I have at least heard of this earlier? Why hadn't they 'used' me? I had been a baby; I would've never remembered. In fact, as I had gotten older, it might have even been a point of pride to know I had managed to help. No, I wasn't grateful. I did not have to be. I would just accept it, acknowledge it, and move on with my life, just as I walked away from Father Eirik. "Are you certain Cigyun would not mind if I borrowed her clothes?" This meant I should focus on what was in front of me, and focus on the present, not past.

"As I said, she would've been delighted." His smile warmed. "These were her favorites, so she made sure to hide them away, lest Victor tarnish them. I found them again recently; perhaps it was a sign." I thought it sounded more like luck, but he could believe what he wished. "Regardless, my lady, allow me to escort you to the entrance hall. Duke Arvis and Lord Azelle are waiting there, and I know well how confusing the castle's layout can be."

"...I had just one more question." I wasn't certain why I was even asking this. If I had to guess, I would say it was because he actually seemed to remember some of that time, unlike Arvis. "What did Cigyun look like?"

"I fear, like most, I no longer remember, my lady." His smile faltered, apologetic and pained. "The most I remember is her hair was a pale color. Blonde, perhaps, or white? I saw Lady Sunna many more times; she would rush around telling us servants to hide whenever Victor returned."

"I see." It was the same answer as everyone else. I couldn't be surprised. "Well then, may I take you up on the offer of an escort?"

Eager to let the subject drop, Steward Ruarc lead me through all the twists and turns until we made it to the entrance hall. Just as he said, my brothers were waiting for me there, and both smiled when they looked up and saw me approach. However, Arvis's smile soon turned to a frown, scrutinizing something as I walked over to them.

"You're wearing different clothes," he noted when I joined them. Azelle shyly hugged me in greeting. "Where did they come from?"

"Steward Ruarc brought them for me," I explained with a shrug. I knew it looked strange. "Should I change?"

"No, no, they suit you. It's simply..." He frowned more, his brow furrowed in thought. "Did... are those Mother's, by chance?"

"They are."

"Ah. That's why there's something familiar about them." Arvis smiled bitterly. "I'm surprised there's any left, given how much our father destroyed before offing himself."

"Steward Ruarc said Cigyun must have hidden them. I forgot to ask where." Deciding we needed to move the conversation along, I turned to Azelle with a smile. "Shall we be off? This is our first outing as siblings."

"That's quite true." Arvis's own smile immediately lit up at the thought, just as I knew it would. "Come then, and watch your step. I don't want you tripping on the doorframe again, Azelle."

"Arvis, that happened once, and it was all Tailtiu's fault!" Azelle immediately protested, even as we walked. Somehow, I ended up in the middle again. Maybe there was something about me which said 'leave her in the middle', given how frequently it happened. "She shoved me!" Yet despite the flailing and warning, Azelle did not watch his feet and tripped. "Ack!"

Arvis and I both muffled our laughter, if only for Azelle's dignity, and we left the castle to walk into the surrounding town. It was bustling and bright, far more so than Yngvi, though from what I heard, they gossiped about the same things. While we walked, Azelle would point out various stories and places, things he had written to me about, and it was almost enough to distract me from the blatant staring. Even the people in Marpha and Genoa had not stared so openly, and the ones here did not giggle or sigh. They simply stared, watching and studying. It was dreadfully uncomfortable.

"Hey, sister..." Azelle began after a moment, doing his best to not squirm. He noticed the staring too, after all, and I had no doubts it made him feel just as awkward as it did me. "Do you think we can have a picnic lunch later? We can go to the apple groves?"

"Oh, that does sound lovely," I murmured, cheering up at the thought. Arvis and Azelle would often write about the groves, so it would be nice to see them for myself. "But how about we do that tomorrow, so we can spend the day there? Today, we're in town and I would very much like to see the eateries you've written about. For instance, I would like to see the bakery with the cinnamon buns you love so much."

"If we're visiting, Alicia, then you have to actually buy something." Azelle sulked very briefly, and I bit back a laugh. "That's the rule."

"Is it? Then I had best obey." Noticing Arvis's silence, I looked over to him, and almost sighed at the measuring, calculating look in his eyes. He may be walking with us physically, but mentally, he was cataloging and categorizing everything he saw to address and investigate later. In other words, he continued working even as we walked, and this would not do. "I believe sweets also deserve a story, so should I tell you another tale of how Arvis got himself lost while attempting to help me?"

"Another one?" Azelle's eyes widened in surprise; Arvis noticeably stiffened next to me. I knew it would have gotten his attention. "Wait, how many times did this happen?" Sadly, I didn't get to answer.

"What do you mean 'tell another'?!' Arvis immediately yelped, focusing entirely on me and all work thoughts discarded for panic. I muffled a laugh, and noticed how surprised the people looked around us. Were we too loud? "What sort of stories have you been filling his head with, Alicia?"

"I simply shared some tales of when you would visit me, Arvis," I replied innocently. I thought of how Mister Dew would try to get out of trouble, and widened my eyes slightly to hopefully add to the tone. "That's all."

"That doesn't answer my question!" He scowled, and I muffled another laugh. Azelle looked between us with wide-eyed curiosity, tinged with surprise. "Azelle, I disavow all knowledge of anything she told you."

"Arvis, are you accusing your sweet little sister of lying?"

"That... you..." Arvis sputtered some sort of protest, torn between utter embarrassment and his instant denial that he thought me anything but honest. Azelle, meanwhile, burst into incredulous, but bubbly and happy, laughter. This worked out better than I could've hoped. "Alicia!"

"Ah, after the bakery, we should visit the flower shop you like, Arvis. I want some silver izelle for Deirdre."

"Don't change the subject!"

"Yes, I want to hear more!" Azelle happily and impishly agreed. This led to Arvis yelping once more, and I had to muffle yet another laugh. "Tell me, tell me!"

Arvis continued protesting and flailing the entire rest of the walk to the tailor's shop. Azelle, of course, tried to wheedle and plead for more stories, and I spent the time hiding my laughter and smile. The stares continued following us, but it was much harder to care when the two were being so silly. Sadly, the little game had to end once we actually arrived, if only so we didn't disturb the shop. The inside was surprisingly simple. There were tables and chairs, a few books which showed different types of clothes, and a counter in the far back, next to a door, with a small bell resting on it. Without a word, Arvis walked over and rang it, hinting it was a clever way to let the workers know there was a customer.

"Just a minute!" a bright voice called before the sound's echoes faded. There was the sound of movement, and then the back door opened to reveal an older woman. She smiled at Arvis and Azelle, and then immediately froze when she saw me. "Lady... Sunna..?" she breathed, staring for a long moment. Then she shook her head. "No, no, what am I thinking? Lady Sunna died ages ago." She was saddened by the thought for a second, before she patted her cheek to knock herself out of her thoughts and turned her smile back to Arvis. "Good morning, Duke Arvis! I take it you're getting a head start on the new outfits for the Festival?"

"You know my habits a little too well, Sorcha," Arvis replied politely, bowing slightly. He then gestured to Azelle and me. "My siblings will need attire for the Festival as well." Mistress Sorcha's eyes flicked to me again, and I knew she threaded several things together at the statement. "Alicia also needs a wardrobe."

"Oh?"

"I... I need them practical, and easy to move in, as I work as a healer," I immediately requested, hoping I wasn't too forward. This was so absurd. "I do apologize for the specificity, but..."

"Hmm? Oh, my lady, if you heard half the requests I get from the nobility, you'd realize that has to be the easiest 'specification' I have ever gotten," Mistress Sorcha reassured with a bright laugh and brighter smile. I still felt awkward. "Well then, let's get your measurements. Duke Arvis, Lord Azelle, one of my girls will come out to ensure yours are still the same, but I insist on handling Lady Alicia's myself." Was this unusual? Please let it not be unusual. "I'll need to get an idea of what sort of palette would suit her, after all." She opened the door again and beckoned me to follow her. "Duke Arvis, will Felipe pick them up as usual?" Arvis nodded, and it took me a second to remember Felipe was Arvis's valet. "Wonderful! Now, this way, my lady."

Still feeling far from comfortable about this, I did as she asked and focused on keeping her in sight as we walked through the 'workshop' part of the shop. As someone who sewed, part of me was curious about what a professional's workshop looked like, but the rest of me was overwhelmed by the sheer number of fabrics and colors, to say nothing of the wide array of beads and gems carefully arranged in their containers. Why, one section was completely devoted to weaving lace of all colors! The sheer intricacy, and number of needles and bobbins, nearly made me pause, but Mistress Sorcha was quick to recapture my attention and I followed her all the way to the very back room, which was much quieter and bare. All it had was a shelf full of ledgers, a table where another open ledger rested next to a pen, a tapestry of different colors hanging on one wall, and a startling amount of knotted ropes hanging on the other.

"If you might stand in the middle there, Lady Alicia," Mistress Sorcha requested as she turned to a new page of her ledger and carefully wrote my name. Were all these her measurements and records, then? Given how she wrote more down, I guessed she also wrote her observations for whatever reason. "Now then, let's get started." She selected a random, to my eye, rope from the wall and held it next to me. It took me a long second to realize she was measuring the length of my torso. "Arms at your side, please." I did my best to acquiesce, though I truly wanted to fidget. "All right." She ducked back to her ledger and scribbled a number down. "Shoes off, my lady. I need to measure your legs next."

"Of course," I murmured, slipping out of them easily. They were my usual shoes, after all. I... oh, goodness, Arvis would probably insist on going to the cobbler today too. "Is there a certain way I should stand?"

"Just as you normally do. You have very good posture." I would hope so. A proper healer did not slouch. "Ah, goodness, for a second, I truly thought I'd been transported to the past." She measured the length of my legs, followed by separate ones for both my calf and thigh, and wrote them down. "I still remember it well. I was just an apprentice back then, learning from my mother, but it was always such a lovely day when Lady Sunna came in."

"She came personally?"

"Yes, indeed. Many times, she'd come with Duke Arvis, holding his little hand as while she discussed business with my mother." I wondered if this was why Arvis had the habit, then. "She'd bring him even when he wasn't the one who needed new clothes, so I think she used it as an excuse to help him escape the castle for a few hours." She wrapped the rope around my waist, a dark expression on her face. "Then again, maybe she wanted those precious hours of escape for herself. Or... well, since most of those who work here are women, maybe she was limiting the chances of us catching our old lord's eye."

"It could be all of them."

"That is true." She nudged my right arm up to measure its length. "Now then, tell me what sort of work you do, Lady Alicia? I fear I know little about what all a healer has to do."

"Hmm? Ah, well, I am around an open flame quite frequently for teas and medicines, so..."

I carefully described my usual duties as a healer, and the less usual duties I had when there was an emergency, and Mistress Sorcha dutifully wrote it down alongside her measurements. When she was finished, she escorted me back to the front with a smile. Arvis and Azelle were, of course, waiting for me and as soon as I stepped out, Azelle happily showed the way to the bakery, while Arvis and I followed with our own smiles. I suppose if I had taken up Arvis's offer to live in Velthomer, days like this would have been common. Yet if I had, I never would've met Sigurd and everyone, so I think it worked out. For now, I would simply try to enjoy this time.

---

My new clothes were ready in record time and while I thought some had too many parts, I was gladdened to see most of it was very practical. I had a feeling most were surprised by the wardrobe, expecting something fancier, but they suited me well enough. I was more irritated Arvis had, in fact, sprung a surprise trip to the cobbler. Yes, I understood I would need shoes to match whatever dress Mistress Sorcha made for the ball, but it still made me frown. I knew he didn't tell me precisely because I would have protested, and he had ordered more made to match the rest of my new wardrobe before I had even known what was happening.

But there was no frowning today. Instead, I was studying in the sitting room, having borrowed some medicinal texts from the very extensive library. It was the first time since I arrived I had the morning and afternoon to myself. Azelle needed to reply to some letters, and Arvis was working on something for the Royal Guard in Belhalla. So, I had planned to simply relax and sip some tea while enjoying the quiet. The only person I wished to see was Cathleen, and even then, it was only for her to bring me fresh water for my tea and, perhaps, some snacks. Otherwise, I was to be alone to my reading.

The first sign this planned relaxation would not proceed as expected was the very quick blur rushing past the open door to the sitting room. I paid it little mind, since it was not the first time one of the maids rushed past to clean or 'fix' something. However, when I noticed the blur a second time, I looked up curiously, since it was rare they would pass twice in so short a time. Then I saw it again and realized this was not a servant. As far as I was aware, none of the staff here were so small. And the child shyly peeking into the room was very small indeed. If I had to guess, I would say they were four or five at most, and they may have been younger. When they noticed me looking, they immediately ducked behind the frame, only to poke their head around once more after a moment.

"Well, hello there," I greeted them then. They squeaked in surprise, but thankfully did not hide again. "I don't believe I've seen you here before."

"Came with Mama," they answered, too young to be anything but honest. They glanced around and then carefully came inside. "You?"

"Hmm?"

"Where did you?" Where did I...? Ah, he must be asking the same question.

"I'm visiting my brothers, so I will be here for a few months." I smiled and they crept a little closer. "They're busy, however, so I'm studying."

"Studying?" By now, they had made it to my chair, peering up at me curiously. "What?"

"Right now, I'm reading through a book on medicines." It truly was fascinating to see the differences between what was normal in Grannvale and what was normal in Verdane. Goodness, there were even differences simply between the Velthomer and Yngvi regions. I wondered... Sigurd was close to Lord Eldigan in Nordion. Could he snag me a few books from there so I could see what else was both similar and different? Would Prince Quan be willing to find me similar books from Leonster? Would it be too forward to ask for either? "Earlier, I was studying anatomy."

"Ana... my?" They frowned as they stumbled over the word. "No, no, Anat... my...?"

"Anatomy."

"Ana... toe... me." They smiled triumphantly, and I had to bite back a laugh. "Fun? Is it fun?"

"I like it. I love being a healer, and I love learning."

"Healer?" Their eyes lit up. "That's like Grandpa!"

"Your grandfather is a healer?"

"Yes! At the church! Mama works here. Grandpa works there!" They made to climb into the chair with me, but paused. "Read?"

"Read?" I frowned, wondering what they meant. "Do you want to read with me?"

"Yes!" They squirmed up into my chair then, tucking themselves under my arm. "What's this?"

"That is a picture of a chamomile blossom." I shifted to sit a little more comfortably, and set the book in my lap to make it easier for them to see. "Do you know it? It's known for being quite calming."

"Grandpa makes a tea from it for Mama when she gets grumbly." They pointed to another picture on the opposite page. "This?"

"That is a ruflayia. Their roots are ground up to use as part of a medicine for fevers, but some will use it as a dye for cloth or rouge, since it turns into a very rich red when mixed with water."

"Rouge?"

"It is a type of make-up, in this case used to color the lips or cheeks." I believed that was the definition, at least.

"Oh, like the paint Mama puts on her face?" They made a face. "It doesn't taste good. Doesn't make good pictures either."

"It's not for such." I turned the page then, and pointed to another picture. "Now this one you can eat. I'll use it sometimes to sweeten some medicines."

"Is it used just for that?"

"No, it has its own uses as well. For instance, it's used in many stomach medicines..."

We slowly made our way through the book, with me explaining the different plants and their uses. The child listened eagerly, asking many questions, and I did my best to answer. I think I was about his age when I first gained an interest in healing. This sort of lesson... was what I had always wanted, but never gotten, as a child. I hoped this child would have happier memories of learning than me. I hoped they'd remember this one fondly, for I was certain I would.

We had gotten about halfway through the book when another blur flew by my room. I did not catch any features, only some blacks and reds which may have been their clothing, but it was enough to make me wonder what was wrong. A child wandering about was not cause for concern, but an adult rushing about could be. This was not helped by the words I heard echo down the hall not long after: "Saias! Saias, where are you?!" Now, assuming there was no one else by the name, I could conclude the blur was Aida and she was searching for her son. I wondered if it would it be rude if I asked to meet him? "Saias!"

"Here I am, Mama!" the child tucked under my arm chirped brightly then. My thoughts stilled as I realized several potentially awkward things very, very quickly. "Here I am, here I am!"

