At first, Rennala had disapproved of Rykard's chosen wife. Rykard was first prince of Caria, she could have made matches with the royalties of the Land of Reeds, Eochaid, or any other of the many kingdoms outside the lands between. No, instead, her son had fallen for a dancer of all things. Tanith was intelligent, but from a lowly family. Not even a crest or heraldry did she bear, no dowry had she brought forth from Ranah. The girl's father had been a sweaty drunkard, her mother a scullery maid. As Tanith led their party through the dimly lit manor Rennala kept her sneer at the memory of their first meeting from her face. The girl held two saving graces; her deep love and devotion to Rykard, and the ambition she brought forth in him. Her indolent son had gained a spark of passion when he'd challenged his parents and brought his bride home. Tanith's deep love for her son had engendered the queen quickly, it had reminded her so much of her own devotion to Radagon.
It was fortunate for Rykard that his sister had held more political sense. Owain was of the highest Leyndellan nobility, second in status only to the royals themselves. His family was of the crucible knights, and he held the vaunted position of Lord Commander of the Tree Sentinels. Rennala had no issue with the match, despite Ranni's thoughts that she might. Her heart was aligned even further at Radagon's approval. Thinking again of her former husband almost pulled her to slipping melancholy, but she viciously tore herself away.
"Please, mother, sit. Refreshments are imminent." Tanith smiled, gesturing at the party to make themselves comfortable. Rennala's eyes tracked the subtle fidgeting of the girl's hands. Why did she wear that odd mask, conjoined to her tiara? To hide obviously, but there must be a deeper reason. Owain and Ranni sat aside her, the sentinel had removed his helm and was eyeing the crucible knight curiously.
"Where is Rykard, Tanith? I have heard a great many things of mine son's fate, it would be most reassuring to see him." The silence was nigh all consuming, sudden tension filling the air.
The crucible night shifted on their feet, she saw Owain's hand's tense against the table. She was sure Moongrum watched the proceedings with hawklike vigilance from his place at her shoulder. Her daughter finally spoke, "My lord is…resting. He-"
"Rouse him then." She snapped out. They had come too far to be forestalled.
Tanith hunched in her seat, the crucible knight looked to the floor. "Mother, please." Her voice was too weak, too low.
"Speak plain, daughter." Rennala felt her mana begin to unravel from her grip but she could hardly help it. Why was the girl stalling?
"Please… please help us." Tanith whispered.
"Where is mine brother, Tanith?" Ranni's voice was edged in steel.
The crucible knight finally stepped forward to lay a hand on Tanith's slim shoulder as she flinched from her sister's volume. "Qu-quiet please. The serpent will hear."
Her world swirled to a single point, treachery was afoot. "Serpent?" Rennala was held back by the most precarious of threads.
Tanith removed her mask and tiara with shaking fingers, her face was blotchy with tears. Her voice was so low, Rennala could hardly hear her frantic plea. "When word came to me of Caria's renewal, I set to clear your path, hoping desperately that your power would...Seeing my family so restored…I can delude myself no longer. Please, mother. Save him." Rykard was in danger? Enough of this farce!
Swift winds tore the girl from the crucible knight's grasp, flinging her forward over the table to Rennala waiting hands. The queen would have the knowledge she sought.
Owain should have expected things to go so poorly. He'd been on edge since the Altus Junction. Too many things had been different from the reports he'd received on the region just a few moons ago. When they'd arrived at the volcano manor and Rykard had been nowhere to be seen, he should have made the Carians stay put with the rest of their convoy. Crucible Knight Santonia's presence should have given him pause enough. Only, he'd been so relieved to finally reunite with one of his father's order, he'd been too hasty. It was difficult for him to think clearly of late, he'd not had a single restful night in weeks.
The manor was clean, though its halls were strangely silent, Owain was used to a great amount of bustle whenever he would visit in the past. The dim lighting, the odd feeling of being watched, the hair on his nape had risen. As they'd sat in the main tea room, and he'd watched Santonia's uneasy shifting, unease of his own rapidly ballooned in his gut. How had he not seen the queen's actions coming?
