Chapter 7: Bonding Times
When Alphinaud awoke the next morning, he was still feeling tired and more than a little frustrated at his lack of progress with coming up with a plan to meet up with the Warrior of Darkens. He knew that trying to secure a meeting such a mysterious figure was never bound to be easy, but now that he had time to really sit and think it over, he realized how ridiculous that it all sounded.
Ran'jit and the Eulmoran army had been hunting this figure for years now, hadn't they? How could he hope to have any more luck than they did?
He had tried to reason with himself that because he was on his own, he was sure to be able to move faster than with having an entire army behind him…. but that was all the had going for him. He had no idea where to look or how to contact them… nor was he aware of any allies of the Warrior or even what they looked like! How was he supposed to do this?
He was at a complete loss to where to even begin. Not to mention that even if he did manage to track them down, there was no guarantee that they would be able to help him. Why should they? He was currently living in a place where the depraved king was hunting for their blood after all. Perhaps if they were to learn of how much the princesses of Eulmore cared for the people then perhaps they would be willing to lend a hand…?
Before he knew it, sunshine was twinkling in through the glass and he blinked carefully as he came to and let out a long yawn before sitting up. He rubbed his neck, which was unusually stiff, and his head felt like it had been smacked around all night from his many different plans and theories that he had tried to come up with. As he rubbed his head, his eyes fell upon the other side of the bed to Claire, who was still fast asleep.
He carefully leaned over to get a better look at her pale features, gladdened to see that a spot of color had returned to her cheeks.
She must be so tired from all the work she did yesterday. Out of the four of them, she by far did the most of all of them to help the people of Amity. Perhaps that got to her and that was what caused such exhaustion…? He felt that she should sleep in today and so he quietly got out of bed and dressed, waiting for the servant to unlock the door.
Thankfully, almost as soon as he had finished changing he heard the familiar steps outside and went to the door to ask that they not be so loud. When the door was unlocked and opened, he was greeted with a worried-looking Tataru, who was already being very quiet as she stated rather nervously, "G-Good morning. How is everyone doing today?"
"Very well, Tataru," he answered, keeping his voice down, "Though, we had a bit of a surprise in the early hours this morning."
He saw how her eyes widened and she gulped down, asking, "R-Really? What happened?"
"I think that Claire is exhausted from all that she did yesterday for she ended up injuring herself in the bathroom last night," he explained. "So, I think that it's for the best that she be allowed to sleep in today. If you would be kind enough to bring up some food for her for when she wakes up, I think that she would appreciate it."
Tataru blinked a few times before a look of pure relief came over her face.
"Oh, good," she sighed with a rather shaky smile. "I was worried that she may have overexerted herself so I wanted to check up on her. Full… full glad I am that everything seems to be well."
She poked her head from around his legs to get a good look to see that the princess was still fast asleep in bed, sleeping so soundly that he didn't think aught less than a stampede would wake her at this point.
The sight seemed to have satisfied Tataru though for she nodded and said in a brighter tone, "Don't you worry, I'll make sure to have something special made for her and brought up later. Why don't we let her sleep in? Ran'jit is still gone so I think that this could be a good day for her not to have any stress."
"Good idea," he said quietly as they both crept out of the room and left the door open only by a crack should she wake up.
Once they descended the tower, he and Tataru made their way across the courtyard; as they walked he saw that the chill in the air had been enough to cause the vibrant flowers to wilt. The cheerful blooms were now dying at this point as they hung sadly from their fading stems, which seemed to make everything around them seem so much more grim than usual.
In fact, when Tataru gazed upon the dying flowers, she sighed and muttered, "I always hate this time of the year when everything starts to die. While I love the snow as much as the next Lalafell, I can't help but feel so depressed at the sight of it all."
"I don't blame you," he said as he looked around at the brown and fading greenery before saying, "My mother had a greenhouse built on our property so that she could grow her flowers all year. Mayhaps we could look into getting at least a small one built? I think that Claire may enjoy that."
"Oh, I think that she would," Tataru nodded while giving him a bright smile. "You know, when I first heard about the wedding, which shocked us all since none of the servants were told until the day of by the way, I couldn't help but fear the worse. I was terrified that we would have to put up with a demanding lordling who would be mistreating our dear princess."
She paused at that as he looked down at her in great surprise before she gazed back up at him with a kind look.
"You can put your fears at ease," she reassured him. "It's clear to me that you are far from that. After all, no one even half that bad would have gone all the way out to Amity like that? Though Ryne did tell me that you were really struggling near the end of it."
"Ah, yes…?" he laughed awkwardly, stretching out his sore arms. "I fear that I am unaccustomed to manual labor like that. But still, I am glad to have been of some help."
"That's what I like to hear," Tataru said brightly. "Well, just for cheering me up like that, I'll be sure to bring some tea and sweets to you later. Am I right in assuming that you will be spending the day in the library again?"
"Huh? Oh, yes," he nodded. "I must do my best to keep up my studies and I am rather impressed with the collection that is stored here. I mustn't let my sister surpass me, after all."
"Oh? You have a sister?" Tataru cooed, "That's it! You must tell me more about yourself. I have a feeling that we may get along just fine."