"And just where is...! Oh." Aida swung around the doorframe then, proving I was right about her being the second blur, and she stared blankly at the sight of Saias sitting next to me in my chair, with a book in my lap. "Ah, hello, Lady Alicia," she said then, speaking slowly and hesitantly. "I see you've met Saias."

"Alicia?" Saias frowned then, thinking, before looking up at me. "Alicia is Arvis's sister."

"Yes, indeed, she is. She's visiting, so I thought you might want to meet her." Aida sighed gustily then, and leaned against the doorframe. In retrospect, a child wandering about should have actually been cause for concern. I was simply used to wandering on my own, and Shannan and Mister Dew having relatively free reign in the castles. "My... my intention had been to ask you first, Lady Alicia, but the scamp snuck away while my back was turned. I was asking Ruarc where you were."

"But it was open!" Saias turned his frowning face towards his mother. "These rooms are never open."

"That is because they were Lady Cigyun's. Now they are Lady Alicia's. We really shouldn't wander in without permission, as these are her private chambers." She paused, realizing something. "For which I also apologize for, but in my defense, I was very worried about where he went."

"I certainly do not mind," I reassured, freeing a hand to 'wave' the apology away. This was not how I expected my day to go. Life after meeting Sigurd certainly was full of surprises. "I was simply studying, and Saias showed an interest."

"He did?" Aida asked, surprised. Then she became thoughtful. "Well, he does often stare at Father's medicine making supplies. I would think he's a little young for it, though."

"Is he? I was reading similar when I was his age."

"Right, of course, you're like Arvis. You have no concept at all of a normal childhood." Aida's voice was very dry, and I could only tilt my head a little. I knew most children played, but why should he not learn if he wished? "No one in this family is normal."

"This includes Saias." I paused and glanced down at him before looking to Aida once again. "Then again, Arvis has told me how unusual circumstances are."

"Arvis pays for him, but I have full custody and do not plan on ever sharing. I'm a single-parent, and my father acts as his paternal figure. Arvis would be damned awkward about it, and we all know it." She grinned, amused, and I could only smile back as calmly as possible. I knew very well how awkward Arvis felt about all of it, after all. Then again, she had to as well, so humor must be how she tried to smooth things over. "I chose what I did, and I stand by the choice. Saias will learn more as he gets older." She smiled indulgently at him, and Saias looked at her in confusion. "He needs to learn more about the world first. That's what a child should do."

"Would this not include books?" I asked my question with as much innocence as I could muster, and was rewarded with her making a face. "I'm sorry. But he has been enjoying the impromptu lesson, and I..." I knew my smile became shy. "I have been teaching a few others, back with Sigurd's army. It's good practice for me, since they want to continue when I return." I had left lesson plans and books for them to read; I wondered if they would.

"Well, he's smiling." Aida laughed softly, shaking her head. "I think I'll forgive most anything when he smiles like that. Not a good habit for a parent." I truthfully wouldn't know.

"Alicia, Alicia!" Saias called then, tugging at my sleeve to make sure he had my attention. "If you're Arvis's sister, then you have a Mark, right?" I hesitated before nodding. "Can I see? Mama checks me all the time for one for some reason." Well, the reason was 'you are Arvis's firstborn', but clearly Aida was keeping this quiet until he was older. Still, to show him my own mark was... it was uncomfortable, yet I could not refuse a child's honest curiosity. So, I pushed up my sleeve and undid the bandages for him to look. He immediately gasped and started poking at it. Aida made to stop him, both alarmed by the rudeness and worried for my comfort, but I caught her eye and shook my head. It wasn't as if it hurt. "It buzzes!" Besides, his face was lit up with a smile. It made this much more bearable. "Buzz, buzz... like a bee!"

"They say it is because of the power within." Though, I had to admit the mental image of 'Holy Marks are like bees' was quite amusing.

"So, it's not because the flowers?" Saias poked at my Mark again. "These look like petals!" I suppose he was right. My Mark did look like a scattering of flower petals across the upper part of my lower arm. It wasn't too surprising. Despite the association with fire, all of Fjalar's Marks bore some resemblance to flowers. "Pretty."

"I'm glad you think so." However, despite my resolve, I had exceeded my comfort levels and, thus, wrapped the bandages around it once more. Saias made a sad little noise, and I felt terrible about it, but I… I just did not like it shown. I was too used to it. Maybe… maybe one day, I'd become comfortable enough to forgo the bandages. Maybe I never would. It was for the future. "Holy Marks can come with complications, though."

"Is this the noblesse oblige thing Arvis keeps going on about?" He rolled his eyes, a feat I did not think a toddler could do, and Aida had to duck her head to hide her sudden laugh and smile. Given the practiced way he said it, I had a feeling he was repeating Aida there. "He talks about it a lot with Grandpa. Mama mimics it." Yes, he was.

"Some might consider it such. Others wouldn't." This was not a conversation I was willing to have with a child, however. "Ah, but this is neither here nor there. Your mother has returned, so you should probably-"

"No, I wanna learn more!" Saias immediately leaned forward, eyes shining. "More and more!"

"Ah." Oh, I was no match for such earnestness, so I glanced at Aida apologetically, who was now shaking her head in fond exasperation. "Well, Aida, would you like to work in here? There's more than enough space."

Aida agreed and left briefly to fetch whatever papers she needed to review. Then the three of us spent the afternoon in pleasant quiet, with her working at the table and me teaching an eager Saias. It was not how I planned to relax today, but it was most enjoyable. All at once, though, I noticed a strange hush fall over the household. The change was abrupt yet subtle, enough to notice but not enough to really place how you knew. It was like a blanket had suddenly fallen over everything. I looked out the window curiously, wondering if there was any hint there, but there was no one. This was strange in of itself as I had learned these past few days there was usually at least one person tending to the extensive gardens at all times.

"It's nothing to worry about, Lady Alicia," Aida said from her table, once she realized why I was looking around. She didn't even look up from her papers. "Arvis must've returned with a face like a thundercloud. That's all." She frowned over something she was reading before sighing. "It's best to keep away until he cools off."

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning. She did not answer, so I decided to seek it out myself. Thus, I carefully bookmarked my place and closed my book. "I'm sorry, Saias." Then I tucked it under my arm, and stood up careful to not dislodge him. For his part, Saias just stared up in confusion. "But I must see to this."

"Huh?" Aida looked up then, startled. "Ah, really, Lady Alicia, it's better to just let him be when he's like this. Assuming he'll even... hey!"

I didn't listen. I walked out without another word, striding briskly through the halls as I hunted my brother down. I thought I heard her scramble to follow me. I definitely saw quite a few servants peek out from rooms to stare at me like I was insane. I paid them all little heed; I had a purpose, after all. Of course, the castle was so large I wondered just where to begin my search, but it turned out to be very simple. As I passed by Arvis's study, I noticed two things. One, Steward Ruarc and Azelle awkwardly lingered just outside the door and two, the door was cracked open. Taking a guess, I pushed past them and found Arvis within, glaring at the fireplace. Since said fireplace had a roaring fire, one much larger than you'd expect, I could only surmise he had thrown flames out of frustration. Seeing that, I moved to his side and peered up at his face to study it. There was anger, to be certain, and the frustration I knew I'd find. But there were also traces of helplessness, pieces of pain, whispers of guilt. He tried to wall them up within, drown them in the anger, but I could still see it. I could still see it all, and knew what sort of situation would cause such a complex expression. So, while I did not know he and the Royal Guard had been working on, I knew how it had ended up.

"Did the city guard ask for help with a troublesome case?" I asked him softly. The only sign he heard me was his eyes briefly flicking to meet mine. Otherwise, he continued glaring at the flames. "Did a bad case become worse?" He looked away from the flames then, to the floor. His fists clenched at his side, tight enough to whiten his knuckles. That told me everything. "So, it was both." I reached up to touch his cheek, forcing him to look at me properly. When he finally did, I smiled. "How about some tea? You need to relax, lest you snap." He didn't answer, but I knew he wouldn't. Instead, I found the bin of the tea mix I'd made him, held it and my book against my chest with one arm, and took his hand with the other to lead him out of the study. Azelle and Steward Ruarc were both still there, staring as if I had accomplished some grand feat. "Ah, my pardon, but we shall be outside at the garden gazebo."

"I.. of course, Lady Alicia," Steward Ruarc answered, stumbling over the words. He and Azelle exchanged startled looks; I still wondered what was so surprising. "Should I bring a tea set out?"

"That would be wonderful." I smiled at them both and decided I would simply ask later. For now, I had to tend to Arvis. "Thank you."

I held Arvis's hand as we headed outside, and he followed behind me like a lost child. Once at the gazebo, I made him sit down on one of the benches next to it and set down my book next to him. By then, Steward Ruarc appeared with the tea set, so I had him leave it on the table in the middle of the gazebo. Then I set about making the tea in the silence. Arvis remained seated the whole time, refusing to look up for anything. Indeed, he did not move at all until I left the tea to steep and sat down beside him. Then he leaned over to rest his head on my shoulder, and I opened my book to read while I waited. I left the bookmark where it was, though. I did not know if Saias would want to continue the lesson later.

"The city guard was investigating suspicious trade movements within the city," he eventually whispered, the words dragging themselves out. He leaned more against me, sagging even. "They traced it to a lord and brought the case to us, as the affairs of nobles falls in our jurisdiction. We'd happened to be investigating the same lord for potential tax evasion, so we planned to raid one of their warehouses. That was today." He fell silent once more, and I waited for him to continue. I was used to waiting him out, after all. I once read through three books while waiting. Today, it was only a few chapters. "...There were children."

"Children?" I repeated, more as a prompt than anything. While I was willing to wait, I knew sometimes, he needed reassurance someone was actually listened. He'd spent too much time screaming in silence as a child to actually expect to be heard, even now.

"The warehouse was filled with illegal tomes, weaponry, and drugs. All of which we expected. But its workers..." He clenched his fists in his lap. "He evaded the tax collectors by snatching up children from the streets and forcing them into labor. When he used them to their last, he had them sold as slaves. Slaves and sport." He spat out the words, and I rested my head against his in quiet comfort. "How could such an operation work for so long? There's years worth of ledgers, just in that one warehouse alone. We failed them, completely and utterly." He sighed, despair creeping in. "I need to push for more reforms, but what avenues should I use? What loopholes did he abuse? How do I not fail them again? Why do we keep...?" He growled under his breath, and I knew what rant he was about to descended into, again. "Why do we live in a world like this? How can we make it better? We must-!"

"Where are the children, Arvis?" I made sure to keep my voice gentle, and he stilled. "Where are they now?"

"The... they're in protective custody. A mix of both city and royal guard, hand chosen by both myself and the Guard Captain." His hands shook. "They..."

"Are they injured?" I waited for his nod before I smiled at him. "Then, may I offer my services?"

"Pardon?"

"I am a healer, Arvis. It is my job to tend to the injured." We could speculate how such a thing occurred or how to prevent it from happening again later. There were hurts in the present to mend. "So, I can assist, if needed." He lifted his head from my shoulder to look at me, an unreadable expression on his face. "However, I will be most cross if you force my help on them. If they have it under control, then there is no need for me." I would worry, of course, but I could always ask Arvis how they were doing.

"I... will relay the message. Later." He smiled wryly at me, and then rested his head on my shoulder once more. "I would like to rest a little more."

"Of course."

We ended up spending the rest of the afternoon in the garden, only moving from the bench to the gazebo to properly drink the tea. A hesitant Azelle joined us much later with his own book, one of many he borrowed from Evans's library, and the three of us enjoyed a lovely afternoon together. At the least, I enjoyed it.

---

Two days after the raid, Arvis requested I accompany him to Belhalla to help tend to the children. Azelle saw us off at the Warp Gate with a smile and wave, and in the blink of an eye, we traveled several days' worth of riding to arrive safely within Belhalla's castle. You would think almost every major city would have such, but from my understanding, they were far less practical than they appeared. They required a large number of rare resources to make and needed constant supervision and painstaking maintenance to keep functioning. To have one was a blatant show of wealth, one most could not even consider for a number of reasons. Arvis had one installed when Azelle was a baby so he could quickly move between meetings in Belhalla and lessons with Azelle, an expense he was able to afford since he had none of our father's very expensive habits and because Velthomer was ridiculously wealthy. Though this was actually the second one he'd had made, replacing the original. The previous one had connected to the church, not the castle. King Azmur allowed Arvis to build the second one after appointing him Captain of the Royal Guard, and it was just as much of a show of trust as the title itself.

"Alicia, are you well?" Arvis asked, fretting as always even as we walked the halls and out the front gates. No small few stared at me in surprise, but I could not acknowledge any of them. I was too busy reassuring my worrywart of an older brother. "Warping can be very disorienting. Do you need me to carry your staff, at least? It is the right kind, right?"

"Arvis, I am fine and yes, I do appreciate you buying me a Mend staff," I replied, for the tenth time. It was almost surprising how many times he'd managed to ask the question in so short a time. "Also, yes, warping can be disorienting, but it's not my first time experiencing such."

"It's not?"

"No, Sigurd had a few of us warped Evans to see how things were." At least, that had been the 'official' reason. The true reason had been to subtly avoid Deirdre having to travel through the Spirit Forest, and Marpha, again. We didn't want to risk someone finding and dragging her back, after all. She wanted to stay with us. "I requested to be one of them to set up my infirmaries again." Though, in truth, Sigurd had wanted me to go so Deirdre felt more settled, but no one suspected anything strange about me wanting to get ahead on my work.

"Where did he obtain a warp staff?"

"It belongs to Lady Edain."

"Where did she get it?"

"If you believe Mister Dew, the spirits left it behind, just for her." I became thoughtful then, even as Arvis frowned skeptically. "Then again, perhaps they did. Lex got his new ax from a spirit, after all."

"Lex got a what from a what?"

"Oh, has the story not come up yet?"

"No, it very much hasn't!"

Thus, I was able to distract my worrywart brother by telling him about how Lex acquired an ax from the Lady of the Lake, and sharing the story Deirdre had told about them. By the time I finished, we had arrived at our destination. The barracks of the City Guard were located a short distance away from the castle, a hanging sign bearing their crest the only indication it was any different from the surrounding stone buildings. Arvis knocked on the door as a warning before opening it and showing me inside. The interior of the room was surprisingly cozy, with candles set at regular intervals providing gentle light. Rugs softened the stone walls and floor, and a clerk worked the desk in the back, meticulously poring over some sort of record. They glanced up when the door clicked shut, eyes snapping to Arvis before nodding and disappearing into the back. They were back within seconds, bringing a man around Arvis's age who wore the silver armor of the City Guard and a white cape for some reason. He gave Arvis a friendly, if worn, smile as he approached, but when he turned to me, he stopped and stared. I tilted my head curiously, wondering just why he would be surprised. Then I was confused at Arvis's sudden irritation.

"Is something wrong, Captain Dietrich?" Arvis asked dryly, almost-but-not-quite scowling. I gently nudged his arm, hoping he'd enlighten me to the problem, but he remained stubbornly quiet. "I told you about Alicia."

"Ah, yes, right!" Captain Dietrich yelped, before bowing. It did nothing to hide the faint blush on his face. "You are... earlier than I expected, Duke Arvis."

"We're both early risers." Arvis still seemed annoyed, and whatever he was annoyed by, Captain Dietrich seemed to understand, since he wore a sheepish smile when he straightened. I most definitely missed something. "If anything, I believe we are late."

"I fear I am far too used to other nobles, who say they will arrive at one time, and then appear two hours later." He grinned and Arvis relaxed ever-so-slightly. "I apologize for my lack of manners, Lady Alicia. I am Dietrich, Captain of the City Guard, and you have my deepest thanks for your assistance in this matter."

"Since I volunteered, I should instead thank you for indulging me," I replied, fussing with the strap of my medicine bag and tightening my grip on my staff. How did I politely tell him I wanted to see the children and avoid any small talk? The sooner I saw them, the sooner I could help. Yet, at the same time, I did not want to overstep any bounds. "May I ask-?"