He caught mother Rennala as she fell back from her hold on Tanith, eyes wide but unseeing. She'd fainted? "Mother?" He called softly. His eyes remained locked on Santonia, who stood as if frozen, arms outstretched. Lord Moongrum had moved to stand between Tanith and the queen, hand atop his sword hilt. Things were quite precarious. The knight commander of Caria was not to trifled with, not even by a crucible knight. If they clashed, Ranni might be put in danger.
Ranni raised her hands slowly. "Let us all be calm, aye?"
Tanith was being aided to a shaky stand by Santonia. "So she has seen it…that thing."
His princess laid a hand tenderly on the queen's furrowed brow. "Mother will stay sleeping. No more riddles, sister. Speak plainly." Ranni's face was smooth, but her gaze held rising storm.
Tanith cringed, hackles raised. "Silence us to outside ears."
Owain felt magic in the air as Ranni cast a spell of silence. "Speak."
Tanith stumbled forward, clinging to Ranni. "Oh, Ranni! Rykard he- we thought it would be a boon! After that night, after Radahn and mother had lost themselves…we thought it would grant us power enough to topple all that was golden, but we- I was wrong, and my beloved paid the price."
His princess had arms raised helplessly, caught between instinctively embracing her sister and processing her terrible words. "Ranni?" Owain questioned softly, guard lowering as both Santonia and Lord Moongrum stood down.
Ranni finally lay her hands upon Tanith's slim shoulders, holding her at arm's length to level a serious gaze down at her. "I have heard tell of a serpent, Tanith."
The lady of Volcano Manor scowled, teeth bared. "Yes, the serpent, that wretched beast, It consumes him still. I had hoped that…my methods have only worsened my lord's condition. For years, I toiled, that he might be raised to godhood and shrive himself of the beast."
"Where is Rykard?" Owain noted the way Santonia kept looking downward with some nervousness. Any being that could keep such a warrior on edge was beyond the realm of most threats.
"Below." Tanith's voice was dark with rage. "But we must tread carefully. Its ears are ever pricked." Ranni eyed the ground at their feet apprehensively
Owain stepped forward, shaking out the tension from his shoulders. "Let us go and meet this serpent then. Surely it could not hope to stand against we in this room?"
"It is not…the difficulty lies not in its defeat, but in the maintaining the safety of my beloved." Owain sighed. Now just what could that mean?
Melina had been relieved when she had finally been allowed into the manor. The lady Lansseax had begun to get increasingly testy and Owain would not allow her outside the carriage. She'd no idea what the Carians had discussed, but they seemed to be especially tense. Though she'd only seen a glimpse of Ranni as she passed her quarters. Owain posted no less than twenty sentinels in the hall outside her room, which he had placed right beside his. Queen Rennala's old chambers were at the other wall, and it made Melina rather nervous. The princess knew better than to even appear before the Full Moon Queen unless it was absolutely necessary. She'd escaped confrontation for weeks now.
Therolina, though reserved, was a thoughtful and earnest friend. Melina was glad that the finger maiden had sworn herself to her service. The warrior Vargrum was nice enough, but sometimes he looked at her with eyes too full of…contemplation. Theorlina had already gained Melina's trust and Owain's approval, but Vargrum had yet to pass whatever inspection the lord commander was putting him through.
As she and Theorlina were readying themselves for bed, there was a sharp rap at her door. Owain himself stood beyond, stooping to enter. "Good evening, my lady." he said with a smile, resting a hand softly on her shoulder. "Do you or Therolina require anything before I retire?"
Melina looked to her friend, who shook her head. "No, Wain, but I thank you as always for your consideration."
"Then good night, princess. Call for Friso should you change your mind, he and Vargrum will be outside your door." he looked at Therolina, ever-burning eyes aglint with some small warning. "Goodnight, maiden."