He smiled at that, feeling a sense of happiness going through him at the thought of being friendly with anyone of the staff. It truly felt that Claire had been the only one to accept and help him after Krile had been forced to leave. But he didn't want to become overly dependent upon her and force his company where it wasn't wanted. She had done her best to respect his boundaries and he had to do the same as well.
Tataru was as good as her word however. For after breakfast and a few hours spent in the library of just overlooking records, she soon came in with a tray of tea and cookies for him to snack on before joining him. It seems that she had a lot of work to do here as well for she brought the castles ledger and trying to keep track of all of the castle's recent spending's. As he watched her going over the book, her expression soon became rather stormy, which prompted him to asking what the problem was.
"Is there aught I can help you with?" he asked curiously and she sighed before she rubbed her eyes, suddenly looking tired.
"I doubt it," she sighed gloomily as she tapped her fingers on the desk as she looked over the many notes that were neatly scribbled in the book's pages. "It's just a nightmare to try and keep track of everything while also making sure that the people here don't starve. Honestly, if we didn't have those gods-forsaken parties every single night then we wouldn't be in the red every moon! But does Vauthry listen to reason? No… and then he gets mad at me for the fact that we're constantly floundering!"
"What is with all the celebrations?" Alphinaud asked curiously. "Surely there can't be that many reasons to celebrate?"
Especially not with Vauthry ruling over the people here. But he didn't have the courage to say that out loud—it was almost like Vauthry had eyes and ears everywhere.
"Vauthry likes it that way," she sighed. "You need to understand that about Vauthry. He likes to pretend that everything is perfect with him in charge. So the idea that his people are so happy that they party each night? That's his idea of paradise. But that is all just a ruse. Still, easier I suppose for him to believe that everything's good."
He frowned at that before asking, "Then where are you obtaining the food and resources from?"
"The neighboring villages and farms mostly," she sighed sadly, looking downcast. "Vauthry taxes the heart and soul out of them to fund these parties. It's one of the main reasons that the Warrior of Darkness appeared to fight back. The people didn't have anyone else to protect them before and because of their help, the people have lasted this long. But I fear that it will only be a matter of time before even their help is enough."
Alphinaud looked up properly, having not been aware of this, and asked, "What do you mean? Are you running out of resources?"
"Well, that's one of the reasons I think that Vauthry wanted to open up trade routes with Sharlayan," she explained thoughtfully. "But, with how much he wastes and encourages others to do so, then it's only going to be a matter of time before we run out of just about everything. My job is to do my best to make them last before that inevitable end, but with so many expenses…? Especially with the noble's expensive tastes…? It's not easy."
"I can imagine," he muttered as he remembered how decadent that the wedding had been and he couldn't help but wonder if the food that he couldn't bring himself to eat had been taken from the villages around him? He suddenly felt sick at the thought.
To try and not dwell on that, he looked down at the book, reading some of the many expenses that Tataru had been making for the last moon. He could see that most of them had gone towards food, but there were other entries such as new 'crystal glass' windows and redoing the Ballroom in white marble—and a crystal fountain on top of that? He was no expert in money, but even he could tell just how extravagant that all of this was.
"I know, right?" Tataru sighed. "I kept telling them that such things aren't necessary but they won't listen and just expect me to be able to follow all their ridiculous orders."
"Well, what's this part for?" he asked, pointing to a part of the page that was labeled 'Scion Expenses'.
At that, Tataru's eyes widened and she slammed the book shut before clearing her throat as she explained, "Those are miscellaneous expenses that the princess puts a request in for her gardens you see. So those are the expenses that are grouped together."
"But doesn't Scion mean the descendant of an influential family?" he asked curiously.
"But it's also a part of a plant that is joined to another stock to help it grow," she corrected. "And the princess is so eager to begin working on the gardens again once spring rolls around. I just used the term there because it made sense."
She was suddenly looking nervous again and he frowned a little, wondering what he said to cause this sudden unease. She seemed to notice this and cleared her throat again before reassuring him, "Now, don't you fret! I'll do my best to keep this castle up and running. Granted it's not easy when we're dealing with those loud party-animals down in the city, but I'll be damned if we go broke while I'm here!"
He smiled at that, his unease going away as he reminded himself that he knew next to nothing about how payments worked here and decided to just trust Tataru's judgement.
"Oh, by the way, could you do my a tiny little favor when you decide to take a break from working?" she asked happily and he nodded, wondering what she was going to ask for. She grinned and told him that she was going to be busy in the kitchens today and had been experimenting with all types of foods. Today, she had made an entire batch of different types of buuz that she was planning to share with the staff later but really wanted him to take some up for Claire since she was sure to wake up soon and would surely be hungry.
"In exchange, I promise to make some traditional foods from Sharlayan just for you when I get the chance!" she offered and he thought that over, suddenly finding himself a little shy at the thought of bringing food to his wife—gods why did that still sound so strange to him—but Tataru had been so kind that he couldn't see himself refusing.
"I will graciously accept your offer," he nodded, "But I fear that many 'traditional' foods from Sharlayan tend to prioritize nutrients above favor. So the foods we have there are bland at best."
"Really? Oh, that is a shame," she frowned. "How do your people go through life without enjoying the simple things such as a good home-cooked meal? It must be terrible."