"Dietrich, you said she was here?" My salvation came, fittingly enough, in the form of a priest bursting from the same back door. He froze when he saw Arvis and I standing there, and very quickly attempted to reclaim some form of dignity. "Er... hello," he greeted, bowing slightly. I guessed he was around my age. "I am Anselm. I assist the guard in matters of healing. Forgive my lack of manners, but if you do not mind following me, Lady Alicia...?"

"Of course." I smiled at Arvis, and ducked into the back after Anselm without a second thought. "I do apologize if my aid was pushed on you."

"Hmm? No, no, not at all!" The door shut behind us and he fell in step next to me. "You know as well as I do that these sorts of situations require collaborations." This was quite true. "I also was already considering outside aid for... a number of reasons. The children, as you can expect, are greatly traumatized by their ordeals and..." Surprisingly, he glanced around surreptitiously, even though we were alone in the hall. "My chief reason is one I have not yet shared with Dietrich or his guards yet."

"Oh?"

"When I first treated the children, they shied away. I thought nothing of it at first; they had to be wary of strangers. But then Dietrich followed me in and I noticed something most... peculiar." He rested a hand on his chest. "When I tried to treat them, the children did not look at my face. But they looked Dietrich in the face. They looked at the other guards in the face."

I had a bad feeling suddenly. "What did they look at instead?"

"My robes." I was right to be wary. Anselm's clothing was typical of a priest, the cut and coloring showing he was a member of the Church of Light. It was as much of a uniform as guard armor. "I dislike the implications, and must test the theory. Was it the lack of armor in general? Was it because the cut of my clothing is typical for males, whereas the guard armor is more neutral? Or..." Did the children associate the robes with their trauma? Had someone of his own church been party to their suffering? "While I was deciding how best to go about testing this theory, Dietrich informed me of your offer. I've heard a great deal of your healing abilities from the rumors, Lady Alicia, and based on those same rumors, I know you have some experience with traumatized children." He smiled faintly. "You are also, as I hoped, my opposite in every way, visually."

"I suppose I am." While my clothes were fine, they did not necessarily indicate 'nobility' and they certainly were not robes. "Then, with your permission, I should like to meet the children and see if I have a little more luck. Perhaps in the mean time, you can find clothes to change into?"

"Yes, I'll find some casual clothing. I'd try the armor, but…" He made a face then. "Those things just look heavy."

I muffled a laugh, and he managed a grin. But then we lapsed back into silence until he stopped in front of a nondescript door. He gestured at it, a silent indication I should head inside, before leaving me to find that change of clothes. I hesitated a moment before knocking and stepping inside. The room was large, but that only emphasized how empty it was. I imagined the children were moved here under the belief they would want to spread out and enjoy the space, but they had not. As I closed the door behind me, I found the children were clustered together in the far corner, hiding under their blankets. When they heard me approach, they did everything they could to appear smaller, until they appeared more like strange lumps under covers and not anything alive. So, I stopped in the middle of the room, set my things down with a noticeable 'thump', and sat down to wait. I waited until one of them, a child with a dark purple bruise mottling their face and swelling one eye shut, looked up. Their open eye was wide with fear and curiosity both, and when I caught their gaze, I simply held out my hand in a silent offer. I would not come closer, until they asked. I would not force them to come to me before they were ready. We would move at their pace, each step their choice.

I did not know how long I waited, but eventually, their curiosity outweighed their fear, and the child carefully wriggled out from the protective scrunch of the blankets to crawl over. They couldn't walk; one ankle was so swollen I could barely see their foot. Even crawling had to be painful, based on how red and irritated their hands appeared. But still, they crawled, slipping once or twice on the oversized shirt they wore. They stopped halfway, studying me, and I smiled and continued waiting. There was, however, one thing I noted, one thing which made my heart keen for different reasons entirely. The child never once looked at my clothes. Their focus remained completely on my face.

Eventually, the child reached me, but did not say anything. I moved my hand a little closer, and they hesitantly placed their hand in mine. Now able to study their hands properly, I decided they were even worse than I thought. They were raw, chapped, even bleeding in some places. I studied both of their hands closely, checking for any signs of infection, and then went through my medicine bag for a balm. I popped open the jar and made to scoop some out and rub it into their hand myself, only to see them reaching first.

"Ah, would you feel more comfortable applying it yourself?" I asked softly. They immediately froze. "I can pass it to you, if you want."

"...You... will put it on me?" they asked slowly. Their expression was unreadable, far too used to guarding their thoughts. It made my heart ache; I did not think they were any older than Shannan. "You'll touch it? The medicine?"

"Yes." For emphasis, I scooped a small amount out with my fingers and, noticing how their eyes snapped to it, I rubbed a little bit on my own hand. "See?"

"There's no rash?" They leaned a little closer, frowning as they scrutinized my hand. "No rash, no red..."

"I would hope not. If you experience such, I need to switch medicines for you."

"All the medicine they gave us made our hands itch. We knew they knew, because they never touched it themselves." They awkwardly held their hand out to me once more, letting me rub the balm on it. I did my best to be as gentle as possible. I would need to bandage them to keep everything clean. "It... doesn't burn…?"

"I'm glad. It shouldn't hurt." I finished with one hand, and then switched to the other. "Will you let me put bruise balm on your face? It will help it heal faster."

"...Um..."

"I'll put it on my skin first to show you, if you would like." I smiled and they hesitantly nodded. "Ah, but where are my manners? My name is Alicia, little one."

"...Gabriel." They continued watching me rub the balm into their hands and their fingers curled slightly into mine. "I think... it's Gabriel."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Gabriel."

I worked slowly, tending to Gabriel's many injuries. I asked each time I wanted to do something, showed them the medicines I wished to use, explained what each one did, and waited until they agreed before doing anything. As best as I could, I made each step their choice. I think it worked well, since they had noticeably relaxed by the time I braced their swollen ankle. By then, a couple of the other children had hesitantly left the protective cover of their blankets to sit by me and watch. When I finished, one held out their hand, their face filled with fear and hope in equal measure, and I took it gently to begin the process again with them.

Anselm joined us around the time I started on the third child. He had changed into a simple shirt and pants, the sort of garb one would see anyone wearing if they poked their head outside, and I noticed the children were wary, but did not stiffen when he began talking to them. Since I had their cuts, bruises, and irritation covered, he focused more on potential illnesses. How did they feel? Did their heads ache? Did they have fevers? Did they have coughs? The way he asked the questions implied one of their number suffered from such symptoms, and it was then I learned there was actually one more rescued child, one who was terribly ill and, thus, had to be kept separate. When we finished with those in the main room, I asked if I could see them. I didn't expect Anselm to agree so quickly, but I was glad for it.

"The worst one is Ellen," Anselm explained as we headed to a side room. Already, I could hear throat-tearing coughing bounce off the halls. "She's the youngest of the rescued children, about five. High fever, chest pain, chills, and..." We stopped outside a door, just as we heard another deep, hacking fit. "Well, you can hear the cough."

"The poor child..." I whispered, unable to think of anything else to say. Still, I had asked to see her, so I opened the door with no hesitations. I immediately noticed it was very nicely, if simply, furnished. There were clean linens, a clear window to let sunshine in, and blankets piled high on a well-tended bed. Under the blankets was little Ellen, her face flushed as she twisted over the side, hacking and hacking until she actually vomited into a bucket someone kindly set on the floor. Immediately, I helped steady her before she accidentally fell off entirely. "What medicines have been used?"

"The usual for these sorts of illnesses. None of them were nearly as effective as they should've been, though." So, they provided some relief, but none addressed the underlying condition, only the symptoms. "Because she's so young, I didn't want to risk stronger medicines yet." Yes, with her age, such medicines could easily do more harm than good.

"I see." I sat down on the edge of her bed and brought up my staff to get a better idea of her condition. Immediately, my attention was drawn to her lungs. They were irritated, inflamed even, and it reminded me of... "Was she around mold?" It reminded me of Shannan's lungs, shortly after he was freed from the dungeon.

"All of them were around mold, among other things, but because of her small size, she was forced into tighter areas for... some reason." Anselm shrugged helplessly, adjusting the blankets on Ellen. She was gasping for air, and her eyes were hazy. But oh, she had such a pretty smile. I wondered what she thought she saw when she looked at us with such a sweet smile. "I will admit I didn't hear. They're still investigating everything. But the children said something about her having different duties because she was so much smaller and that involved tighter areas."

"Those tighter areas likely were dustier than the rest. I doubt they cared to clean." I had read a lot about this condition while treating Shannan, and knew dust could cause it just as easily as mold. If they were the same... ah, but even if they were the same, I was worried by how developed the condition was. Shannan's had been mild, but Ellen's... "We need more assistance with her. I can attempt to treat it, but it's certainly very advanced and the lungs can be very delicate. There may even be scarring." A thought occurred to me, and I looked up to face Anselm. "How did the children fair with you? Was it different?"

"As I both expected and feared, they were not nearly as wary once I changed clothes." His smile became bitter. "Most likely, then, a member of my own congregation was party to these atrocities."

"It could be priests in general, since many will visit as part of pilgrimages." I spoke slowly, uncertain if I was overstepping any boundaries. But at his curious look, I continued. "I was thinking... well, I would be the first to admit I do not know hierarchy and chain of command for this sort of thing, but if a member of the church is involved in something this heinous, should we not inform Father Claud?" I knew a little about him, of course. The Bragi Major of our generation, he became the Duke of Edda at a relatively young age, fourteen, and was known for his wisdom and keen intuition. As the Duke of Edda, however, he was heavily involved in the Church of the Twelve Gods. In fact, Edda's politics were the church's politics. This was how Edda maintained power, despite its relatively scarce resources.

"I..." Anselm hesitated before nodding slowly. "You are correct. Contraband, illegal weaponry, drugs, tax evasion, and ties to nobility... if a priest is also involved, he would have to be informed sooner or later."

"From what I've heard, Father Claud usually wears priest robes, yes?" House Edda leaned heavily into their close ties to religion, to the point where their rulers never used the title of 'duke' and most forwent clothes fancier than robes. "Those robes would be different."

"Yes, and given his knowledge and experience, he may be able to help poor Ellen. Those of Bragi's blood are always talented healers." Anselm looked to her, still struggling to breathe, and resolve hardened his eyes. "I do not know how to contact him, but you are right, Lady Alicia. He must be informed of our suspicions, and he may be Ellen's best chance. Shall we meet with Dietrich and Duke Arvis?"

It was the best option, so I agreed. Of course, I didn't know how to contact Father Claud any more than Anselm did, but Arvis had a way. He was reluctant to ask for outside assistance, as could be expected, but I convinced him by pointing out Ellen needed the help. It didn't take long for him to fold, knowing a child's life was on the line, so he sent word. Surprisingly, Father Claud answered and arrived quickly. I was certain it would be a day or two, at the earliest, but within a couple of hours, at most, he had joined us at the barracks.

"That was much faster than I anticipated," Arvis used as his greeting when Father Claud arrived. I was glad to see I wasn't the only one surprised by his haste. "I would've thought you in the middle of many different projects, Claud. You usually are."

"There is, unfortunately, much which goes into coordinating all the congregations in Grannvale," Father Claud replied with a gentle, healer-perfect smile. To my surprise, however, you could clearly see the mischief in it as well. "Yet you so rarely ask anyone for help, Arvis. How could I not find the most convenient stopping point and rush over?" Arvis looked away sheepishly, and Father Claud used it as an excuse to turn his attention to me, since I was standing next to my brother. "Is this your sister, Arvis?"

"Yes, this is Alicia."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," I greeted, bowing slightly. Then I gestured to hallway, since there was no use wasting time. "Please forgive my lack of manners, but would you mind following us, Father Claud? I do not know what Arvis said in his message, but the condition of one of the children requires utmost haste."

Thankfully, Father Claud was just as eager to see the children as we were, so he followed Anselm and I into the back without delay. I expected Anselm to explain the full situation to Father Claud as soon as we were out of earshot of Dietrich and Arvis, but to my surprise, he remained silent. He didn't seem shy or tongue-tied by awe. He was just silent. Why would he...? Did he want me to start the conversation for some reason? Maybe that was the case. This had to be difficult for him.

"There is, in truth, another reason we asked for you, Father Claud, besides Ellen's condition," I began, turning to face the two. Father Claud looked intrigued, but strangely unsurprised. "Anselm?" I looked to Anselm, who was startled for some reason. "I apologize. Were you deep in your thoughts?"

"I... no, my lady," Anselm mumbled, the words blending together. He wouldn't quite look at me. "I was simply surprised."

"Is that so?" I feared I was missing something here, but I wasn't certain what. "In any case, you should tell Father Claud. It's your theory, after all. I'm just helping." His eyes darted to me then, still noticeably surprised. I truly did not understand what was so surprising. "I will if it is difficult, of course, but..."

"No, no, I can..." He smiled shyly, sheepish even, and turned his attention to Father Claud, who watched us both with a benevolent smile. "A-anyway, Father Claud, I fear one of my own congregation may be an accomplice to the atrocities here. The children were fixated on my robes, and kept their distance. Their wariness was nowhere near the same level when Lady Alicia tended to them, or after I changed clothes."

"I see," Father Claud murmured, expression still calm. Either he was truly unsurprised, or he was masking it well. I suspected the latter. "I wonder if this is related to an anonymous message I received a few days ago about potential bribery in the Church of Light." My, that was certainly convenient. I now wondered if the group involved in this had internal troubles. "I had planned on writing Eirik from the Church of Fate, but I am glad I waited until I investigated further." Why would he contact Father Eirik? "So, I take it you wish to see if the children show a similar reaction to priest robes in general. Mine are quite different from the ones worn by the Church of Light."

"Yes, your grace," Anselm answered, speaking clearly and concisely. Whatever hesitations he had before, he certainly did not have them now. "However, we do wish for you to look at Ellen as well. There's something wrong with her lungs and..." Anselm looked to me then. "You asked specifically about mold and dust, my lady, but I only now realize I forgot to ask you why."

"Ah, the condition of her lungs bears similarities to Shannan's lungs when we rescued him," I explained, doing my best to remember everything about that time. The more I thought, the more certain I became. "What differences I noticed seem to be related to severity. When I was researching the condition, I read dust could cause something similar."

"Dust and mold, hmm?" Father Claud mused, crossing his arms to tap his finger on his forearm. He nodded to himself, mentally filtering through what diseases and conditions he knew. "Dry cough or wet?"

"Dry, I believe?" I glanced at Anselm, who nodded. "It's hard enough to make her vomit, which could mask any phlegm, but..."

"Pneumonitis, then? Perhaps due to hypersensitivity?" Father Claud smiled then, a determined glint in his eyes. "Will we pass by the other children on the way to Miss Ellen?" Anselm nodded again. "Then let us go. You can observe their reaction to me as I pass by, and we can try more exposure after tending to her. But the sooner we treat this, the better."

Father Claud walked briskly, his strides long enough I had to jog to keep up. Anselm kept pace with us, barely, and opened the door to the children's room lead us to Ellen's. The children themselves mostly hid as we passed, though I saw one or two watching us curiously, their eyes on Father Claud's face and not his robes. Just as I was about to leave the room with Anselm and Father Claud, however, something unexpectedly touched my hand. When I turned, I saw it was Gabriel, his hand shaking on mine.

"Um... how... how is she?" he asked me softly. The words shook as much as his hand. "I can sometimes hear her coughing, but they won't..."

"I imagine they keep her isolated to ensure the rest of you do not become ill, though it must be difficult to know so little," I whispered, crouching down so I could look him in the eye. He relaxed slightly when I did. "I will not lie. Her condition is grave. However, we will do everything in our power to help her recover."

"I thought it might be bad. Her twin died days before..." He looked away, and it took every lesson I ever learned from Father Eirik to keep from flinching. How many had died? How many had he seen die? "Um..." He hesitated, and I waited for him. "There was... a healer before you came. After the guards dragged us here." 'Dragged', was it? Yes, I supposed the children would not have felt very comfortable with the change, even if it was technically for the better, much like how Shannan had felt as confined in his room as he had the dungeon. "What happened to him?"