The two women bid the sentinel goodnight as well before they were left on their own. Therolina began brushing Melina's hair atop their shared bed, the passes of the brush gentle and careful. "He and the Lady Ranni do not seem to remember it, but they were the ones who freed me from Selivus' clutches." she admitted softly.
Melina started to turn to look her friend in the face before she was guided back by the chin, brush unceasing. "I did not know that, Lina. Why have you not told them?" It was surprising Ranni at least did not remember such a thing, though perhaps the ritual they'd been focused on had distracted her.
"I wished to earn his trust without meddling." she paused to gather Melina's bangs in a hand. "It is quite interesting to see this side of him. He treats you with much gentleness, like my father did me."
Melina smiled wistfully. "My father was very kind but…very distant. Owain was ever at my disposal, even with all the many demands his duties to my family placed upon him."
"I am sure you were happy to see him revived then, my lady."
"Yes." she whispered.
How was she to describe the climbing elation she'd felt as more and more of her memories returned? With each challenge Owain surmounted, every scattered soul brought once more into safety, Melina felt a balming security. For so many years she'd wandered bereft of much of her mind, a diminished spirit that clung too tightly to a pitiful existence. She'd yet to reclaim in full the tragedy of her death, but even the mournful fragments she held could not sink her buoyed spirits.
She and Therolina shared a few quiet words as they settled into bed, the finger maiden was a welcome warmth. The physicality of her new body was something she had yet to fully adjust to, but her friend was very patient; a nurturing nature under her aloof demeanor. Melina was glad that she was happy to sleep aside her. Fear still held her tight, especially outside the walls of Stormveil.
It seemed only an instant passed before Melina was being softly shaken awake. "M-my lady!" Therolina's whispers fully roused Melina from fitful dreams.
She opened her eyes to pitch darkness, had their small candle burned out? "Therol-"
A soft hand clasped over her mouth, trembling. "We are not alone, my lady."
Like all her siblings, she'd been trained extensively in spellcraft and combat both. All her training, all thoughts of fighting fled her mind as she too, sensed the malevolent presence that lurked just outside the reach of her arm. Without hesitation, she screamed out to her greatest protector. "O-Owain!"
She barely had time to take a breath before chaos ensued. Melina saw it as if in a series of frozen instants. The rupturing of the far wall. The hulking figure of the lord commander, eyes of burnished gold, scalding in their wrath. A bulging, bulbous shape that reached out to her, grasping hand inches from Therolina's shocked face. The sentinels outside her door, Vargrum, all rushing in to array themselves against the grotesque godskin.
Owain burst forth, heaving the beast over his shoulder to slam it upon the stone floor. The impact shook dust from the ceiling and sent the nearest sentinels tumbling to their backs. The commander turned, the rapid fire repeat of his blows into the thing's blubbery side boomed with such force, wind screeched through now shattered windows. Melina cried out, clasping her hands over her ears as she huddled against the wall, Therolina wrapping her tight in an embrace.
The rest of the sentinels rushed to stand before her, blocking most of her view with their interlinked shields as they braced against the monster. The godskin, a noble, was ignoring Owain, desperately trying to grab her with its grotesque hands. The lord commander barreled into it, slamming it with wrath enough to completely break through the exterior wall. Melina saw his rageful eyes, saw fear in the noble's reptilian face, before they fell into the deep dark beyond.
Ranni stumbled forth through the aperture of destruction from her chamber just in time to witness her consort leap to his death. "Wain!" Ranni screamed, scrambling over plaster and rock to fling herself over the edge before the sentinels around Melina could stop her. Icy winds blew forth from the gaping hole, the only noise to break the stunned silence.
As he fell, hands wrapped about the bulging throat of the disgusting godskin creature, a memory stole his sight, despite his best efforts to hold it off.
He could feel his lord's eyes staring down at him, the weight of it a physical force. Owain kept his gaze to the floor, how had he blundered so recklessly? "I know not how the beasts were able to find their way to the royal bedchamber undetected by my sentinels, my lord."