"Truly? I never really thought of it," he confessed, having never really giving such a matter too much attention. But after following her to the kitchens a few minutes later, he quickly found out that the foods that Tataru poured her heart and soul out into each dish that she makes. Such as in the case of the buuz, which she explained were like dumplings filled with all matter of fillings. She had two different types today, one which was more traditional and filled with meat and spices, while the other was one of a sweet variety that had all manner of jams or custard. He enjoyed the sweet-filled ones immensely and knew that his sister, who had the sweet-tooth in the family, would have loved them as well. Of course the moment that he took a bit out of the meat-filled ones…?
"I barely put any spices in those?" Tataru said as she watched him gulping down the water as fast as he could as he fanned himself. "You really can't handle anything spicy?"
"Well, we really didn't have to worry about spices," he coughed, eyes streaming as he panted, his tongue going numb. Truly, he hadn't expected it to be that bad.
"Well, at least you tried it, that's what matters," she said brightly before she gathered several of them on a plate. "Now you can take these up to Claire and tell her from me that she is expected to eat them all since she has skipped breakfast and even lunch at this point. Also, if she doesn't feel like coming down for dinner, then I shall be sure to bring her something later tonight. But she had better eat them all! You make sure to tell her that." She then shook her head with a sigh as she added, "Honestly, she needs to take better care of her health. And if she doesn't do it herself, then that falls to others."
"Do you think that she's in that much trouble?" he asked, gulping down his glass of water and wiping his eyes as his mouth cooled down. "She hasn't been looking well lately… I mean, do you think that the chokers could have side effects?"
He was thinking of her pain from this morning and told her of his worries and she frowned at the thought. Tataru was silent for a moment as she clearly mulled it all over before she finally found her answers.
"Vauthry isn't afraid to resort to whatever he feels necessary to get what he wants," she said slowly and carefully. "So if he feels that the choker isn't giving him the desired results anymore…?"
Alphinaud didn't like how she trailed off and he bit his lower lip in concern. He had been afraid of that. If he was willing to resort to such brutal tactics with how things are now? How long would it be before he resorted to even worse torture?
"Is there no way that we can appeal to Vauthry to have him lift restrictions for a time?" he asked slowly as she folded her arms as she thought it all over.
From the way that her eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of his collar, he could tell that she knew exactly what he was getting at. She seemed to think long and hard about her answer before finally replying, "I doubt it. Vauthry isn't the brightest around these parts but even he knows that when you release an animal of its chains, it will be bound to run off and never come back. Why he cares so greatly about keeping the princesses so close when he mistreats them is anyone's guess."
He frowned at that before Tataru suddenly shoved a plate with several different types of buuz and jug of what smelled like wine into his hands.
"Right, enough depressing thoughts and hop to it!" she said in such a bright tone that one would think that she wasn't thinking of anything sad but moments ago. Alphinaud, though a little taken aback by the sudden dismissal, did what he was told and left the kitchens with the food, already heading back up to the tower to check on Claire.
Yet, as he headed outside, passing by the guards at the doors, he overheard something that caused him to stop dead in his tracks.
"Did you hear? Ran'jit almost caught up to the Warrior of Darkness last night," he heard the guard whisper to his friend and Alphinaud paused at that as the second guard gasped.
"You're kidding! What happened?"
"Not sure… apparently they set a trap for them in Lakeland and he almost succeeded in apprehending them but they managed to escape at the last second! I gotta say, the General is getting closer and closer to capturing them. At this rate it's only a matter of time before he steps ahead of the Warrior!"
"Oh gods… I mean, too bad that the Warrior of Darkness got away, but Ran'jit must be seething!"
"Yeah, I heard that he was livid! Hopefully he's able to work out his aggression before he comes back!"
"Yeah, I have a hard enough time with him in the training yard when he's in his usual grumpy mood."
That was when the two finally noticed his presence and quickly stood at attention once again as Alphinaud thought of the Warrior he met back in Gatetown before and felt truly worried for them. They were almost caught last night? And apparently, this wasn't the first time that Ran'jit almost captured them. If they weren't more careful from this point on then…?
He frowned as he continued on his way, his mind still racing.
He had been looking through old records and sightings of the Warrior of Darkness, trying to figure out the best course of action to take. He truly desired just a chance to be able to speak with them face to face, but with Ran'jit on their tail then any future meeting was going to be tricky to set up. Right now, it seemed his best chance was just heading out into the wilds and hope to run into them but he knew that was foolish since leaving the island would be out of the question.
He decided to ask Claire what she thought of this and picked up his pace to hurry to the tower with the food and drink that Tataru had thoughtfully prepared. But as he reached the foot of the spire, his eyes caught sight of something sticking out from behind a pillar and he paused there for a moment to stare at it.
He made so to grab it before hurrying along.
He carried the plate back up to the tower, mentally cursing out how many stairs he had to climb just to get to the top, but when he did, he found that Claire was sitting up in bed and looking around with a groggy expression… truth be told, he thought that she looked rather adorable as she blinked in confusion at him.
"Good morning," he said kindly as he stuck his head in and she rubbed her eyes. "Or, should I say afternoon?"
"Afternoon?" she repeated drowsily before the haze lifted and she realized that she had been in bed for most of the day. "Oh, no… how long have I been asleep?"
She looked to the window to see the bright sunlight and moved to get up but he came in with the food as he reassured her, "It's alright. I told everyone that you weren't feeling well and they all understand. It's starting to get really cold out now anyway so I think that it is a good time to stay inside for the time being… so please don't worry about doing anything today but recovering."