"Anselm? He just passed by." I pointed down the hall behind me, and noticed how startled he was by the knowledge. "I apologize if you feel tricked. He noticed you seemed disturbed by his robes and changed clothes to help you feel a little more comfortable."

"Oh." Gabriel looked away then, but his hand moved to my sleeve to hold tightly. "The priest... who gave us balms... back there... wore similar robes." Then it was as Anselm feared. Though, I suppose the robes could have been stolen? "They weren't new, but not dirty or torn. They were worn regularly, and laundered." Ah, but those tiny details hinted otherwise.

"May I tell Father Claud this?" I waited for him to nod. "Then I shall. With luck, we can find the one who hurt you under the guise of helping."

"We'll see." His smile was so terribly bitter and cynical; I could not blame him. "Um... but can I... have a little more of your balm?"

"Of course." I glanced back down the hall before focusing entirely on Gabriel. With Anselm and Father Claud there, Ellen would be fine. If they had need of me, they would find me. "Do any of the others want more as well?"

Others would hunt down the perpetrators and, with luck, things will be a little safer. For now, I would tend to these childrens' injuries as best as I could, and listen to what they wished to say. That was what they needed, after all, and I was happy to do everything I could for them.

---

I stayed in Belhalla for a week, helping Anselm as much as I could with the children. Only when we were certain the children's injuries were fully on the mend, and they would be fine without supervision did I return to Velthomer with Arvis to continue my 'rest'. I still fretted dreadfully, but thankfully, Anselm did not mind sending me letters to tell me how they were doing. I would need to write him when I left to see if he was willing to send the letters to Evans.

"So, Ellen is recovering well," I whispered to myself, reading through the letter carefully. I was in Arvis's office, sitting in the window seat to take advantage of the sunlight. "I hope it's a full recovery." She would likely have breathing difficulties for the rest of her life, but we could still hope for now. "Ah, but the investigation is proceeding smoothly if slowly." That was to be expected. Father Claud, Captain Dietrich, and Arvis were all investigating the issue, coordinating their vast resources as best as they could. Gabriel, being the apparent eldest of the children at the ripe old age of eight, was their best resource, though Gabriel had to push through his own distrust and wariness to relay what information he had. Most of what he'd told had been first been to me, and I told the others after I asked if it was all right to share. "Ha... Anselm wonders if I should return briefly." While I would not mind seeing them again, I was hesitant to be present at an outright interrogation as I worried what it would do to Gabriel's mental health. I'd write Anselm my concerns so we could make proper arrangements. For now, however, there was a different, more present issue, the whole reason why I was in Arvis's study in the first place. With the Festival of Flowers approaching, Arvis's duties had more than tripled, in addition to the investigations. This meant... "Arvis, if you do not delegate those tasks to Azelle, I will tell him the story about the cats." This meant I had to resort to threats to get Arvis to actually take breaks. Honestly, it was no wonder he went through headache remedies like water.

"You would not!" Arvis immediately yelped, jerking up from the pile of papers he'd been reviewing despite Azelle's attempts to help. Azelle promptly seized the opportunity to steal them from him and organize the lot. It was harder than it sounded; Arvis's office was almost as much of a mess now as it was the day I arrived. "Alicia!"

"Then you had best delegate, dear brother, lest you find out." I looked up from my letter to smile sweetly at him, and he groaned, raising his hands in defeat. "What were you two even arguing about this time?"

"They're missives."

"And most are just people confirming they will attend the ball," Azelle declared with all the dry annoyance he could muster. He wrote down the names of each one, likely for the 'guest list', and burned them as soon as he was done. Though it resulted in a lot of ash piling on the desk, it did reduce the number of papers considerably. "Oh, wait, this one is different." He flipped it open easily, skimming through. "It's from Captain Dietrich, saying His Majesty has approved the Five-Point punishment for the former Count Theobald." He set it in its own space on the desk. "That's the one in charge of the warehouse, right?"

"Indeed, so it only makes sense he would suffer the worst of punishments," Arvis confirmed coldly. He outright glared at the missive. "I should ask if Dietrich wants assistance in wringing as much information as possible before it is done."

"He actually did, and wants your best interrogator. Doesn't have to be connected to the Royal Guard."

"I'll let Aida know then."

"What is this punishment?" I asked, feeling uneasy suddenly. The feeling only increased when neither Arvis nor Azelle would look at me. "Ah, never mind. If you will excuse me, I shall ask-"

"It's an old, traditional punishment, predating even the Empire," Arvis answered quickly, no doubt to keep me from asking anyone else. I knew it would work. "First, the criminal's legs are cut off, to ensure they can no longer run from justice, and are buried in the woods to be eaten by carrion. Next, the hands are cut off and incinerated, so the innocent blood on them will be cleansed. Finally, their tongue is cut out and purified in salt, so their wretched lies can no longer curse innocents." He closed his eyes, and I could only stare. "They're then incarcerated for the rest of their lives, so they may meditate and reflect on their actions."

"I... see..." A punishment like that existed? I should not be surprised, but I was. Why not kill them and let the gods sort them out? I may be a healer, and wished to save all lives, but this felt less like justice and more like wanton cruelty.

"You're not healing him." Arvis's words were firm, and I frowned. "I'm keeping you far away from that wretch."

"I wasn't going to ask." I simply questioned whether this sort of punishment did anything but satisfy people's egos. "With that said, Anselm has brought up the possibility of me returning briefly to help with the children."

"They do seem more inclined to tell you things compared to the rest of us." Arvis frowned then. "I wonder why."

"Probably because Alicia doesn't look like she can kill them with a snap of their fingers?" Azelle suggested, words somehow hesitant and sarcastic at the same time. I frowned, mostly because I didn't think Anselm fit the description. "Though, I suppose it could be something else. Are they more comfortable with women, for instance?"

"Dietrich thought that might be the case, at first, but they remain as wary with the female guards," Arvis explained. After a moment, he shook his head. "I suppose it's simply Alicia's charisma."

"Could be."

"I think you're putting too much thought into it," I sighed, shaking my head. Personally, I thought it was because I did my best to listen and wait for them. People were more willing to talk if they knew they would be heard and knew they would not be forced. "Regardless, Arvis, what do you…?" A quiet knock on the door cut me off. "Come in."

"Your Grace?" Steward Ruarc poked his head in, his expression strangely unreadable. Since he usually wore at least a smile, I knew something unexpected had happened. "My pardon, but we have visitors," he explained. "I will see to their rooms, but you... will want to see them immediately."

"Will I now?" Arvis asked, raising a brow. When Steward Ruarc did not elaborate, he sighed and stood up. "Very well. Alicia, Azelle, I'll be back in a moment." He left without another word, expression stoic and strides brisk. Azelle and I glanced at each other, waited two seconds for Steward Ruarc to kindly move out of the way, and followed. After all, we were both terribly curious.

It didn't take long for us to walk to the entrance hall, even at the sedate pace we walked. We may both wonder who was here, but neither of us were in a hurry to exchange pleasantries. In fact, we were keen to avoid them, so we merely peeked into the hall when we arrived. Of course, we both stilled when we saw the visitors were three older men, each easily old enough to be our fathers, dressed in simple yet fine travel clothes. My eyes immediately fell on one of them in particular, because I recognized him. I may have only seen Duke Ring in the distance a few times in my life, but I did still recognize him. This, however, did nothing to explain why he was here, when he should have been on the Isaachian Front.

"Sister, the other two are Duke Lombard and Prince Kurth," Azelle whispered to me, knowing I would not know who they were. Though a second look at one of the strangers, the tallest and broadest of them, did reveal some similarities to Lex. "Let's... get a little closer and listen in." Without another word, he crept along the edges of the hall, using the pillars as cover. I did my best to follow him, if only to ensure I would not be caught standing awkwardly in the doorway. That felt more embarrassing than being caught eavesdropping.

"No, no, the war is unfortunately still ongoing," Prince Kurth was explaining, no doubt answering Arvis's own question of what they were doing here. He held himself with a strange ease, wearing a gentle smile. In sharp contrast, Duke Ring's eyes flicked about the room, even going towards the ceiling for some reason, despite the smile he wore, and Duke Lombard's face seemed permanently fixed in a scowl, with him only reluctantly lowering the hood of his travel-cloak. "However, we thought it might be better for the public's morale if some of the leadership attended the Festival of Flowers."

"There must be another reason besides that," Arvis immediately replied, expression polite and tone calm. I saw the slight narrowing of his eyes, hinting to annoyance, and based on Prince Kurth's warming smile, I thought he might have noticed too. "The people's support has not waned, and given Sigurd's recent victory in Verdane, their spirits are quite high."

"I am still amazed at how quickly he managed it. What a shame we can't field him for the Isaachian Campaign." Prince Kurth shook his head, and Azelle glanced back at me uneasily. No, Sigurd would not fight in Isaach. Honestly, given what I overheard, he'd fight for Isaach. "Regardless, you are correct. It's simply the official reason. We also hope to lure the Issachians into complacency." ...So, they were... pretending to be arrogant enough to dismiss the threat? They were pretending things were going so well they could spare the time for frivolity? I had no idea what to feel about this, save perhaps ill. It certainly made me nauseous. "Reptor and Byron remained behind to coordinate efforts."

"I see." Arvis was still a little irritated by the surprise, though he did well to mask it. "I have my steward preparing your rooms. You may use the Warp Gate to grab anything you will need from Belhalla. I highly doubt the three of you traveled with clothing suitable for the ball, for one thing."

"Not for my valet's lack of trying! I swear he would've packed my entire wardrobe!" Prince Kurth muffled a laugh, and then looked about curiously. "I must say; I know the Festival of Flowers is soon, but everything seems a little more cheerful than usual. Did something good happen recently?" Then, all at once, Prince Kurth's eyes landed on me. Azelle might have been hidden by the pillar, but I wasn't. I'd been too startled by the conversation to even try. "That's..." Of course, when Prince Kurth saw me, he froze. I wasn't surprised. He'd last seen me as a one-year-old, after all, and given previous comments, I apparently looked far more like my mother than I ever would have guessed. "Alicia?" I was, however, appreciative he did not say my mother's name first. "How...?"

"To answer your question, Alicia is visiting." Arvis turned to frown at me, and his eyes darted to Azelle. However, since Azelle had the good sense to stay hidden, he didn't bring any attention to his presence. "I could've sworn I told you I'd be right back."

"Did you? I fear curiosity may have closed my ears, brother," I replied, purposely trying to jest. I wasn't certain how good of a joke it was, but Arvis cracked a smile. It widened when I joined him. "Besides, I had just managed to convince you to delegate. I worried you might take up more work to compensate."

"Now there's two words I don't hear together often," Duke Ring suddenly joked, even laughing. I guessed he was making up for how Prince Kurth continued staring, and how Duke Lombard's scowl deepened. "Unless the word 'doesn't' is between them, that is. I wonder what the secret is."

"Hmm? Ah, I simply offer to tell Azelle some stories of his visits." I widened my eyes innocently; Arvis immediately stiffened next to me. "For some reason, he's much more inclined to listen to me afterwards."

"Ah, sibling threats. Edain uses them effectively against Andrey as well." Duke Ring laughed again. Arvis looked away, desperately trying to hide his embarrassment. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Alicia. I've heard much about you in my daughter's letters, and the gossips."

"The pleasure is mine."

There were a few more polite exchanges before Steward Ruarc appeared to lead the three to their rooms. Arvis took the opportunity to return to his work, and Azelle went to assist. I did not. No, because of the conversation, I was unsettled, so I returned to my rooms to pen a reply to Anselm. From there, the plan was simple. I would study in the sitting room, and do my best to minimize any and all contact with our visitors. As one can expect, this simple plan fell apart within a few hours. This was mostly because while I was reading, Prince Kurth himself wandered past the open door. I couldn't decide if I was irritated or resigned.

"Ah. You're using them," he murmured, once he noticed me. It had taken him a moment, since he had looked around slowly, like he was walking through a dream. "That's why they're not locked anymore." He at least had the grace to look awkward when I simply stared in return. "I apologize. I was so startled to see the doors open I found myself wandering through before I thought once, much less twice."

"This is the second time someone has meandered in for that reason," I replied, closing my book to be polite. Usually I'd mark my place, but I didn't feel like I made much progress. It would be better to start again later. "Arvis thought I might feel more comfortable in Cigyun's old rooms."

"Well, you did spend most of your time here. Actually in the chair there. Cigyun would hold you in her lap while she read and discussed..." He trailed off awkwardly, the wide eyes telling me he hadn't meant to say any of it aloud. I was rather surprised he remembered such. Even Steward Ruarc admitted to remembering little, and he was one of the very few who remained from that time. Everyone else, especially Arvis, had their memories worn away by trauma, grief, stress, and time. "Er... you probably don't need to listen to an old man's musings."

"From my understanding, Prince Kurth, you're in your early forties."

"Aren't nineteen year olds supposed to consider that old?" He forced himself to smile; I could only shrug. Would I also joke of 'old age' when I turned forty? "It... is nineteen, right? Your twentieth should still be a few months away."

"Yes, it's a couple months after the Festival of Flowers." I knew Arvis wanted me to stay to celebrate here, but I doubted I would survive a second ball and there was no way I could convince him to keep things simple. "I will be back in Evans then."

"Evans?"

"Yes, I am staying in Evans with everyone." I couldn't bite back the smile on my face when I said the words. It felt like a dream still. "As Arvis said, I'm only visiting Velthomer."

"I see." Prince Kurth's own smile became much less forced and awkward. "Ah, I am reminded. While I wandered here out of... never mind. I was actually looking for you." Now why would he do that? I was trying to hide from him, Duke Ring, and Duke Lombard. …Wait. "Might you take a walk with me, Alicia?"

"...Very well." I didn't know a graceful way to refuse, after all, and I really did need to fix this instinct to hide. The whole point of going to the Festival was to not hide. It was so much easier to do when I was back in Evans.

Prince Kurth waited for me to set down my book and then escorted me to the gardens. There, we walked in silence. A few times, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he closed it with a slight shake of his head. Personally, I thought he'd immediately ask me about Ayra and Shannan and braced myself each time I thought he would speak. Yet, when he did finally start a conversation, it was about something else entirely.

"Alicia, I heard you were involved in the recent warehouse scandal," he began without preamble. I had to blink a few times to fully process the words. "Is that true?"

"I believe saying I was 'involved' is severely overstating my importance," I replied with a shake of my head. I clasped my hands in front of me to keep from fidgeting. "When Arvis told me of what happened, I offered my aid as a healer. Anselm accepted to have assistance with the children, and to test a theory of his."

"That a member of the church was involved."

"I did not realize that had already made it to the gossips." I would not have thought my name would be bandied about either.

"Oh, the gossips suspect it given Claud's involvement in the mess, but most are placated by the story of his skills being needed to treat the children. Your name came up as well because of it. The gossip is furious about how the children must be so terribly injured and ill they needed a healer with Fjalar's might and another with Bragi's skill to have a chance at healing." While I would say the children were very hurt, the only one I would say was that bad off was Ellen. Otherwise, if we were speaking only of their physical injuries, Anselm would have been enough. This was why I was no longer needed, except for their mental scars. "I, however, know because of Eirik. He always informs me when he's tasked with investigating something, just in case it leads to something among the nobility."

"Is it usual for him to be involved?" Father Claud had also mentioned Father Eirik.

"Eirik is the one House Edda tasks with internal investigations. Despite having the social graces of a grumpy and feral cat, and the tact of a toddler, he has a keen eye for detail and absolutely no hesitations at all in pursuing every avenue, diplomacy be damned." Well, he certainly had the comparisons correct. I could also concede Father Eirik could be a very determined person. "We actually met because the church was quietly trying to bury a scandal, and he refused to let them because of the number of people who had been hurt." I wondered if this was why Father Eirik claimed to be indebted to him. I would never be so rude as to ask, but it was curious nonetheless. "Which was longer than I care to admit. It was before Claud was born."

"Is that not an admission right there?" I could not help but 'ask', and Prince Kurth simply muffled a laugh. "Regardless, yes, that was why. Any further involvement on my part will be for the children's comfort, but they should all make full recoveries."