Lord Godfrey sighed. "Aye, boy. Get up. Have my children been seen to?"
Owain rushed to his feet to stand at attention. "Yes, my lord. Reginald is at Godwyn's side, Aldo and Wolfram tend to the twins." His eyes lingered on the steaming corpses of the five godskin foes, one noble and four apostles, that had surprised the queen and her consort in the night. Given the horrific scene of dismantlement, their enemy had severely underestimated the first elden lord's wrath.
His queen, who had been sitting reclined in the sprawling royal bed, finally spoke. Owain kept his eyes averted from the bare forms of divinity and lord both. "Look not so dour, Wain. T'is hardly thy fault. If thou rememberest clear, my lord insisted thy guard around these chambers too numerous just this morn." Queen Marika stared pointedly at her husband, who grumbled before padding once more to her side to sit within her reach.
Owain forcibly cleared the frustration from his face. "Still, my queen, the royal bedchamber was infiltrated! It is my failure to bear, I will accept whatever punishment you see fit." He bowed his head.
The queen laughed softly. "Oh, do come off it, commander. Thou were asleep! If blame lay upon any's shoulders, let it be upon mine. It is clear such a group could not skulkest through the halls unseen, a secret way, a hidden measure, must they have found. I shouldst have foreseen such trickery and placed enchantment against it. The gloam eye is yet more crafty than I thought."
His queen's clemency felt undeserved and he fought away another scowl. It should not have surprised him she would be in such high spirits, despite the attack. Strife or sorrow of any kind slid from her like water from a duck's back whensoever Lord Godfrey resided within the capital. Even now, beside the remains of would be assassins, she gifted gentle touches to her lord, softly smiling at his bare back.
"If thou wouldst still not accept thy lady's mercy, worry not, lad. I'll be seeing thee and thine captains at the training grounds tomorrow." A smile broke through his lord's stern face at Owain's unintentional groan of dismay. "Now go! And sendest for the cleaning staff to rid my lady's nose of the stench of these carcasses."
Owain saluted, kneeling. "Yes, my lord! As you command!"
As he hurried from the royal bedchamber, he heard the tail end of his queen's teasing words. "-mit it, Frey. Such drama excites thee, dost it not? Thou'rt such a brute." Owain was beyond glad that the closing doors hid his blush. If only she could at least wait for him to leave!
Screaming winds roused him, his hands had stayed clamped around the beast's neck. Evidently, he'd snapped the bones beneath during his incognizance. Damn these memories! Damn these craven godskins! Owain had little time for worry though, as he could see the orange glow of lava rising up rapidly to meet him. This would be his first death since Mother Rennala had slain him before Ranni's ritual. He hoped the impact into the lava would make it a quick thing, burning in stone sounded like an awful way to die indeed.
Just as the heat of the molten slag beneath seemed about to overwhelmed him, cooling winds rushed him up into frantic hands. "Thou'rt an oaf! Truly, Wain!"
He smiled, relieved to see she'd woken up in time to rescue him. "I hadn't meant to break through the wall, but alas. As always, you have saved me, beloved starlight." He peppered her still lecturing mouth with kisses. She lifted them up until they were a stones throw from the hole he'd made in the castle wall.
"Wouldst thou-" She clamped a hand over his mouth. "Wouldst thou listen! Thou must be more prudent, husband. I-" She eye'd the manor suspiciously. "I am not quite so sure thou wilt revive after death."
The brief elation he'd felt at being saved from lava fell from his chest. "What?" He whispered, wide eyed.
She smoothed his frown with gentle fingers. "I shouldst have told thee sooner, but it is just a fear, and I've no way to test it. That is why thou must be careful!"
"Careful. Yes. Give me a moment before you bring us back, Ranni." Owain blinked dazedly at his worried wife. He'd almost...what if she'd not made it in time? Would he be truly dead? His hands shook, but not from the cold winds.