Claire paused at that, her feet just barely touching down the floor as he set the food down on the nearby desk before realizing how cold it suddenly was and realized that the fire was completely dead. He immediately went over and added a few logs to it before realizing that he didn't know how to light it. Claire had always lit it when they retired for the evening… he could swear that he saw her use rocks to strike it…?
"The flint is on the mantle," she informed him, having just realized that he was looking around. He spotted the darkened rocks sitting upon the mantel above him but as he held them, he wasn't sure what to do with them or how this worked. He tried to just smack them together but nothing happened saved for embarrassment of looking like an idiot.
That only got worse when he heard an amused chuckle behind him and he turned around with red cheeks to see her getting up and coming over to see what the problem was.
"Have you never used one of these before?" she asked curiously and he looked away, his face burning as she smiled kindly and took the stones from him. That was when she took the time to explain how they worked and how to strike them hard and fast enough that you create the sparks you need to be able to get the wood burning.
He was grateful that she didn't point out how useless he was here and merely copied her motions, his hands brushing against hers for a moment as he took the stones. It took a few tries, but finally, he was able to create a small flame and watched how Claire added a few more logs to it to warm up the room. But as he looked to the fire, he found… it strangely uplifting to see it lit with one's own hands.
"Ah… thank you," he said shyly as she smiled back tiredly. She certainly looked much better than she had last night, having looked like the extra sleep had done her a world of good. Though she still seemed tired and he thought that she may be needing a little bit more rest before she tried anything.
"How are you feeling?" he asked as he stood up and she sat back down on the bed, her hair falling haphazardly about her face. "Do you feel better from… before?"
Suddenly, the memory of her injury from last night came back and this time it was her who looked away in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry about how I was acting, last night," she muttered, turning away from him. "I was just… upset and in pain and I guess I may have unintentionally took it out on you."
"No, I understand that," he reassured her quickly. "I was just worried that you were still feeling… under the weather?"
"No, I'm feeling much better today," she reassured him and he smiled in relief.
"If that's the case… may I have a look at your cut? Just to make sure that it's healing properly?" he asked.
She suddenly hesitated, but she then nodded as she rolled up her sleeve so that he could examine it. He was glad to see that the worst of it had scabbed over and the redness had faded to a dull pink. "Good," he said as he held up a hand and healing magicks flowed from his fingertips once more, "It's healing nicely. I do wish you told me what you hurt yourself on, though. I can't find any trace of what it could have been."
"It's nothing to be worried about anymore," she reassured him. "I just made a stupid mistake last night and I'm now paying for it. But I am impressed with how well your healing is."
"Huh? Oh, thank you," he said pleasantly surprised by the compliment. "I decided to take a basic healing class while I was still at the Studium just in case that it came in handy. Especially since my sister usually gets into such trouble. Believe me, it's come in handy a few times before."
"Is that so?" she asked curiously. "You've mentioned her several times before. I do hope that I get to meet her. She sounds like a vibrant girl."
He let out a laugh as he lowered his hand and examined his handwork on her arm before answering, "That, I fear, is an understatement. What was it that mother used to compare her to? A strong and fierce as a river of lava beneath the mountains? I think that is a fine description of her."
"Truly? And what did she compare you to?" she asked curiously and he smiled a little bit shyly.
"A calm and gentle river on its way to the sea," he confessed. Claire giggled at the thought as he nodded at her half healed wound and reassured her that she will be just fine though mayhaps another day or so in bed wouldn't go amiss.
"I fear that you may be right," she agreed half-heartedly and he could tell she wasn't thrilled at the thought. "Sorry for sleeping in so late. I didn't realize how tired I was."
"I guess all the work we did in Amity really took its toll on you?" he asked as she seemed to blink in confusion before realizing what he was talking about.
"Yes, of course… I really must get out of the castle more often than I do now to avoid overworking myself again," she agreed.
"Good, now that we have that settled, I brought you some food from Tataru," he said as he left the bed to retrieve the nourishment that he was asked to bring up. He saw how her eyes widened in surprise but she wasted no time in grabbing one of the buuz and opening it up so that the mouth-watering scent of the spicy meat filled the room.
"It's a bit spicy…?" he warned but she had already bitten into the food and he saw how her face all but melted with delight.
"It's perfect," she reassured him after she chewed and gave a great swallow, "I'll be sure to thank Tataru for thinking of me."
A little put out that she didn't seem to be the least bit bothered by the spiciness, he nodded and informed her, "Tataru said something about you having a very little appetite and that she fears that a sparrow eats more than you do."
"Did she now?" she asked with her eyebrows raised while she chewed and gave a great swallow. "I'll be sure to have a word with her about that as well so that she doesn't worry. Would you like one?"
He agreed, though he made sure to take one of the jam-filled ones when she offered. As they ate in comfortable silence, he thought more and more about his plains and really wondered if they held any hope to getting them the tickets to their freedom. Well, he supposed it wouldn't hurt to ask.
"Claire…?" he asked softly as they watched the fire crackle happily in the hearth. "I was wondering… might we not be able to plead with the Warrior of Darkness for help?"
Claire, who had been about to take another bite, paused for a moment and looked at him with surprise.