"We'll need to figure out where they will go from here."

"Wherever it is, I ask you let the children choose." I remembered what Gabriel had said, after all. "If they are not part of the process, then it will simply become adults doing whatever they want with them again. These ones may have their best interests at heart, of course, but the similarities are there."

"That… is a fair point. I think I'll make it an order to ensure the others don't get carried away with their good intentions." He smiled at me, though there was something bitter to it. "You have experience with traumatized children, then?"

"We took care of some refugees in Verdane, but in this case, Gabriel mentioned being 'dragged' by the guard. There was also…" I trailed off as I realized I almost blurted out Shannan's experience. Did he trick me?

"I suppose you have experience due to caring for the prince of Isaach." He definitely tricked me! "How is he doing? How is his aunt?" I was tempted to not answer in the slightest, but he did seem earnest in the questions.

So, I bit back my sigh and kept hold of my calm to hide both my annoyance and guilt. "They have finally recovered enough from their ordeals to resume normal activities, though they must build up their strength. Shannan's recovery will be more lengthy since he was bedridden for so long." I shrugged and looked at him with a slight frown. "I hope you're not planning a lecture."

"Would you listen if I did?" His easy smile showed the teasing, and despite my annoyance, I found myself smiling slightly in return. I think it was because how familiar his smile looked. Was it some... impression... from when I lived here? That didn't seem right, as it felt like the memory it stirred was from something much more recent, yet I had no other answer. "No, I was merely curious. I will fully admit I had hoped to use the knowledge against Mariccle, but alas."

"You tried to use it against him?"

"It is the duty of those who war to end it as soon as possible, by any means necessary. I'm not above deliberately misleading the other side." He chuckled, emphasizing how blase he was about the notion. I wasn't certain how comfortable I felt hearing it. I supposed I should be grateful he didn't insist on actually using Shannan as a hostage? "So, I arranged a talk and informed him his son was in the custody of a Grannvalian lord. I'd hoped it would shake him enough to force negotiations."

"Since the war continues, I can guess it went quite poorly."

"Indeed. Merchants love gossip even more than they love coin, and they happily trade it with any and all. They also can't resist the profits from selling to both armies, so many have traveled across the Aed with all their chatter. Thus, Mariccle was not only already aware of where his son and sister were, but which lord was protecting them." He chuckled again, amused by the memory, yet there was also genuine respect in his eyes. "I think I'll always remember his response. 'I see your fangs are as venomous as the rest of the snakes of Belhalla, but unfortunately for you, I know the antidote to this kind.' He used a lot of beast metaphors, and I still can't decide if it was out of respect or mockery."

"Ayra has told me Isaachians hold animals in high regard, due to Tiamat of Beasts."

"At the same time, I'm not certain Lombard much liked being compared to a mangy bear." ...Someone had no fear. Then again, based on what I overheard, Mariccle was well aware he would not survive this war. Why be afraid when you already knew death was hovering over you? "He knew of Sigurd from more than just rumors as well, thanks to stories Prince Quan shared when their paths happened to cross while traveling the desert. So, he pointedly asked if Grannvale was so certain of its superiority it could afford a civil war while... well, at the time, you all were still in Verdane."

"Not even Grannvale can fight on three different fronts."

"Still not sure how we managed two." Prince Kurth sighed. "So, unfortunately, the plan failed. Then, as if to prove how little we can afford to split our focus, he proceeded to purposely let himself be captured, which included the usual confiscation of weapons and restraints. He then killed one man with a kick to the throat to force a fight, cleverly timed his dodges to ensure his attackers would kill each other while he freed himself, reclaimed Balmung, and then proceeded to annihilate three units on his own before casually returning to his own camp in time for tea."

"..." I had to admit to staring. Prince Kurth's only response was a wry smile. "Balmung is a Holy Weapon, yes?"

"The Phantasmal Blade, it will cloak its wielder in magic to blend in with the environment, invisible to all. Useful for screwing with the senses, or simply escaping. He, in particular, will use it to lie in wait until a key opponent has dropped their guard. Then he'll strike, as vicious as fangs, and disappear while the corpses drop to escape in the resulting pandemonium. We've had quite a few officers flat-out collapse from the stress of dealing with such an opponent. He's brutal and calculating in equal measure, and I dearly wish I never had to face him on the battlefield. Our only chance will be other Holy Weapons, and utilizing our magical advantage."

"I see." I had no other answer. This made me terribly uncomfortable. "Was curiosity your only reason for bringing up the topic?"

"Yes, though I admit it was curiosity of a different thing entirely which prompted the thoughts." Prince Kurth stopped to face me, and I mirrored him. "Has Princess Ayra said anything about Dahna?"

"Dahna?" Well, now, this was awkward for completely different reasons. "She has not told me anything, no." Yet I had overheard. I had overheard many things, and those things were troubling. Ayra's testimony in particular… it loomed in my memory. I had no right to tell, yet did I have a right to be silent when I knew? "She has not told Sigurd anything either, which may be an answer in itself."

"Oh?"

"Ayra knows what sort of person Sigurd is. So, perhaps she knows the answers may lead to Sigurd doing something reckless, because his sense of duty and honor demand it." I held Prince Kurth's gaze, speaking as truthfully as I could without revealing anything I technically should not know. It felt like the only compromise. "Though perhaps she does not tell because she herself knows nothing. I cannot say. I can only tell you she prioritizes Shannan's safety, and Sigurd's."

"Is that so?" Prince Kurth crossed his arms, frowning. "If he would be reckless, then what would it mean? What is the truth here?"

"May I ask who brought back word of what happened in Dahna?"

"Lombard, but..." His frown deepened, but I could say nothing more. I only asked because I remembered how skeptical Lex had been. "I might need to send some spies on this. I still need every soldier and commander I can get, yet..." After a moment, he sighed and forced himself to relax. "What a headache. Byron's right; I do need to simply carry headache remedies everywhere I go."

"I can make you up some, if you would like."

"That... would be rather nice, actually." He had a most unreadable look on his face before shaking his head. "I do not know what to say to you." That was random, especially since we had been holding quite the lengthy conversation. "Most would say the appropriate thing is something like 'you grew up well', but I'm not certain I have that right, given the mess we made of your life. Besides, you may look physically well, but I read neither minds nor hearts. I do not know the scars there, only guesses and fears."

"...Did he write you about me?" I wasn't certain why I asked. I truthfully wasn't very curious about the answer. Yet it was the first thing which popped into my head. Perhaps... perhaps I wanted to know if he knew everything, and yet had still...

"Every once in a while, but I'm sure you can guess how short they were." He made a face. "I think one was literally two words: 'she's alive'." I had to duck my head to hide my smile. After all, I could see it easily. "Still, Grannvale's politics are ruthless. I thought you safer far away from them." Yes, safety was paramount. It was a shame 'safety' and 'happiness' apparently could not coexist. "Whatever mistakes I made, and there are many, I simply have to bear them."

"You sound like Father Eirik." I said the words lightly, and he playfully made a horrified expression. "Well, since you are talkative right now, might I ask a rude question?"

"You may ask me anything, Alicia."

"If Cigyun hadn't left, would I have still been left with him?" There was another, different, question hidden in the words, but I was not so bold as to ask directly.

He was silent for a long moment, taking his time to think through his answer. "I dream of her still." After all, he no doubt heard the second question anyway. "I dream I did stop her, dream I somehow convinced her to stay. In the dream, she and I married, blessed with children of our own, with you, Arvis, and Azelle living happily in the palace. Sif would stay behind the scenes, shy as she was, but smiling. Everyone smiles. It's a dream, after all. A dream of an unconventional, but wonderfully happy, family." He closed his eyes, smiling at the mere thought. "But then I wake, and I remember I chose otherwise. She had so few choices and, at the time, I feared becoming yet another chain on her. I thought she might be happier far away from Grannvale and all the misery it brought her."

"You say 'at the time'."

"I've looked for her. Simply... simply to check in. To see how she was." The way he said the words implied more, though. It implied he'd perhaps hoped she'd come back with him, perhaps hoped she'd still loved him like he did her. No wonder none of his relationships since then had lasted long. "Her trail ends at Yngvi every time. She'd taken no possessions or anything, simply left in a carriage. At an inn just within Yngvi territory, she asked the driver to stop so she could stretch her legs and he could get some water. No one ever saw her again. She simply disappeared, like a ghost." He opened his eyes then, the smile on his face now a little helpless. "But that was not your question."

"You still answered it." The answer was 'no'. If Cigyun had stayed, then I wouldn't have been left in Yngvi. But she had left, for whatever reasons, and he felt he could not protect me as my mother wished. He felt he could not watch over me when his own heart was shattered and crushed with pain and guilt. Thus, I remained with Father Eirik. "I suppose it doesn't matter. It is what it is."

"Now you're the one sounding like Eirik." He chuckled, sadly amused by it, and I simply smiled. "Ah, this is a poor topic for the garden, isn't it? Might you share some stories from Verdane? I've sadly never been able to visit, but I'm rather curious about it."

"Most of my stories involve the infirmary, but if you are still curious, I can share."

He was, in fact, very curious, and so, for the rest of the walk, I shared anything and everything about the Verdane Campaign, even the more painful parts. I only hid Deirdre's past and the dark magic. Those secrets, I would take to my grave.

---

It was not the first walk I took with Prince Kurth. Every day, save for the couple I spent in Belhalla helping Gabriel with a written testimony, he asked to take one, and we would discuss a variety of things. Some were light topics, such as what sort of flowers were in the garden, and others were more serious, like more details about the Verdane Campaign or my impressions about things with the warehouse children. I learned to plan my days around it, as I never could figure a polite way to refuse and it... was not bad, walking with him. I would not call it comfortable, but it wasn't uncomfortable either. It helped we never talked about the past after the first walk. It was much better to speak of the present. Present hurts could be healed; past hurts could not.

What I had taken to do after our walks was read in the gardens, and this day was no different, save for what I read. For once, I was not studying. Before I left, Deirdre had shyly lent me the book she'd brought from her village, the one she loved so dearly whose protagonist happened to share my name. Though I had not read fictional books since I was very little, I could not refuse and, so, found myself making my slow way through. What surprised me most was how... it was like the book had been printed on one of the first printing presses. The ink was faded in random places, the letters ever-so-slightly uneven, and the lines themselves slanted downwards. Even some of the phrasing and spellings were archaic, things I had only seen in the oldest books in the Church. Maybe this was why the cover was so worn you could no longer see the title.

As for the story itself, it seemed simple. The most intriguing thing was how there was technically more than one 'protagonist' to the story. One was the girl who shared my name, a princess hidden in the darkness by a demon most foul, but the other was the young boy who found her in the dark, a squire named 'Seliph'. I took a quick peek at the ending to see if they ended up together; thankfully, they didn't. Yet what little I read implied this Seliph was a prince, in addition to being a squire. So, were they siblings or were they royals from different countries? Perhaps 'princess' was used in a more figurative sense? It was so terrible of stories to have to go in a proper order. I wanted to know everything at once. Yet there was nothing for it. I had to keep reading to find out. So, I did. I read and read and read, until…

"Ah, so here's our missing lady." Until a cheerful voice, warm and bright, startled me right out of the book, and it was only then I realized the dim and dimming light. When had the sun started setting? Surely, it could not be so late? I was glad I had thought to wear a shawl since the temperature had also dropped, but it was still surprising. "Young Azelle was looking for you for tea, but you were not in your rooms." Ah, I was being rude. Regardless of how startled I was, I should at least acknowledge the speaker. Still, I would not have expected them to be Duke Ring. "How lucky I decided to take a walk before dinner," he continued, chuckling to himself. I simply smiled, and hoped it looked neither sheepish nor awkward. "I'd been hoping to speak more with you."

"I could not imagine why, Duke Ring," I murmured in return, marking my place before closing my book. I was about halfway through, and the plot had certainly picked up. Who would've guessed the trusted knight of all characters was manipulating the two protagonists? "I find myself to be a rather uninteresting person."

"Nonsense! I've heard much about you from Edain. Her letters sing your praises, and how much she enjoyed learning from you." She learned from...? When did this happen? I didn't recall teaching her anything? I did, vaguely, remember Lady Edain had expressed a desire to learn, but only as part of the ruse to trick Prince Quan into letting us leave to recruit King Jamke. "But, truthfully, the reason I wanted to speak with you was to express my gratitude."

"I do not remember doing anything worthy of your thanks."

"And yet, you did. You healed the people of Yngvi, and you are why Midir survived." The good humor faded for earnest sincerity. It was easy to see how he and Lady Edain were related when he wore such an expression. "My steward is still calculating the full damages, but you tended to the townsfolk in the initial aftermath, and you saved Midir's life. I owe you a great deal for both."

"...While I accept the thanks, I would argue you do not owe me anything." I may or may not learn to accept what Sir Alec had said about gratitude being a way to show respect, but payment and debts were a completely different thing. "I simply did my job as a healer."

"Most are paid for their jobs."

"The joy I feel when I see my patients recover is more than enough."

"I must at least repay you for saving Midir. I can't have him dying before he finally asks to court my Edain, now can I?" He grinned suddenly, the very picture of mischief, and I ducked my head to hide my smile. "Not sure why neither have brought it up yet. They're not subtle."

"Mister Dew, a child who joined us in Verdane, asked me when Sir Midir would propose, truthfully." I could not say much more. I knew the rumors, and I knew what bits I saw, but staying in the infirmary as much as I did meant I did not see much. Maybe I… should walk around more when I returned.

"He better not propose before courting. We must be proper." His grin softened to a smile. "But still, if you will not accept the repayment of a lord whose people were harmed, then will you at least accept a father's for saving the one his daughter loves most?"

"I still argue I have no need for repayment."

"You are very stubborn. Not sure if you inherited it from Sunna, or learned it from Eirik." I could honestly say I wasn't certain how to feel about either prospect. "Very well. I shall simply have to surprise you later." He chuckled, amused, and I tried to think of how to reply.

When I did, my mind latched onto the one thing I didn't expect. "So, you knew my mother?"

"We met once or twice, when she met with Prince Kurth to pass a message. She rarely left Cigyun's side, and Cigyun never left Velthomer Castle. Honestly, until Prince Kurth met her, I and most of the court thought she was some figment of Victor's imagination." Once again, I struggled to think of a reply. "Hmm?" However, before I could, Duke Ring suddenly looked up, focused on the castle. "There... on the wall..." Curious, I looked up as well, but did not see anything unusual. "Is that a person climbing?"

"Oh, did Arvis lock himself out of his office again?" I hunted for the window I knew was his office, but I still did not find what Duke Ring spoke of. Where...?

"This probably is not the time, but pardon?"

"Arvis accidentally locks himself out of his office fairly frequently, though sometimes, others have locked it themselves to try and force him to take a break." Still finding nothing, I returned my attention to Duke Ring. His own remained on the castle. "Since Aida refuses to teach him how to pick locks, he resorts to climbing up the side of the castle to slip in through the window."

"A shame we have no time for me to ask more about this." Why would we not have time? I almost asked, but Duke Ring suddenly kicked a small rock into his hand and threw it hard. It hit... at first, I thought it merely hit a shadowed part of the wall, but then something dislodged and fell. Absently and stupidly, I wondered why a cloth bundle would be on the wall. Then there was a terrible 'thwump' of a sound, and I realized it had not been a bundle. It had been a person. "Must be a newer assassin, to actually try the 'climb up the wall' trick."

"If they fell from such a height, they must be...!" Immediately, I stumbled to my feet and tried to run towards them. Duke Ring caught me before I could. "Duke Ring, they're injured!"

"I would hope so. I threw the rock to kill them." He said it casually, leading me in the opposite direction. I pretended to cooperate just long enough for his grip to relax before slipping away and running off. "Lady Alicia!"

I ran. It wasn't proper for a healer to run. Without any medicines or staves, I doubted I could do anything for them anyway. But still, my instinct was to run. Someone was hurt; I had to see if I could help. I had to see if I could heal them. Would it be better if I couldn't? I didn't know. I couldn't make such judgements. I could only follow my heart. So, I ran. I ran, clutching Deirdre's book to my chest, until I made it to the castle's walls. From there, I walked along it until I spotted the red trickling through the grass. It marked a clear path to the cloaked body, and when I got close, I wrapped Deirdre's book in my shawl and set it to the side, away from the blood. Then I knelt and reached over to check them over.

Their hand immediately snatched my wrist, proving they were not dead yet. Their eyes were set in a cold and hard glare, but they were already glazed over in pain. Their grip was weak enough for me to break easily. They made no move to grab a weapon; their other arm was too broken to try. Given how unnaturally still their legs were, I guessed their spine was broken or cracked. The blood trickling down their neck hinted to a head injury. I reached out with my other hand and ran my fingers along their scalp, knocking their hood ajar in the process. My fingers came back sticky and red. The head injury alone might be enough to kill them, or at least leave them with lasting health concerns. When taking all the visible injuries into account, I was surprised they had the strength to grab my wrist at all.

"Lady Alicia!" Duke Ring called my name from somewhere behind me. I didn't acknowledge him. Instead, I kept checking over the person, even as their glare softened to incredulity. I let them continue holding my wrist; I didn't see a point in pulling it back when their grip was weakening so quickly. "Lady Alicia, you should not...!" I didn't listen. I kept doing my job, even as I came to the same conclusions. The fall hadn't killed them yet, but it would. Even if I had my staves, I would not have been skilled enough to save them.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to them. By now, their eyes were so unfocused I doubted they could see me. The grip on my wrist had loosened to the point their hand was more 'resting' than 'holding'. "I wish I had something for the pain, at least." But I had no medicines. There was nothing I could do for them. Then again, given the whole 'assassin' part, maybe it would've been an insult if I did help them.

They frowned at me then. It was just the slightest quirk of their mouth. I wondered if they heard me. It was hard to say. Given the potential brain damage, they may have never even realized I was there, only that someone was. But, right before they finally collapsed, the frown became an even slighter, incredulous smile. Then they hit the ground again, a quiet 'splat' in their own blood, and they did not move again.

Duke Ring yanked me up then with such force I nearly stumbled when I got my feet back under me. "You are supposed to run away from assassins," he grumbled, speaking slowly like I was a child. I simply shrugged and picked up Deirdre's shawl-wrapped-book. It thankfully remained clean, though I needed to keep my other hand away. The blood still shone sickly on my fingers. "Your hand..." Duke Ring pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and took my hand to wipe away the blood, solving the problem. Now I could hold Deirdre's book safely with either hand. I'd keep it wrapped in my shawl to be safe. "Regardless, we should head inside. Being out in the open when assassins are wandering about is not the best of ideas."

I nodded dumbly, and he took me by the arm to ensure I would not slip away again. It didn't take long to get inside; he knew the paths well. Yet the inside of the castle was in chaos. Servants and guards flitted back and forth, with people checking who was where, who was with who, was everyone accounted for, was anything suspicious. No one spoke to us. Duke Ring quietly yet firmly escorted me through the mess, barely acknowledging anyone until we found Azelle. Though, this may have been because Azelle rushed over to hug me.

"You're all right..." Azelle breathed, jumping back to look at me. I made sure to smile at him, despite my misgivings about the situation, but his expression clouded with worry. "There's mud and blood on your skirts." So there was. I should've changed clothes first, to keep him from fretting. "What happened? Did you fall? Are you injured?"

"No, the blood belongs to one of the would-be-assassins, because she defied common sense and ran towards them because they were injured from their fall," Duke Ring sighed, shaking his head. Remembering how they had died, I simply bowed my head. "What a remarkable lack of self-preservation from a healer. Edain didn't mention this in her letters. Does Sigurd have a guard for her?"

"I believe it is one of his priorities, once everything settles in Evans." Everyone worried far too much over me. "Anyway, where were you two?"

"The gardens. I was taking a walk for some exercise, and she was reading when I found her. Seems the gods decided I needed more than just that to lose the belly I've developed over the years." Duke Ring glanced around, nodding approvingly about something. "Where's Arvis?"

"Last I saw, the main hall to chase down a duo."

"He's fighting, then?" I asked, jolted out of my thoughts. I immediately frowned and tried to head for the main hall; Azelle grabbed my arm. "We should check on him."

"Alicia, I think we should worry more about the assassins if Arvis has gotten them," Azelle mumbled, not looking at me. Beside him, Duke Ring nodded. I only frowned more. "So, we should... whoa!" This time, I didn't bother trying to slip away. Azelle was light enough for me to drag. "Alicia!"

I didn't listen. Absently and logically, I knew I probably should. Both had far more experience with this sort of thing than me. But my instincts screamed anyway, and my heart was already rattled, so I walked through the halls with Azelle trailing behind me. By this point, I actually knew the way to the main hall, so it didn't take me long to reach it and a sudden rush of heat welcomed us when we stepped inside. The source was, of course, Arvis, casting a fire spell as easily as he breathed to reducing someone to ash. His eyes were harder than stone, his expression twisted in tranquil fury as he called for more flames to launch at another cloaked figure. The only other person in the room was Aida, visibly exasperated about something as she stood to the side, and part of me wanted to ask her what was wrong. The rest, however, focused on one thing and one thing alone; Arvis's cheek was bleeding.

"Arvis!" Without thinking, I let go of Azelle, rushed over to Arvis, and brought my hand up to the cut on his face. He immediately jerked back, anger vanishing for surprise. "Ah, my apologies, does it hurt?" I asked, frowning worriedly. He blinked at me a few times, no doubt processing my presence, before he looked away and brought his hands to his side. The flames he'd held faded to flickering embers. "Arvis, that is not an answer."

"...No…" he finally mumbled, still not looking at me. Undeterred, I touched his cheek to examine the injury. It looked like a clean cut, very shallow despite the blood, but I worried for potential poisons and debris. "I'm fine."

"You're bleeding."

"I'll be fine."

"You will let me check you over, yes?" I waited until he nodded slowly. "Thank you." A sudden sound startled me, and I turned to see Aida had gone after the cloaked figure. The sound had been her knocking them to the ground, and... and pinning their arm to the floor with a sword. "Aida?"

"No, don't worry about me, Lady Alicia," Aida immediately dismissed, waving her hand. She sighed then, rolling her shoulder. "I'm just glad to actually have an assassin to interrogate, for once." I frowned, but she shook her head. "I will be checked after I've secured them. I promise." She looked up then, and waved to the staring Azelle and Duke Ring. "You two mind helping me?"

Though I still worried, I decided it was better to check Arvis's wound. So, I led him to my rooms and, after safely storing Deirdre's book, found my staff and medicinal kit. Arvis meekly sat in the sitting room, remaining unmoving until I returned to check and clean the cut on his cheek.

"I didn't... the cut is from shrapnel," he explained softly while I fussed. He was slumped in the chair, refusing to look up, and held himself more rigid than a statue. "One was faster than expected, so I broke a statue by accident."

"While that is a relief, I feel sorry for the servants who have to clean it," I replied, now worried there were stone chips in the cut. There was already some ash sticking to the blood. "Was it necessary to use so powerful a spell?"

"It's better to attack with everything from the start and end things quickly." I supposed, but if he cast a spell with enough force to explode a statue, I would hate to think of the other damages. "I'm... I'm sorry..."

"I am not the one you should apologize to for damages. I think those should be given to Steward Ruarc."

"No, it's not that. Though I will apologize to him later." He hesitated, glancing at me only briefly before letting his gaze skitter away. "No, I'm sorry for what you saw in the hall. I'm sure I frightened you..."

"No, you didn't?" Not knowing how else to respond, I nudged his face towards mine and smiled at him. "Why would I ever be afraid of you? You would never hurt me."

"...Yes, that's right..." He breathed out slowly, letting himself relax at last, and leaned forward to rest against me. I gently stroked his hair and went back to my fussing. "...One of them…"

"Hmm?"

"One of them… was in your room." Were they now? "Where were you?"

"I was reading in the gardens, and then I chatted with Duke Ring." Satisfied at last there was nothing abnormal about the cut and finished with my cleaning, I made to step back to give him some space. Arvis, however, brought up a hand to snatch my sleeve and hold me still, so I stayed where I was. "We didn't notice anything wrong until someone decided to climb the wall."

"Now why would they…? They could've at least waited until it was darker." He sighed, and I stroked his hair again to have something to do with my hands. "If you were there, they… they would've hurt you. They might've killed you. Because you don't fight."

"No, I do not."

"You were taken hostage twice, caught behind flames and injured. And here, you could have been…"

"Even so, my feelings on the matter have not changed." I would do no harm. I couldn't. The very idea made me nauseous. It made my chest tighten, and my vision blur. "I fear I remain more stubborn than anyone."

"That you do." He fell silent again, his grip tightening on my sleeve. "I… must do better." Despite how softly he spoke, the words were firm with resolve. "I must. So you can live in a world where you can afford to not fight."

"Oh, Arvis…" He said the same thing years ago, when we last 'discussed' the matter. I still thought the same thing I did then; such a world was impossible. I had simply escaped by hiding. Now, I no longer hid, as much, and thus, I would be at greater risks. Yet I had chosen my path, and had no regrets. "I'm not alone, you know."

"Reminder the hostage situations and the flames happened while you were 'not alone'."

"Yet I was saved, protected, and cared for." Ayra striking Munnir… Sigurd rushing when he realized Sandima had me… Lady Edain's scolding about my recklessness… I would forever remember, because now I knew why. I knew it was because they valued me, and worried for me. It was still difficult to accept, but I at least knew. I knew I was loved, for myself. It was so strange, but I hoped I would become used to it. I liked the feeling. "I will be fine, despite remaining a stubborn child in so many ways. You should trust others more."

He didn't say anything afterwards. I didn't expect him to. Instead, I let him rest and gave him whatever comfort I could. It was what he needed.

---

I never did learn more about the assassins. All I ever heard was Aida's reassurance she had 'dealt with it'. I remained curious, but since I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything even if I did know more, I chose against further questions. Instead, I focused on other things, like how insane everything and everyone slowly became. In the days leading up to the ball, the entire castle and town were enveloped in the most frenzied of energy. The amount of cleaning done was absurd even by my standards, to say nothing of how many times everything was decorated, and then completely redecorated. I swore it happened every time I blinked. The craziness culminated on the day of the ball itself, when Cathleen subjected me to hours of torture. Just how many baths and 'beauty treatments' did a person need? I would not have thought I looked that bad.

"Hmm? Oh, no, you are, as always, very beautiful, my lady!" Cathleen chirped, carefully brushing and tying back my hair in a simply ponytail decorated with fresh flowers. I had off-handedly mentioned the amount of preparation to her, mostly because I was too tired to keep all my thoughts in my head. "This is just to enhance what is already there."

"Is that so?" I asked, hoping I at least did not sound as exhausted as I felt. The ball hadn't even officially begun yet. The guests were just arriving. "It seems a little much."

"Oh, but this is the shortened version!" She had to be joking. She had to be. "Most noble ladies would've started yesterday, but you don't need the extra preparations, my lady." She sounded completely serious and sincere, though. "I'm certain you're quite nervous, but nothing serves as better armor at a social function than good looks and fashion."

"I shall take your word for it." The very idea of wearing armor, of any form, was uncomfortable, and it did not make me like my dress any better. Oh, it was beautifully made, of course, a dress of pale blues and silvers. The collar was somewhat low, lower than I'd prefer, yet for some reason, it had... my shoulders were bare. Yet it still had sleeves. 'Off the shoulder', I believed Cathleen described it. They were long, and were more lace than cloth, given the illusion my arms were wrapped in flowers. The skirt flowed like water and had more flowers delicately embroidered across the hem, allowing only the barest peek of my matching shoes. It was all highly and terribly impractical and I longed to get rid of it all as soon as I possibly could. At the least, though, I wished the sleeves were not see-through. Arvis had convinced me, somehow, to not cover my Mark and I hated how you could see it so easily through the lace.

"Hee... I can't wait for everyone to see you. You'll stun them!" At least Cathleen was happy about all of this. Someone needed to be. "So... oh!" At that point, someone knocked on the door. "Just a minute!" Cathleen finished tucking one last flower into my ponytail, and bustled off to the main door of my rooms. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, and did not recognize myself. "Oh, Lord Azelle! Are you here to pick up Lady Alicia? Here, follow me back!"

"I am, if she's ready," Azelle confirmed, stepping in after Cathleen. He stopped and stared for a moment before smiling. "You look lovely, Alicia!" I was glad someone thought so. It would be a shame if Cathleen put in all this work for nothing.

"Doesn't she?" Cathleen gushed, checking my hair one last time. Satisfied, she helped me up and clapped in delight. "I'll have a bath ready for you when the ball is over, my lady!"

"Then, shall we?" Azelle offered me his hand, and I took it with a perfect smile painted on my face. I could get through this. I just had to keep my 'healer's mask' on the whole time and I could get through this. I hoped. "This way, sister. We'll walk in with Arvis."

Azelle and I left my rooms hand in hand and walked in silence until we found Arvis waiting for us by the private entrance to the ballroom, the one which led to the living areas of the castle. He was nervous, fussing with his cufflinks, but he smiled when Azelle and I approached. The smile reminded me how he finally let me heal the cut with my staff yesterday, and I let the relief from that soften my own smile into something I hoped would fool Arvis into thinking I was fine. The way his own smile warmed hinted it either worked or he appreciated my efforts nonetheless. Either way, there was no point in delaying the inevitable, so Arvis opened the doors without a word and all three of us walked in together. The noise was... loud. I didn't like it. It wasn't 'loud' in the same way the celebrations were back in Verdane. There was a certain warmth missing from the atmosphere, so no matter how lovely the music sounded or how much the guests chattered, I could not bring myself to like it.

Of course, it did not help there was an immediate hush as soon as we made our 'grand' entrance. All of these well-dress and fancy people could do nothing but stare as I followed Arvis, sharp and greedy eyes boring holes in me. It was expected, of course. Not only was this my official 'social debut', but my clothing contrasted sharply with the blacks and reds both my brothers wore. Even if this were not their first time seeing the 'hidden child of Velthomer' I would've stood out. But this did not make any of it feel more comfortable, and I almost wished I had listened to Cathleen about carrying a fan. I could see many of the noble ladies using them to hide their faces, mask their whispers. But I... had chosen to hide no longer. Carrying a fan to use it as such felt like a step backwards.

With that said, I still 'hid' somewhat. Azelle quickly split off to speak with some of the nobles, but I stayed by Arvis's side. I had no doubts the 'proper' thing to do would be what Azelle was doing, but the very idea of attempting to converse when I felt so exhausted and so overwhelmed was more than I could bear. I would rather be anywhere but here, but here was where I chose, so I endured by following Arvis on his rounds and greeting the various nobles he introduced to me. I didn't remember any of their names. They might as well have been blurs and blobs. I wished I was in my infirmary back at Evans. I truly did.

"Duke Arvis! How wonderful to see you again!" someone greeted excitedly, a noblewoman somewhere around Prince Kurth's age. She was dressed prettily and wore the barest of jewelry, yet Arvis's own smile immediately stiffened at her appearance. "It's truly been too long!"

"I am pleased to see you remain in good health, Countess Avila," Arvis replied, careful to keep his expression perfectly polite. This was not a person he wanted an extended conversation with. "Might I introduce to you my sister Alicia?"

"Ah, so this is she?" Countess Avila looked me up and down in a blatantly scrutinizing manner. "Goodness, Lady Sunna is her mother, isn't she? I still remember her own debut. Everyone was captivated by her. What a shame she lost her family soon after. I think your mother took her in then, yes, Duke Arvis?" Well, this was a very convenient way to learn about my mother. What a shame I didn't actually care about it. "That's how the daughter of a lowly baron was able to rise so high."

"Sunna was my mother's first lady-in-waiting, and her best friend. Their ranks did not matter to either." Arvis's polite smile was cracking. I rested a hand on his arm, hoping it would help comfort him. His slight relaxing hinted it did. "But such talk is not suitable for such a happy occasion. It is the Festival of Flowers, after all."