"What do you mean?" she asked curiously and he told her about his theory, how if they could speak with the Warrior of Darkness about the chokers, then perhaps they know of a way to get them off.
"And if we could get them off, even for just a little while, we could find a way to get off this island…?" he offered but his heart sank as she shook her head.
"I doubt that they would have any better plan for us to escape these shackles," she said doubtfully. "Believe me, Ryne and I must have come up with hundreds of escape plans over the years. But it all comes back down to the fact that the chokers cannot be removed by anyone, save Vauthry. And I don't think that he is going to let us go that easily."
"Why is he so keen on keeping you both here, though?" he pressed, with that thought having been pressing against the back of his mind all day now. "After seeing how cruel he can be, I cannot imagine he took you both in out of the kindness of his heart?"
"No, he would need one first to be able to do that," she sighed with a shake of her head. "I had been wondering that as well. But Vauthry isn't the type to trust anyone. The only one whom he shares any kind of plans with is Ran'jit, whom I don't know why he would serve such a man to begin with. But I fear that there is a story there."
Strangely enough, he agreed with that. There was surely something else going on here, though what it was, he doubted he would ever find out. He just pushed his long hair out of his face as he tried to think over his options again. Yet as he did so, Claire noticed something strange about his coat and openly stared at it before he noticed.
"What is it?" he asked as she pointed.
"What's that?" she asked, noticing the faded blue just sticking out from his cloak and he froze at that.
"It's nothing, I just…?" he began before he turned red and finally pulled back his coat to reveal what he found in the gardens on his way up here. It was a small bouquet of wildflowers and Claire's eyes widened at the sight as he explained, "I found them growing underneath a pillar so I think that they were protected from the cold. But they weren't going to last much longer so I thought…?"
He felt as if his whole face was on fire as he held the flowers out to her and muttered, "Its fine if you don't like them, they are wilting already and…?"
But to his surprise, she took the fading blooms and smiled at him happily.
"They're beautiful," she reassured him before she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. If his face had been red before, it was now flaming now at the sudden display of affection. He stared at her as she moved to get up and got a jug of water from the bathroom to keep them in. He watched how she hummed slightly as she set the flowers up with a smile on the bedside table, even arranging them in a way that would please her.
"I'll have to see if there is a spell that I can perform on them to keep them from wilting," she informed him as she beamed back. "Thank you. That was… so sweet."
Once more, Alphinaud felt pleasantly embarrassed at such a heartfelt thanks. He was curious though—for he knew that he had only done it as a kind gesture… but he didn't think that she would be this happy about it? When he first saw the flowers, he remembered how much she loved such blooms so he had thought that it might help to make her feel better. But as soon as he arrived, his courage failed him and had she not have spotted them, he planned just to toss them out when he left.
But seeing how cheerful she had become all of a sudden, he was glad that he didn't just toss them. He looked away rather bashfully as he mumbled, "Your welcome."
There was an embarrassed silence between the two of them before Alphinaud cleared his throat and stood up.
"Well, on that note, I'll be heading back to the library to finish my studies for the day," he said, trying to keep the pleased tone out of his voice. "Now, don't you worry about anything and just focus on your recovery. I fear that these cold days may be taking a toll on you as well and it would make me feel better to know that you are just taking a day to rest."
She frowned slightly, and he suspected that the idea of being forced to stay in bed was hard for her to swallow, especially since he knew how she liked to be active. Thankfully, she didn't complain and only nodded in agreement and promised that she would stay put tonight. Mayhaps she was too tired to argue or simply could see that he right. Either way, he was glad to see that she was doing much better than she had been the last couple of days.
"Well," he said as he crossed the room to the door, "In that case, I'll be back later this evening to check on you. Do let me know if you need anything. Full glad am I that you are doing well."
Claire only smiled at the closed door before she pulled apart the last buzz, only to find this one had more than food inside it. When she pulled it apart, she spotted something within the jam, tightly rolled up and covered with some kind of cloth to protect it. After opening it up she found a crisp note inside and quickly unrolled it.
She recognized Thancred's handwriting at once as the note said:
Hope you don't mind the secrecy. It was too dangerous to risk using the linkpearl. Take care of Ryne for me for a time. Urianger and I found an interesting lead to follow. We'll contact you when we learn more. And let me know if your husband doesn't treat you right. I'll shape him up when I get back.
She smiled faintly, having been wondering where Thancred had been after they returned to the castle yesterday. She could only guess that he couldn't wait and left with Urianger to investigate the gaols last night. She knew better than anyone that he could take care of himself, but she could not help but worry that he may have gotten himself in over his head again. She looked out the window, to see the waning afternoon sun with the hint that night would soon be upon them. She knew that she could trust Thancred and she was gladdened to hear that Urianger was going to be with him, but she was now desperately wondering just what he was doing now that would cause him to want to be away for a time?
She would be sure to speak with Y'shtola with this as soon as she could and merely swallowed the rest of her food before she laid back down to finish catching up on her much needed rest. Yet as her eyes closed, she spotted the flowers upon her bedside table and felt a strange warmth racing through her chest at the sight of them… truly touched that he thought to do something so kind for her. Even the blue resembled his eyes if she really thought about it.
No one had ever gotten her flowers before.
She fell asleep soon after that, still with the smile on her face as she let herself relax and drift somewhere far away where her usual nightmares weren't able to follow this time around.
*The Next Day*
Claire had already been asleep by the time that Alphinaud was forced to retire to the room that night, so he didn't get a chance to properly speak with her. He hadn't mentioned a word of Claire's injury to anyone else, but by the time that she was feeling well enough to leave, she looked much more rested than he had seen from her for a long time. When he asked to look over her arm again, he was glad to see that the inflamed skin had returned to normal and the scar was quickly fading… but when he again mentioned he couldn't find what she hurt herself on, she confessed that she had already tossed it out and that she would be sure to be more careful in the future.
It seemed she was true to her word for the next couple weeks after that, she did seem to be getting more rest and he didn't see any signs of pain or injury since that night. She was still tired in the mornings, but she did seem to be taking better care of herself. Mayhaps without Ran'jit breathing down everyone's necks and the constant summons to Vauthry's chambers were exactly what she needed to start to recover.
In fact, it had been almost three weeks since that distressing night and Alphinaud had grown more and more accustomed to life here at the castle. He had even started getting along with more of the staff and guards, even finding a few that he liked to think of as friends. It seems that talks of his outings with the princesses have gone around the castle and that certainly seemed to have earned some respect, which stopped almost all of the nasty looks he was used to getting. Claire insisted on going out at least once or twice a week to the various settlements to speak with the people and help out wherever they were needed. It had taken a while for him to also grow used to it, but he had to admit that he had started to look forward to such ventures. Not only was he able to get out of the castle for some much needed fresh air, he gotten to learn much more of the people and the plights that they were facing. He found himself feeling oddly satisfied whenever he retired for the night by a job well done and often found himself looking forward to the next outing.
Today though, he found himself strangely anxious and unable to sit still. Perhaps Claire sensed this and suggested that they walk through the gardens together, where began their usual questions as they got to learn more about each other. Today, the two were going over various books that they enjoyed and were making recommendations and Claire was telling him all about the story of the series involving the Zodiac Braves… particularly about the story of the War of the Lions and the tale of two siblings Ramsa and Alma.
She was just telling him that she had a copy of the tales in the library when they heard the usual cries of anger as a tantruming Vauthry could be heard all across the city. They both paused to look up to the mostly concealed Canopy as he ranted and raved about something or other. Truth was that it sounded like he was just screaming at the servants as a way to vent since he seemed to be constantly on edge the longer that Ran'jit was gone.
Aside from his occasional screams though, Alphinaud hadn't seen or spoken directly to the overgrown child since the day after their wedding. Which was… almost two months ago at this point. He pointed this out to Claire, who nodded to confirm this and even confessed that she hadn't seen much of her uncle in recent days either. She admitted that he often locked himself way when his greatest guard wasn't around and she suspected that he wasn't going to calm down until Ran'jit returned. It was usually best to stay as far away from him whenever possible, but it was even more advised to do so when he was like this. The only ones who were allowed into the Canopy now were the servants who brought food, and he made them taste everything first, in fear of being poisoned.
"He's that paranoid?" he asked as the two of them continued across the courtyard, the temperature now so low that they needed to really bundle up with thick wool cloaks to stay warm. Alphinaud looked up to the gloomy sky and vaguely suspected that snow would surely fall soon at this rate.
"I'm afraid that it's only gotten worse over the years," she answered back with a shrug. "That was before the Warrior of Darkness appeared, anyway. The moment that he heard that there was someone running around helping the people…? Well, I'm sure you can put the rest together yourself."
"And because he can't control them, he sees them as the biggest threat to his rule," Alphinaud summed up with a grim finality. "So I don't suppose reaching out to them for help would be possible?"
Claire gave him a rather shrewd look before asking, "You still on about that?"
"I just feel that it wouldn't hurt to try and reach out to them…? Just to see what they have to say about it?" he offered. "If we can appeal to them, mayhaps they could…?"
"I doubt that there is anything they can do to help us," she answered as she hurried forward a few steps ahead of him to avoid looking at him. "Believe me, I've searched all possible revenues of escape. Vauthry holds the keys and only him… unfortunately."
He bit his lower lip, feeling frustrated at her lack of helpful ideas. Surely there had to be another way around this? They couldn't have made this solution impossible to solve any other way? If only he was back home and able to consult his teachers or the rest of the Forum…? He was sure that if they were given enough time then they would be able to come up with some way to get these accursed things off.
"How about this? Could you be allowed to leave Kholusia for even a short amount of time?" he offered instead. "I mean, I could tell Vauthry that we should visit my homeland at least once? If nothing else, then to introduce you to my parents and my sister…?"
She paused slightly, looking a little more bashful as she muttered, "I would like to meet your family… but he won't allow that either. Truthfully, the effects of the collars do weaken the farther away they are from Vauthry. Not enough to put a stop to them completely, but enough that it worries uncle that I may try something. He's not going to take that chance."
Well, that was something that Alphinaud may be able to use so he filed that information away for later before he sighed, feeling more frustrated than ever.
"How do you stand this?" he asked wondrously. "Doesn't it get to you?"
"Of course, all the time," she confessed calmly. She looked up to the sky and an odd twinkle appeared in her eyes before she confessed, "I guess I found some good ways to cope. Would you like to see?"
He stared at her, wondering what she meant as a rather mischievous look flittered across her face as she waited for him to answer. Curious, he could only nod, wondering what she had planned.