"Too true! It's a celebration of new beginnings and meetings! And speaking of meetings, I don't think you've met my youngest girl." Ah. Well, I knew now why Arvis didn't like her. "Here, we should rectify this!"

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly-"

"Nonsense! She's been dying to meet you!" Then, without so much as a 'by your leave', Countess Avila seized Arvis by the arm and dragged him off. At first, I tried to follow, but the crowd 'conveniently' surged to block, and based on the smirk Countess Avila wore when she glanced over her shoulder, I had a feeling this was not simply about her trying to pair her daughter with Arvis. She also wanted to isolate me for whatever reason. Given how she'd brought up my mother, I half-wondered if it was some twisted 'revenge' against a dead woman. If so, she led a very sad existence.

However, this put me in a situation I never wanted to be in. I was alone in a crowd full of people, and given the sharp eyes of those closest, I felt like I was about to be eaten. I wanted Sigurd. I wanted Deirdre. I wanted... everyone who wasn't here right now. If they were, this would be fun. If they were, I would not feel so uncomfortable. But they were not, and even if I resolved myself to no longer hide, I had no desire to simply be thrown to the flames. Yet before even the first person took a step closer, help arrived from a very, very unexpected source.

"Lady Alicia." It arrived in the form of Duke Lombard, who had avoided me just as much as I had avoided him since his arrival. I hadn't even seen him during dinners. "Here, it's better to rest on the edges," he 'explained', offering me his arm. I hesitated before taking it and letting him lead me out from the middle of the crowd. No one even tried to come speak to us; I think they were afraid of his scowl. "Arvis should've taken more precautions."

"I do not think even he anticipated someone bodily grabbing him when he's the host," I replied, not certain what else to say. What 'precautions' could have been taken? "I do thank you for rescuing me. I did not like the look in their eyes."

"They see fresh meat for their ravenous gossip, and a potential new pawn for their games. I'm more surprised they did not leap as soon as Arvis took two steps away." He led me to the wall, and made a show of studying my feet. "Ah, so that is why you are not limping already. You are not wearing heels, as is typical."

"I had no desire to break an ankle." Cathleen had tried to talk me into it, but comfort won out. "The dress is long enough most will not be able to tell."

"Clever." All 'cleverness' about the dress should go to Mistress Sorcha. "Most would have tried to wear the heels anyway, to conform to expectations, and hurt themselves." This still didn't imply cleverness. If anything, it implied 'stubbornness'. "Then again, I suppose you would not be one to conform to anything. Why else would you serve with Sigurd instead of returning to Velthomer at the first sign of danger?" I genuinely could not tell if this man was insulting or complimenting me. "That is how your heritage was revealed, yes? Fighting in Verdane?"

"Yes, the bandages I usually wear to cover it were damaged during a fire." I did my best to not attempt to dig my fingers into it. I had to pretend, if only for today. "I did not fight, though. I served as the Chief Healer."

"Impressive, especially given the low casualties." 'Low', he said, but I knew the number. I would always remember how many I failed to save. It would never feel 'low' to me. "Lex... was among the fighters, I heard."

"Lex? Yes, he was. I'm told he assisted in the battle to liberate Yngvi's castle, alongside Azelle. I joined afterwards."

"How is he?" Something awkward flitted into his scowl then. "It's been two years since I last saw him."

"He was well when I left Evans." A hard feeling pooled in my chest as I remembered how much Lex flinched when someone unexpectedly reached for him, and Arvis's suspicions to why it had been two years since Lex had been home. But I decided against saying anything. Guesses and fears, based only on observations and what others had said, were no grounds to make accusations, especially when he just helped me. "He tells stories to Shannan often."

"That so?" It was difficult to tell what he was thinking. He still wore the scowl. I wondered if his face was frozen in the expression. "He always devoured books. Not surprised he remembered them too. He's always been intelligent, far more so than his brother." I... would not comment. "Thankfully, Dannan and his wife are not attending today, since her pregnancy has been rough for her health." I hoped she would be well. Perhaps one of the medicines Mistress Yesui used would be helpful? "Otherwise, I know he'd say something ridiculous and nearly get himself immolated again."

"You don't have a high opinion of him."

"I think as much of him as he thinks at all." My, that was blunt. "He's always overestimated himself, fallen woefully short, and has never taken the steps to improve. Lex, meanwhile, was intelligent but inclined to run away. I'm rather impressed he had the backbone to join Sigurd. I thought he'd hide forever in Velthomer."

"..." The hard feeling grew and crystallized in my blood and this time, I could not bite my tongue. "I believe Lex simply wishes to use his talents for a cause he thinks is right, or to protect those he loves. I would hope his own father would know this."

Duke Lombard stared back at me for a long moment, before suddenly chuckling. I was surprised his scowl could fade. "Well now. You're more tranquil about it, but Fjalar's fires live in your eyes just as much as the rest of the main line." Again, I could not tell if he was insulting or complimenting me. "Here I thought you were passive like Sunna."

"A healer must be calm. An upset or panicking healer only sows chaos in their patients." I clasped my hands in front of me. A small part of me wondered what he meant, if he knew my mother, but my anger drowned it. "But only a fool will mistake such 'passiveness' for weakness."

"Indeed, and I am reminded why." He nodded then, a certain amount of respect in his eyes. "Perhaps we will talk again at another time, Lady Alicia." Before I could reply, he glanced at something, nodded to himself, and walked off, leaving me alone by the wall. Yet I did not have time to comprehend both how baffled I was, and how little I wanted to ever speak to him again.

"A-li-cia~!" That was my only warning before a storm barreled into my side and latched onto my arm. "Oh, wow, you're even prettier than I imagined!" the storm gushed, staring up at me with sparkling eyes. I could only blink a few times in return, trying to make my brain work again at the sudden appearance. "Hey, did I thank you for the tea? Or, rather, did Azelle write my thanks? I told him to, multiple times, but never heard if he did or didn't!" Tea? Wait, was this...?

"Tailtiu!" A rather harried nobleman appeared in front of us then, scowling. I was… more than a little bewildered by all of this, and looked around for Arvis or Azelle. Sadly, neither were near enough to rescue me. "Tailtiu, I told you to not rush ahead," the man scolded, frowning. The storm-girl stuck her tongue out at him and tightened her grip on me. "This is an important function, first of all, and second of all, it's not polite to cause a commotion."

"But I've been dying to meet her, Bloom!" Storm-girl sulked beautifully, and it finally processed this was Tailtiu, one of Azelle's best friends. Azelle had talked down her energy, it seems. "You know how much I've looked forward to it!"

"Yes, indeed. You actually stayed still for your fittings for once." The harried man sighed, and I belatedly remembered 'Bloom' was Tailtiu's older brother. "You still should not have run ahead! We have to greet our host!"

"Alicia doesn't count?"

"No, she is the sister of our host!"

"Dear, you shouldn't work yourself up in a froth." And now we had more company, two noblewomen with one half-hiding behind the other. The speaker was a tall woman with darker hair, and the hider was somewhere around Lady Ethlyn's age and had brown hair. "You're being rude to our host's sister as well, are you not?" she asked rhetorically, muffling a laugh. "People are staring." Yes, indeed, they were. They've been staring ever since I walked in.

"I… no, you are right, darling," Bloom sighed, making himself relax. Tailtiu shot the speaker a grateful smile, but remained by my side. "I apologize for both my rudeness and my sister's, Lady Alicia. I am Bloom, heir to House Friege, and the one insisting on being a burr is my younger sister, Tailtiu."

"I am Hilda, daughter of Marquis Tristan, and this is Ethnia, Bloom's youngest sister." Hilda smiled indulgently at Ethnia, who looked up at her with an adoring, if shy smile. "Please forgive her for not speaking up herself. It's her debut and she's so terribly shy. She feels too exposed even when she hides behind her fan." As if to prove her point, Ethnia ducked more behind Hilda. When she shifted so she could still peek out, I made sure to smile. "Bloom, I'm certain Duke Arvis will not mind our lapse of manners since we were greeting his sister."

"Still, I should..." Bloom hesitated before bowing to me. "My apologies, my lady, but I believe I had best give the greetings sooner rather than later." There was a pause, clearly waiting for some sort of response, so I nodded. "You have my thanks."

"Do be sure to return before the dancing starts, dear." Hilda waved him goodbye as he strode off, and I noticed she wore a shining, clearly new ring on her hand. This reminded me of what Azelle and Lex had joked about in the Spirit Forest and...

"So, did he find one which matches your resplendence?" The words were out before I could stop them, and I was 'rewarded' with three curious looks. "Ah, my apologies, it was simply..." I began, wondering how to word this. I didn't used to let my thoughts slip so much. Then again, I supposed I also didn't used to interact with people much. "Is that an engagement ring?"

"Hmm? Why, yes!" Hilda explained, her entire face lighting up in clear, if a little haughty, delight. "It is a blue taenean, only found in a certain shop in Miletos!" I was... going to assume this was something fancy. Ethnia sighed happily, giggling like it was something terribly romantic, though Tailtiu rolled her eyes like she was thoroughly unimpressed. "I admit I was beginning to wonder if Bloom would ever propose, but it seems he simply struggled to find a jewel."

"Yes, I heard." I smiled at her, and for some reason, her own dimmed. "Azelle and Lex joked how Bloom refused to settle for anything which did not match your 'resplendent beauty'. Those were, apparently, his exact words."

"Were they now?" Hilda's smile became mischievous now, though there was something sharp in it as well. "I should tease him about it." She studied me closely then, something hard to her gaze. Tailtiu gripped my arm a little more tightly. Ethnia looked confused. "Though, I must admit, given the rumors, I half-expected to see a ring on your hand. Then again, since it seems the knight in question is marrying someone else, with much haste, perhaps..."

"Pardon?" I blinked at her a few times, wondering what she was talking about, and a strangely victorious smirk crossed her face. Then I focused on the 'knight' and the previous conversation and... "Hee..." Well, I tried to muffle my resulting laughter when I realized what she was referring to, but I failed miserably. The laughter burst forth, echoing through the room, and while the staring at been constant, no small few now openly gaped at me. It was probably for being so loud, and rude, yet I truly could not help it. "Oh, goodness, did those ridiculous stories make it all the way here? Gossip's speed is truly unmatched by all but it's tendency to repeat nonsense!"

"Nonsense?"

"You speak of the tales linking Sigurd and me romantically, yes?" Slowly, I forced myself to calm down, though I could not force my face into a 'proper' smile. I could only hope I did not look deranged, with my smile so wide and my eyes narrowed as they were. "Our soldiers took innocuous events and came up with their own reasons. He and I would discuss the soldiers in the morning, for instance, and I make tea mixes for those I am close to. Tailtiu has a mix, actually." Tailtiu immediately beamed at the reminder, leaning more against me. "People do love talking about whatever they wish, regardless of the truth."

"..." Hilda's expression was very peculiar. It was something between confusion and a scowl, yet the pretty smile never left her face. "It truly does not bother you? The rumors, or his marriage to another?"

"Of course not." I finally managed to calm down enough to wear a properly serene smile. "Why should it?" Gossip was either an annoyance or uninteresting anyway.

"I see." Now I was certain her smile was forced. "So... oh." She made a show of catching sight of someone and making her smile apologetic. "Ah, my apologies, but I promised Ethnia I'd properly introduce her to Marchioness Gertrude, since she's sweet on her son." Ethnia's face immediately went bright red, and she fully hid behind Hilda then. "I just saw her, so..."

"You need not explain. It's wonderful to help your sister-to-be with her own romance after being so successful yourself." Something told me it was better to play along. "It was a pleasure speaking with you." It was more 'confusing', but...

"Likewise. We should have tea sometime." She curtseyed in farewell, and walked off with a still-blushing Ethnia following one step behind.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Tailtiu started snickering. "Oh, don't mind her, Alicia," she told me with a bright grin. "She's just snippy." At that, I could only tilt my head curiously. "See, originally, the biggest things about this ball were Hilda and Bloom's engagement and Ethnia's debut. It would've been a big, grand day for House Friege, and Hilda thrives off attention. But then it was whispered you would be debuting here, Alicia, and all the attention focused on you. Everyone was speculating about who you were, what you looked like, who your mother might be... and that was before the gossips realized you were the healer for Sigurd's conquest of Verdane." Even though I knew it was technically accurate, it was uncomfortable hearing it called such. Verdane would hopefully be 'unconquered' once the peace talks were done, with Sigurd as simply a watcher in Evans. "Once that happened, you became all anyone would talk about for weeks. While this is one of the biggest events of the social season, almost everyone who attended hoped to see you in person at last. Then you stunned them when you entered, setting off a new wave of interest. Thus, Hilda didn't get any of the attention she thought she would."

"Is that so?" It seemed odd to me, but if it made her happy, she was more than welcome to every shred. I would much rather people did not stare.

"Yep, and I guess it doesn't help you're Fjalar Minor like her, but you're from the main line, not some offshoot branch from ages ago." I supposed such things were important? "And you're the heir." I was not the… well, no, I supposed technically, I was Arvis's heir. As far as the public knew, Arvis had no children, and based on what Aida said, I doubted Saias would be officially recognized as such even when a Holy Mark appeared. So, as the elder of his younger siblings, heirship defaulted to me. I didn't like it. "And... uh... maybe I didn't help because I was much more excited about seeing you."

"Were you?"

"Oh, yes! I've wanted to meet you almost as long as Azelle! Lex has too, but he'd never admit to it." She glanced around furtively and leaned a little closer. "But, I mean... Ethnia's debut is nice and all, but it's hard to be excited about the engagement ring when I know what Bloom did."

"Hmm?"

"The seller Hilda mentioned? He didn't want to sell it to Bloom. It's a difficult gem to mine, so the store works on a 'waiting list' basically. The gem Hilda is wearing was supposed to go to someone else, someone who had been waiting years and years." She drooped then. "But Bloom wouldn't hear a refusal. He bribed and threatened until the store owner was forced to relent. All so Bloom could give Hilda yet another rare bauble she probably won't wear for more than a few months." She sighed. "I love them, and I'm glad they're happy, but gods, they're just so..."

"How do you know this?"

"Oh, one of the knights told me. I noticed the group that went with Bloom looked uncomfortable and badgered them until they relented." She shrugged and shook her head. "Anyway, that's far too serious and boring! We're at a ball! Let's walk around and talk to people!"

I had to say I was uncomfortable with the subject change, and not simply because I did not know how to be social. What happened to the store owner? Were they all right? These questions lingered in my head. I did not like how Tailtiu simply treated it as an annoyance, but perhaps it was to a noble. If so, I would be very glad to leave. For now, though, I was stuck, so I had to make the best of it. At the least, it was much easier walking around with a cheerful Tailtiu at my side than being alone.

A sudden change in music apparently signaled the start to the dancing, since everyone began pairing up. Almost immediately, I found myself surrounded by many people, their voices meshing together in a cacophony which automatically made me flinch and step back. Tailtiu, thankfully, moved with me, scowling at the crowd, but I still managed to bump into someone. Worse, I bumped into Prince Kurth.

"Easy, are you all right?" he asked, steadying me. I could only nod, mortified beyond belief. I would never attend another ball. Never. "Ah, hello again, Tailtiu."

"Hello, your highness," Tailtiu chirped, smiling and bobbing a quick curtsey. She then scowled at the crowd once more. "Isn't it against etiquette to swarm a person for a dance?"

"Extremely." Prince Kurth raised a brow at them before turning to me. "With that said, I was coming over to ask for a dance myself, so perhaps I should not judge so harshly."

"Why would any of you ask?" I asked, doing my best to not sigh. I didn't know how to dance, save for the little Sigurd taught Deirdre and me. "You have to know I've had no lessons."

"In this case, I suppose they want to brag about being your very first dance," Tailtiu observed, leaning more against me. I closed my eyes to hopefully check my annoyance. "Best guess I've got."

"I'm not certain such a thing is worth trodden feet." Shaking my head, I opened my eyes once more to smile wryly at Prince Kurth. "I do not wish to inflict that fate on you."