"Have you ever ridden a Chocobo before?" she asked with bright eyes.
"What's that? Yes, I have… or rather… I have a little experience," he said, surprised by the question.
"How about Amaro? Though I suspect not since they are usually only found in Norvrandt? I think that it may be better to use Chocobos for right now though until you get used to riding them," she asked and he shook his head again and she let out a happy laugh. "Then you are in for a treat!"
She then took his hand and pulled him along after her, heading down through the courtyard and across the diminishing grass until he spotted what could only be stables as the musky scent of Chocobo reached him from here.
He never had much practice riding though. His grandfather used to take him and Alisaie out when they were little, but even then they would hold onto him as they would venture around Labyrinthos or the Hinterlands when he was home.
He had wanted to teach them to respect animals and made sure that they knew to treat such creatures with kindness. To this day, Alphinaud could remember how he sat in front of grandfather on the large bird, holding onto the saddle and being terrified of being thrown off. Alisaie had been the one who took to riding like a fish to water, whereas he felt much more comfortable being on solid ground.
But Claire was so excited over the idea of going out for a ride that he couldn't bring himself to say no to her. She led him through the stables where she pointed out a pair of bright yellow Chocobos that were happily enjoying a large crate of vegetables.
"I think that these two should be good for us to borrow," she said as she introduced him to his bird. "Uncle really only has them to show off because you will be hard pressed to find finer bred birds like these. They don't get a lot of exercise unless I take them out."
"Are you sure that this is safe?" he asked nervously as Claire had already fetched a pair of saddles and reins for them to use. "W-Wait, no… I just…?"
"What is it?" she asked.
"Alright, I confess that I don't really know how to ride that well…?" he finally broke down and stated in embarrassment. "I tried to learn but I… well, the last bird I was on… it took off and I ended up falling and…? Well…?" he trailed off as she looked at him in confusion before he finished awkwardly, "I ended up falling right into a pile of Chocobo dung."
He had never told anyone else that, not even to his sister who, thankfully, had not been there with them during that riding lesson. He knew that had she, then he would never have lived it down. He was surprised at himself for being able to confess that to Claire—finding himself strangely open when speaking with her.
He had expected her to laugh… but all she did was smile at him.
"It's alright, we all have such accidents," she grinned. "You should have seen me the first few times I was on a Chocobo's back. I once got taken for a ride on a black Chocobo back in Ishgard when it took off and I was stuck on the entire way to Falcon's Nest over the mountain ridge."
"Gods! You must have been terrified," he said as he watched her put the saddle down.
"Actually, I enjoyed flying so it wasn't all that bad," she answered with a wink. "It was trying to figure out how to get home before my family realized I was missing that was the problem."
He snorted with laughter before she guided him to the back of the stables where another Chocobo was waiting for them. Unlike its yellow feathered friends, this one was pure white and most certainly larger than the others as it happily fed upon its own feed.
"This was actually a wedding gift," she explained as she approached the bird, who chirped happily at the sight of her. "These snow white Chocobos are from Ishgard and are bred for use for weddings. See? It's large enough for two people to ride."
"Oh, really? So this one is ours?" he asked, stunned to find out about this now.
"Well, Uncle kept most of the gifts," she sighed with a roll of her eyes, "But he did allow me to keep this beautiful girl. She's very well behaved and trained. You can ride with me."
She then went to brushing out the feathers and setting up the large, two-seater saddle as he watched on nervously.
"It's alright," she smiled when she felt that they were ready and pulled herself up behind the reins as the Chocobo kwehed excitedly at the thought of going out. "I promise, I won't let you fall." She then held out her hand and asked kindly, "Do you trust me?"
He hesitated, but after a long thought, he mutely nodded and took her hand as she pulled him up behind her. They took off rather quickly and he instinctively grabbed hold of her waist to steady himself. He muttered an apology, but if she was bothered by having his hands on her, she didn't tell him off as they took off.
He couldn't stop his startled cry as they were racing across the courtyard and beyond the castle gates until they reached the wide open space of Kholusia. He gasped at the speed that they were moving, racing over the dying grass and downwards south so that they could run along the briny shores as waves lapped upon the beach.
He stared about him at how fast that they were moving and the brisk wind in his face. Claire let her hair down from her usual braid and it was now flying about them as he heard her laughing. Her excitement was contagious though for he felt himself also beginning to grin as they continued to race along the sands, feeling a sense of freedom that he could not remember having before.
They must have spent all afternoon outside as they enjoyed the feeling of being able to run as far and as fast as they wanted to. In fact, he wouldn't have minded if they were out a bit longer, but soon enough, Claire insisted on stopping near a waterfall so that their Chocobo could rest and get a sip of water.
After letting the bird stop to catch its breath and stretch out comfortably, the two of them found a hill to sit together and watched how their bird enjoyed the water happily.
"I must say that I wasn't sure that I would enjoy that, but I am glad that I came with you," he said, his face stinging from the wind and he chuckled at the sight of Claire's own pink cheeks and twinkling eyes as she sat beside him.
"I'm glad that you enjoyed it," she grinned. "It's been a lot time since I had someone come with me on a Chocobo. Ryne doesn't have a good handle on them just yet so…?"
"I'm sure that she'll enjoy them once she does," he laughed, his hand over his heart as he realized how exhausting that riding was. He would have to become more accustomed and really learn how to handle himself if he was this tired out already when the bird did all the work; for now it felt like there was a little drum beating inside his chest. In fact, he told Claire this, who laughed at how innocent that it sounded. As she did, another breeze swept over them, ruffling the stiff plant life about them and she pulled back her cloak.
"Here," she said, holding open her cloak so that he could move in and they could share it. "It's a bit chilly here too?"
He moved in without thinking of it and they were both sharing the cloak like a blanket as they looked over the brown lands.
"It must be beautiful in spring?" he offered and she nodded in agreement.
"Yes, it truly is," she confirmed. "All these hills are covered in green and even filled with wildflowers once everything is in full bloom. But nothing beats the sight of it all bathed in moonlight and you can see the fireflies dancing about. I think that you'd like it."
"I would like to see it," he said smiling at the thought. "I do hope that you will show it to me when spring comes?"
She nodded in agreement as they enjoyed listening to the sounds of the waterfall which shone so clearly that he could see all the way to the bottom of the small river.
After a time, he realized that Claire was fidgeting slightly and he asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"Hmm? Oh, no. not really," she said slowly. He had intended to let the matter drop but suddenly she cleared her throat and corrected, "Actually, yes. There is a question I've been wanting to ask you but have been afraid of the answer."
"Go on, what it is?" he asked curiously.
She looked down, her cheerful expression fading slightly as she asked softly, "Do you… hate me?"
He blinked and stared at her as she took a deep breath and he asked, "What in the world would make you think that I hate you?"
She twisted her hands in her lap, still not looking up, and reminded him, "If it weren't for me, you would still be at home… in Sharlayan. You talk in your sleep and you mention it… a lot."
He felt himself blushing once again as he wondered what on earth he could risk saying in his sleep? He then asked hesitantly, "W-What do I say?"
"You talk about Sharlayan and your school a lot," she confessed. "And you also mentioned your sister by her name. As well as your parents… and several others. Such as that woman who was with you when you arrived? Krile I think her name was?"
"O-Oh," he said, now looking away in discomfiture. "I didn't mean to distress you. I honestly had no idea that I would be talking in my sleep."
"It's alright to say what you really think of me," she reassured him quickly. "I wouldn't be my biggest fan either if I was forced to stay here against my will and marry someone whom I didn't love."
"Why would I blame you for that?" he asked quickly, "You had no more say in the matter than I did. You have done nothing to apologize for. If anything, I feel I should be the one to apologize for forcing you to get married because of me."
"I've been thinking about it a lot and I can't help but feel that this relationship is a little lopsided," she commented. "That you're taking care of me more and more."
"Well, to be fair, you've been taking care of me since I got here," he pointed out and she glanced his way in surprise as he recapped, "You were one of the only few people here who didn't treated me with scorn. Not only that, you've been telling everyone off for not treating me kindly. That means… a lot, you know? I don't think that things would have gotten better if you weren't here to help me."
"Really?"
He nodded as he reached over and gently brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"I am enjoying getting to know you," he promised. "I am growing more and more comfortable being around you and I've even found myself enjoying your company. I hope that I have made a similar impression?"
He was suddenly worried about that as she chuckled and even blushed slightly.
"Truth be told… I don't mind it when you're around," she admitted rather slyly. "It's nice to have someone whom I can complain with."
"Well, I'll be sure to always be here to listen to your complaints," he reassured her and they shared another laugh.
Were they friends now? He wasn't so sure where their relationship was at this point. They were definitely in a better place than when they first met, but he wasn't so sure if they could really be called friends just yet. He had a feeling that she still kept her guard up around him and there were more than a few secrets that she was hiding from him. That was her right to keep them close to her and he had to admit that while they made progress, they still couldn't really be called more than good acquaintances. He supposed that was the best way to really put a word to what they were at this point.
At least they were heading in the right direction.
Yet, his time here really made him feel that he had to start doing better. He wanted to help her and Ryne somehow and he wouldn't lie when he thought about returning home more often than not. If they could just do something about these damn chokers…?
That was when he decided he would have to do whatever it took to meet with the Warrior of Darkness and beg for their aid. If Claire didn't believe that they could help then he wouldn't get her involved. He didn't wish for her to be punished should his hopes prove fruitless anyway.
Though he didn't have a clear idea how to meet up with them, he did come to realize one important fact from all his time listening to the servants many accounts and was that the Warrior of Darkness appeared when the people needed help.
And from that logic, he was sure that it would only be a matter of time before they returned to these lands. And when they did… he would set out to meet with them. He had to work hard and do better. He had to be prepared for when he did track down the Warrior of Darkness.
The two sat there upon that hill for a long while, simply enjoying the fresh air, before they decided to return. Yet as they climbed back onto the back of their Chocobo and took a much slower and less bumpy walk back, Alphinaud couldn't help but shake the feeling that the meeting he was secretly planning for would be here soon.
(Awww, who doesn't love some good old-fashioned bonding? I think that's why so many marriages fail after a while because they rush into marriage without getting to really know each other. So despite the fact that the two have already tied the knot, I do think that it's never too late to learn more about your partner. But nice to see that they are getting along so well! But boy will he be in for a surprise! For the meeting he's looking forward to will be happening in the next chapter! Only question now is how he will react?)