"Thankfully, I've been told I'm quite a good dancer, so I can cover any mistakes," Prince Kurth pointed out with a grin. As per usual, the familiarity of the expression softened any annoyance or worries I had. "If I ask, they can't attempt to cut in, and I can conveniently drop you off by Arvis. He's been worried ever since you were separated."

"That..." I began, hesitating. Tailtiu's reassuring smile, however, encouraged me to nod. "I shall take you up on the offer then, and apologize in advance."

"You'll be fine." Prince Kurth offered me his hand, and I took it. "Tailtiu? Will you be well?"

"I'll be fine!" Tailtiu laughed, letting go of me and stepping back. She then clasped her hands behind her back and rocked back on her heels. "I'm going to find Azelle."

"Ah, yes, you do prefer your first dance to be with him," Prince Kurth noted blithely. Tailtiu's face immediately turned pink. "You really should tell him."

"T-tell him what?! There's nothing to tell! I like mature guys!" Romance may have been implied, yes, but it was never actually said, Tailtiu. "Urgh... I'm going... bye!" With that, she rushed off into the crowd, her ears burning red.

"She may have infatuations, but Azelle is still always the only one she dances with." Prince Kurth bit back a laugh and led me to the 'dancing area'. "So, your hands go here..."

Prince Kurth kindly talked me through the dance, going slow and easily covering for any stumbling and fumbling I did. True to his word, by the time the first dance ended, we were 'conveniently' by Arvis and I could duck behind him when the next round of askers tried to appear. Of course, my second dance ended up being with Arvis, and I danced a third time with Azelle, after his own dance with Tailtiu was finished. Both had asked, in their own shy ways, and I couldn't refuse either. I decided then and there, however, I disliked dancing and would be very happy if I never had to suffer through it again.

...Well, I would dance at Sigurd and Deirdre's wedding. That would be the last.

---

At last, the Festival of Flowers ended and all the guests and visitors departed, including Prince Kurth, Duke Ring, and Duke Lombard. A few days after they left, I began preparations to return to Evans. To my discomfort, it would be by carriage. I had protested, given how much trouble it all was, but Arvis rightfully pointed out I couldn't carry all my things, including the new wardrobe, on a horse and I would need an escort anyway since I had no way to defend myself. So, I had no choice but to yield. At least I could study while in the carriage, even if the knights Arvis tasked with escorting me worried too much over my comfort.

"My lady, are you well?" Sir Reynard asked, peering into the window to check on me. He was one of the higher ranked of the Roten Ritter, though I did not know his exact rank. I only knew he was surprisingly young for the whatever position it was, given how he was around Sigurd's age, and Aida herself had recommended him as my escort. "We're within sight of Evans Castle, so it will not be much longer."

"I am fine, but thank you for the concern," I replied, closing my book. Thanks to the assassins and ball, I only just now finished Deirdre's book, but I was glad I finished before returning. "I haven't been the one riding."

"It's relaxing for me, and good practice for Vaha." Sir Reynard smiled and I smiled back before tucking the book safely in my bag. "If there is anything, please do not hesitate to inform me."

"Of course." When he left the window to return to the 'rearguard', I peeked outside to see Evans Castle myself on the horizon. My smile grew when I did. Finally, I was back.

Though my time would've better been served reading or studying, my sight remained fixed on Evans Castle slowly growing larger. I only looked away once we entered the bustling town surrounding the castle, so I could check I had everything in my bags. The carriage rolled to a stop once, at the gates, and after some exchange of greetings, the gates opened and we drove into the courtyard. I kept fussing with everything, anything to keep my excitement contained, and I glanced out the window once more when the carriage stopped again. This time, I caught sight of Deirdre at the front doors, and couldn't help but wave. I thought her face lit up with a smile, but I looked away to do one last check of my bag. Then Sir Reynard opened the carriage door and helped me out. Yet I had barely set one foot on the ground before…

"Alicia!" Deirdre all-but-flew across the courtyard and enveloped me in a giant and warm hug. The momentum nearly sent me right back into the carriage, but Sir Reynard steadied me and helped me set my other foot down. "Oh, welcome back, welcome back!" she cheered, laughing brightly as she continued hugging me. "Did you have fun?"

"I enjoyed seeing my brother, yes," I answered, going for the most technical of truths. Ignoring how I did not visit to 'have fun', very little of that way of life amused me. I much preferred being here. "I am glad to be back, though. I've missed everyone."

"We've missed you too!" Deirdre finally let go of me, beaming. Sir Reynard muffled a laugh and went to assist Lady Vaha in unloading my things. The carriage driver, whose name I never did learn, tended to the horses. "Oh, is that a new dress? It looks new!"

"Arvis insisted."

"It's so pretty!" She laughed again, warm and bright, I found myself relaxing at last. It had been a long few months. "Ah, but here I am talking your ear off when you have to be tired."

"I am never too tired to talk with you, Deirdre, and in fact..." I reached into my bag and pulled out the silver izelle blossoms I had pressed. "These are for you."

"They're beautiful...!" Deirdre actually spun around from sheer happiness as she took them from me. "Silver... flowers... oh, Alicia, you tease!" She made a face, but any attempt of annoyance was outshone by her smile. "What kind are they?"

"Izelle. They're native to the Velthomer region. Silver is apparently the rarest, though blue ones don't grow until later in the year." I couldn't help but smile. "I arranged for some to be sent here when they do blossom."

"Alicia!"

"Alicia!" The second call of my name was from Lady Ethlyn, who rushed over to greet me. "Ah, you're here earlier than expected, based on the letter Arvis sent," she 'complained', her smile warm. "I had planned on waiting here with Deirdre."

"I only just arrived, as you can see," I reassured, still smiling. Ah, it was so wonderful to be back. "I don't think I've taken a step away from the carriage."

"Still..." She frowned, which became a full sulk when she noticed my attire. "Aw, you did get new clothes while away. I expected such, but I did still hope to buy some new ones with you."

"...I can endure another fitting for you." How could I refuse her, after all? "But I must insist on only one or two. I have too many."

"Really?" Her expression lit right back up. "Oh, that'll be wonderful, especially since Deirdre should get new clothes now that she's settled." Deirdre immediately made a face, but her smile softened the expression. "We should also start on designs for your dresses for the wedding!"

"I suppose." My own cheer faltered as I remembered the dress for the Festival. "Might I request no lace sleeves?"

"Huh? Why would there be?" Lady Ethlyn looked very confused. "You prefer covering your Mark, and the bandages would look strange through the lace." She tapped her cheek, thinking, and I couldn't help but smile at her. "I suppose gloves might work, but gloves aren't really in fashion right now. Do you want to try it?"

"Perhaps I can at a later date."

"True, true. We're just starting our plans, after all." Lady Ethlyn giggled, just letting my request go for now. "And... ah! There's Naoise to help move your things!" Indeed, Sir Naoise had arrived, and he bowed briefly before assisting Sir Reynard and Lady Vala. "So, let's head inside! But first, Alicia, close your eyes."

"Pardon?"

"Please?" She giggled, eyes dancing with mirth and mischief. "I promise no pranks!"

"This does not reassure me." Yet when I glanced at Deirdre, I saw her also looking at me pleadingly, so I sighed and closed my eyes as they asked. "Now what?"

"Now, Deirdre and I are going to lead you inside." Her small hand took mine, and Deirdre tentatively took the other. "Ah, kind knights, are you going to stay the night to rest?"

"No, given the early hour, we'll head out as soon as the driver has confirmed the horse's health," Sir Reynard answered easily enough. He made some confused noise, no doubt over why I suddenly had my eyes closed. "Lady Alicia, it's been an honor to escort you."

"Thank you very much," I replied, tilting my head towards his voice. I didn't much like having my eyes shut for so long while awake. "The two of them are being silly, before you ask, and I am indulging them."

"I was wondering." He tried, and failed, to choke back a laugh. "Have a wonderful day, my lady."

"And may you have a safe journey back."

With that, I headed inside Evans Castle. Deirdre and Lady Ethlyn led me through the halls with ease. Every once in a while, someone would call a greeting, or even a 'welcome back', towards me, and I did my best to reply despite having my eyes closed. Most of them didn't think there was anything weird about the situation, aside from some good-natured laughter. It made me feel a little better about all this, even if my confusion spiked. Still, I dutifully kept my eyes shut, even as I heard them open a door and lead me inside.

"You can open your eyes now, Alicia," Deirdre said, words shaking in silent laughter. Relieved, I did so, only to stare. The room I was in was... someone had decorated it with care in pale greens, with some blues and whites as accents, from the sheets and blankets on the bed to the curtains fluttering by the open window to the tablecloth on the table by said window. Yet what truly held my attention were the flowers. The whole room was lavishly decorated with fresh flowers, courtesy of a certain blond former-thief based on how Mister Dew darted from vase to vase like a bee, arranging the bouquets. He was so fixated on the task he hadn't noticed our arrival yet. "We decorated your room while you were gone." This was my room? How? It had looked nothing like this when I left. Even the furniture was different! "The furniture was made by Altan, in Marpha. Sigurd and Jamke came up with the idea of us redecorating everything as an excuse to funnel money into the economy." Altan made…? Was it before he lost his hand, or had he…?

"We thought about decorating your workshop too, but decided against it since we didn't want to mess up your organization," Lady Ethlyn added, giggling. I was still gobsmacked by this. "And before you fuss, like Deirdre said, we redecorated everything. I needed new sheets to go with the blanket you gave me, after all. I still can't believe you just gave that beautiful thing to me!" Well, for me, it had simply been a blanket I made for a purpose. I would have cut it down to reuse the cloth if I hadn't given it to her. "Anyway, Dew? Did Shannan leave? He was here when I last checked."

"Shannan is checking if the towels and robes are still hanging, since we thought we heard something fall in the bathroom," Mister Dew answered before turning to face us. To my surprise, and delight, he had his stuffed bird tucked under his arm. "Wait, Lady Alicia? When did you get here?!" He didn't wait for an answer; he simply grinned and raced for the bathroom door. "Shannan! Lady Alicia's back!"

"Alicia!" That is when Shannan zoomed out of the bathroom, almost knocking Mister Dew over in his haste to tackle my legs. Like Mister Dew, he carried his stuffed cat, with his hooked over his shoulder. "Welcome back!" he cheered, grinning wide. "I kept track of everything!"

"He even wrote things down so he wouldn't forget to tell you." Mister Dew joined us, though he hesitated in actually coming over for a hug. I reached over to ruffle his hair, and his smile softened at the gesture. "Led to a five hour discussion about the different ways soldiers and knights give reports of all things between countries. I didn't even know there were different ways to tell people things." Truthfully, I wouldn't have thought so either, unless it was a differing order of priorities. "Anyway, sit, sit!" Mister Dew seized my hand and led me over to the table. Somehow, I did not trip over Shannan. "We're still decorating some, and I think we should see Finn and Oifeye right about-"

"Dew, did you… oh." As if summoned, Finn suddenly appeared in the doorway, carrying a tray of steaming mugs. "You're… here already, Alicia," he mumbled, smiling shyly. "Uh… oh, sorry, Oifeye!" He stepped inside to make room for Lord Oifeye, who carried a tray piled with fruit. "A-anyway, we thought you might want a snack when you returned, Alicia, so Sir Arden made some apple cider. Lord Lex insisted on the fruit before he and Lady Ayra left to a morning patrol with Alec. Something about you liking apples?"

"I do like apples," I replied, doing my best to muffle my laughter. This was so… "A snack also sounds nice. We had a light breakfast."

"Ah, that's... good."

"In that case, we should set up the table," Lord Oifeye helpfully pointed out. He smiled warmly at me. "Welcome back, Lady Alicia. You have been very missed."

My room became incredibly festive and cheerful then, though I was forbidden to help. Everyone was insistent on setting the table and arranging things for me instead, and when Sir Naoise appeared with the first of my things, Lady Ethlyn and Deirdre split off to help organize everything. Finn and Lord Oifeye left to help Sir Naoise bring the rest of my baggage, while Mister Dew bolted to inform Sigurd of my return and Shannan went to fetch his 'report'. I could not hold back my laughter at their antics, and had to quiet myself by drinking the apple cider and nibbling on the fruit. Both were quite good.

A knock on the open door, however, brought my attention back up, and I saw Prince Quan standing there with a stack of books tucked under his arm. "I was wondering why everyone was laughing as they rushed about," he commented, walking in. "You arrived earlier than expected. We thought we'd have to endure another hour of your absence."

"So I keep hearing," I commented, unable to keep from smiling. It was so strange, having my arrival be so anticipated for no reason. "I apologize if I disrupted anything."

"What disruptions? I think most spent the morning simply preparing for your arrival." He grinned in return. "Well, we might have to deal with Sigurd sulking. He'd wanted to wait in the courtyard with you, but discussions with the locals are taking longer than originally planned. Dew passed me on his way to get him."

"Is everything well?"

"Yes, it's just some discussions on how best to move forward since, as we expected, Sigurd is staying here in Evans as Verdane's watcher for the foreseeable future." His grin softened to a smile. "The other cities, however, will have local lords."

"Verdane will keep its sovereignty as well?"

"It's pending final approval from King Azmur, but by the end of the initial discussions, his diplomat seemed more than happy to let Jamke remain king." Oh, that was such a relief. "Jamke does need Sigurd's approval to appoint the new lords of the main cities, but it won't be a problem." Sigurd more than likely would simply smile and nod at any of King Jamke's suggestions. They had already convinced Khasar before I left, so I wondered who would take over Genoa. I wondered who they would appoint to help Sigurd here, since I knew they would. It would make the transitioning Evans back into Verdane's hands easier when everything finally settled. "There will probably be a few more rounds of negotiations, but the first ones are always the hardest. It should be smoother sailing from here."

"I see." I nodded to the books he still held. "Are those for the next set of negotiations?"

"Ah, no, actually. These are for you." He passed them to me, and I studied the titles to hide my surprise and confusion. "When I wrote home to ask if anyone could be spared to bring Altena here in time for Sigurd's wedding, I also asked if the healers had any medicinal books they'd recommend."

"You did?" Though it was no doubt rude, I immediately opened one up to flip through. The first pages alone were utterly fascinating.

"You like to study, and you seemed to enjoy learning specifically about regional differences." He shrugged. "I apologize if I was too forward."

"No, no, I…" Embarrassed, I half-hid behind the open book. "Truthfully, I was wondering if it would be too forward to ask you for books just like this."

"I suppose wise folk do think alike then." He grinned and I smiled in return. "Sigurd wrote Eldigan for some books from Nordion as well." It was wonderfully ridiculous they knew I would enjoy such a thing. "Anyway, mind if I steal some of the fruit? I had to skip breakfast."

"Please, help yourself."

Prince Quan sat down then to share my snack and share some of what the negotiations had covered. Lady Ethlyn and Deirdre returned before long to gush about my 'beautiful new clothes' and share ideas of what the tailors should make for the three of us. Sir Naoise, Finn, and Lord Oifeye brought the rest of my things, to be organized later, and Mister Dew and Shannan burst back into the room to share their own tales. Ayra and Lex appeared before long, with bright smiles as they shared in the festive gathering in my room, and though Sir Alec did not join, he did stop by to greet me.

Eventually, Sigurd swung in, with a bright smile and a harried look hinting he'd rushed over. "Welcome home," he said breathlessly, the words simple and sincere.

"...Yes, I'm home," I answered, as happy as I'd ever been. After all, for the very first time in my life, I... was home. I was finally, finally home.

---

Author's notes: So, I take no credit for the 'It weighs as it should' line. That's from FF14. The conversation with Father Eirik went through many iterations (think the first version involved Sigurd yelling at him), but I ultimately decided this is what suited Alicia best. Otherwise, have the Arvis Alicia knows, some cameos of important chars (note: this is Bloom and Hilda a good... twenty, twenty-five years before their proper appearances in the story), actual appearances of some characters who are otherwise completely off-screen (Kurth and Ring). And some fleshing out of the world and whatnot. Oh, Jugdral's 'Fire Emblem' being the Crest of Velthomer isn't revealed until the Epilogue in-game.